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Case ID: 9483

Classification: Neglect / Abandonment

Animal: sheep

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Sheep infested with maggots
Half Moon Bay, CA (US)

Incident Date: Saturday, Aug 13, 2005
County: San Mateo

Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Convicted

Defendant/Suspect: Janet Wherry

Case Updates: 5 update(s) available

In August 2005, the Peninsula Humane Society again filed charges against Wherry when a sheep in her care had to be euthanized after it was found infested with maggots.

Also in August 2005, Wherry was ordered to provide proper care and feeding to animals after a number of underfed animals were found living in unhealthy conditions.

Case Updates

Vidia the goat and Luther the sheep won a long-delayed victory in court Friday when the Half Moon Bay rancher accused of neglecting their well-being was sentenced to 20 days in county jail.

Janet Wherry, the 64-year-old owner of Triple Springs Ranch, was also ordered to serve two years probation, during which time she will be forbidden from owning or working with animals.

Wherry had pleaded no contest in August to two misdemeanor charges of animal abuse in a plea deal with prosecutors, who dropped two additional misdemeanor charges of animal abuse and limited her sentence to no more than 30 days in jail.

But Wherry told the judge she wanted to change her plea on the day of her November sentencing, explaining that she felt pressured by her defense attorneys and prosecutors alike to accept a plea bargain that she had no desire to take.

The rancher changed her mind once again on Friday by accepting the plea deal as punishment for the harm that befell the two animals.

Luther was found by the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA on Wherry's property in 2005 with open wounds infested by maggots and was subsequently euthanized, prosecutors say.

Vidia was seized in 2006 after being found emaciated with an old, untreated eye injury, and with lice and overgrown hooves, according to the humane society.

Wherry is suing the county, the Humane Society and its captain of field services, Debi DeNardi, alleging negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress, deprivation of due process and defamation of character.

The rancher has adamantly denied abusing her animals, saying that both Vidia the goat and Luther the sheep arrived at her ranch in less than ideal health.

Vidia was already missing an eye and suffering from overgrown, gnarled hooves, she has said. As for Luther, Wherry claims she saved the sheep from certain demise at an upcoming Burning Man festival, where the animal was to be slaughtered in the desert and roasted on a spit for dinner.

"I harmed no animals, no animals were harmed � I'm innocent," she told reporters outside a previous hearing.

Wherry must surrender to the county jail on July 5. She is eligible to apply with the Sheriff's Office to enroll in a work-release program.

Source: Inside Bay Area - March 15, 2008
Update posted on Mar 15, 2008 - 12:53PM

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On August 8, 2007, Janet Wherry pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. As part of a plea agreement, she faces up to 30 days in jail when she is formally sentenced in October. The maximum punishment for a misdemeanor animal cruelty charge is one year in jail. Any term less than 90 days may be served through the Sheriff�s Work Program.

As part of the plea agreement, charges of failure to provide proper care and falsifying evidence were dismissed.

The convictions stem from two separate incidents.

On August 13, 2005, after responding to an anonymous complaint, Peninsula Humane Society officers discovered a sick sheep at Wherry�s Triple Springs Ranch. �Luther� had to be euthanized after veterinarians discovered the sheep was filled with maggots.

On August 16, 2005, PHS received another complaint, this time for a sick goat. Officers reportedly contacted Wherry, who explained that the goat had since been euthanized.

Nearly a year later, a resident who boards horses at Triple Springs Ranch called the shelter anonymously to report that the goat was actually never euthanized and was still living at the ranch.

On July 7, 2006, the goat, Vidia, was discovered and seized by PHS/SPCA on the grounds that Wherry had failed to provide necessary veterinary care. According to reports, Vidia was very thin and had what appeared to be an old, untreated, eye injury. The goat was treated by a veterinarian and had her grossly overgrown hooves, which resembled elves boots, trimmed.

On July 27, 2006, PHS seized two horses, one pony, three goats, four sheep and one pig, after multiple boarders at the ranch complained about the condition of Wherry�s animals. The animals were placed in foster care.

Prosecutors initially charged Wherry with a single misdemeanor count of animal cruelty, but added three more counts after reviewing the cases further, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe. No charges were filed in the July 27, 2006 incident, however.

Janet Wherry, who does not have a current stable permit to run a commercial boarding facility, will be sentenced on October 3, 2007, at 9:00 a.m.

Source: San Mateo County Court Case # SM346146A
Update posted on Aug 9, 2007 - 3:24PM

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A 63-year-old Half Moon Bay woman accused of neglecting animals on her ranch received a plea bargain offer from prosecutors Thursday, the latest in a drawn-out case stemming from allegations of animal abuse from two years ago.

Janet Wherry, owner of Triple Springs Ranch in Half Moon Bay, is facing four misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and one count of forging a receipt. The charges were prompted by a Peninsula Humane Society investigation in August 2005, launched after an anonymous tip, in which sheep with open wounds under Wherry�s care were found with maggots.

There have been several delays in court proceedings, partly because Wherry has gone through three different attorneys. On Thursday, prosecutors formally offered a deal of 20 days in jail, but Wherry has yet to decide whether she will take it before her scheduled July 2 trial date.

�We�re ready to get this off the ground,� Deputy District Attorney Sean Dabel said.

The district attorney initially filed two misdemeanor counts in July last year, but court proceedings were delayed after Wherry fired her attorney in December. In May, her court-appointed attorney was replaced by yet another attorney. On May 31, prosecutors added three more charges related to an alleged starved goat, seized by the PHS late last year, and an alleged forged receipt for the purchase of animal feed.

�The goat was thin, with an eye injury, with overgrown hooves and was pretty much in bad shape,� Dabel said.

Wherry�s problematic past with the PHS goes as far back as far as 1994, when the agency accused her of not fencing horses properly. PHS also claims the horses were starved and covered in their own feces.

Update posted on Jun 25, 2007 - 5:51PM

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Janet Wherry appeared in court for a pre-trial conference yesterday. Wherry faces multiple animal cruelty charges for allegedly neglecting animals at her Triple Springs Ranch on at least two separate occasions in the past two years. The jury trial set for April 2 was vacated and reset for May 14, 2007 at 9:00 a.m. in San Mateo County Superior Court.

Source: Case # SM346146A
Update posted on Feb 23, 2007 - 6:57PM

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Janet Wherry, believed to be neglecting animals on her farm for years, is still facing charges for animal cruelty and is due back in court next month.

In August 2005, the Peninsula Humane Society filed charges against Wherry when a sheep in her care had to be euthanized after it was found infested with maggots. She is due to appear in court next for a pre-trial conference on February 22, 2007 at 1:30 p.m. in the San Mateo County Hall of Justice, located at 400 County Center, Redwood City, CA 94063. A jury trial is set for April 2, 2007 at 9:00 a.m.

In July 2006, a sick goat that Wherry had claimed to have euthanized a year earlier was found alive, but starving and suffering from lice, an untreated eye injury and grossly overgrown hooves. On July 27 of last year, the Peninsula Humane Society seized two horses, one pony, three goats, four sheep and one pig after finding that they were being starved, not receiving proper veterinary care and living in filthy conditions. Charges are still pending on these incidents.

Animal cruelty charges were first filed against Janet Wherry in February 1994. These charges resulted in a �civil compromise�, sparing her from a criminal record.

Source: Docket # SM346146A
Update posted on Jan 25, 2007 - 5:13PM

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References

	- August 12, 2006
	- August 13, 2006

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Sheep infested with maggotsHalf Moon Bay, CA (US)

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Sheep infested with maggots
Half Moon Bay, CA (US)