Vets checking over 50 animals rescued from ‘deplorable living conditions’ in Roy area
A howling filled the air as deputies approached over 50 animals in pens and cages on a property in the Roy area.
Thirty-five dogs of various breeds, 18 cats and one horse were among the animals rescued Dec. 16 when the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department served a warrant to remove them from a caretaker allegedly engaged in illegal breeding and animal cruelty, according to the department’s blotter.
After seeing a local veterinarian, the animals will be transferred to the Humane Society, according to the blotter.
The department first received a complaint alerting them to the animals’ condition Nov. 23, Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Carly Cappetto said, and the following investigation resulted in a warrant served Monday at 9 a.m. It took the deputies through most of the afternoon to finish the job.
The department has forwarded charges to prosecutors, but a judge won’t be able to issue a probable-cause ruling as to whether the suspect allegedly engaged in animal cruelty until a veterinarian releases a report on what’s wrong with the animals, according to Cappetto.
The suspect, a 28-year-old woman, is familiar to deputies because of previous offenses, according to Cappetto. Asked if the woman has faced past animal-related charges, Cappetto said she hasn’t but confirmed that deputies have interacted with her in the past regarding animal-related cases.
“Animal cruelty” can constitute a variety of offenses, Cappetto said. In this case, animal-control officers looked at the animals’ “deplorable living conditions” and health, including whether the animals were getting proper medical treatment.
Even if the animals look healthy and well-fed in pictures, deputies focus on how they’re being cared for and their living conditions, she said. Many of the animals in this case were being evaluated for lung concerns.
