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CONVICTED: Was justice served?
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Case #10476 Rating: 2.6 out of 5
Wednesday, Jan 3, 2007
County: Wells
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Lori C. Rogers
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
Wells County Animal Control and the Wells County Sheriff's Department took custody of 67 dogs and other animals from a rural Ossian residence Jan 3 night.
Lori C. Rogers, 44, who lives on Meridian Rd. north of 1000N, was cited into Wells Superior Court for animal neglect.
Rogers reportedly told officers that she had operated a dog kennel at her residence for 10 years, but had not been active for the past six months.
In addition to taking custody of 67 dogs, officers also removed three horses, two rabbits, two chickens and a ferret from the residence. The Wells County Conservation officer also removed two raccoons from the residence.
The sheriff's department received an anonymous tip around 2:50 p.m. Wednesday that Rogers might be neglecting animals at the residence. Deputies Russell Mounsey, Randy Steele and Wells County Animal Control officer Jesse Marley arrived at the residence and first spoke with Rogers' 16-year-old daughter and her boyfriend. Rogers reportedly arrived a short time later.
According to the police report, the officers found four dogs inside the residence that appeared to be well cared for. But when officers reportedly tried to see what was in the outbuildings on the property, Rogers was evasive and declined entry.
She reportedly produced four dogs and the raccoons from the garage. The report noted that the hair on two of the dogs was "scraggly" and clumps of feces were stuck in their hair.
She also reportedly showed officers to a pole barn on the property where approximately 100 rabbits were found. The rabbits were all in cages with feces piled deep enough that the rabbits were walking in their own feces. Three dogs were also found in the barn that appeared to be malnourished, according to the report.
It was later determined that the rabbits belonged to another person and that Rogers was housing them for that person. The rabbits' owner was contacted and she agreed to come more often to clean out the cages.
While searching the premises, Marley reportedly heard several other dogs barking behind a tall privacy fence behind the pole barn. According to the report Marley asked Rogers about the barking dogs and she replied he must have heard the neighbors' dogs barking. She would not permit officers to check behind the fence.
A search warrant was obtained from Wells Superior Court Judge Everett Goshorn and entry to the area behind the fence was obtained.
It was there that officers found many dogs in block kennels without food and water, many of them standing in their own feces with matted hair and feces stuck in their hair. Several dog carcasses were also found rotting in the kennels.
Because of the volume of animals to be picked up, the Indiana State Police and Bluffton Police Department were called in to assist.
Three allegedly malnourished horses were also found in the process of the investigation. The report noted that all of the rib bones of the horses were visible as well as bones protruding through their winter coats.
A burn pile with animal bones in it was discovered in a corner of the yard, the report noted.
A few healthy dogs that the 16-year-old daughter agreed to take care of and two dogs that officers were unable to catch were left behind, along with the rabbits that belonged to the Fort Wayne resident who was housing them at Rogers' place. All other animals were impounded.
Wells County Sheriff's Det. Scott Holliday reportedly spoke with Rogers about the abuse, asking why she had permitted the condition of the animals to become so neglected. She reportedly replied that her financial condition had deteriorated and that she was barely able to make ends meet and afford to buy food for the animals.
Case Updates
Officials with the Wells County Animal Shelter say Lori Rogers has not yet completed a clean up of the kennel she operates near Ossian, where police officers discovered a serious case of animal neglect.
Authorities are demanding that Rogers shape up the kennel, where police served a search warrant on her property over the week-end.
They found horses, rabbits, raccoons and a lot of dogs living in pens without proper food and water.
Officers took more than 60 dogs to the county animal shelter.
A court order handed down this week says Rogers can have about 40 of the breeding dogs back, provided she cleans up the mess and demonstrates she can really take care of the animals this time.
Rogers is supposed to contact the shelter when she's ready for an inspection. She hasn't done that yet, so they're adding on to her bill daily.
That bill is already $4,500.00, and will keep going up until she passes an inspection.
Indiana's News Center visited the property today and were told by an older gentleman to leave immediately.
Based on phone calls to county and township officials, at one time Rogers was required to purchase a 20 dollar annual kennel license from her township trustee.
She did that until 2006, when a state law change suspended the licensing fee.
It appears no agency is set up to inspect kennels like that one, and that's also the case for kennels in Allen County.
Under Rogers' court case, she is subject to random inspections, again, if she brings the kennel up to snuff so that she gets the dogs back at all. |
Source: ABC 21 - Jan 12, 2007
Update posted on Jan 14, 2007 - 3:32PM |
A woman who had 67 dogs, three horses and other animals removed from her property has pleaded guilty to animal neglect.
Lori Rogers pleaded guilty to the one misdemeanor charge Tuesday and was sentenced to one year probation. A second misdemeanor charge of possessing a raccoon without a permit on the property near Ossian about 15 miles south of Fort Wayne was dismissed.
When sheriff's deputies removed the animals they reported finding them in squalid and dirty conditions, with matted hair and standing in feces.
About 40 of the dogs and two horses will be returned to her after the property passes an inspection by the animal shelter director and she pays more than $4,000 in restitution to the county. |
Source: Fox 28, 2007
Update posted on Jan 10, 2007 - 11:11PM |
References
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