“It is always a difficult day for our team to see animals in such poor and neglectful conditions,” said Brian Weltge, president and CEO of the Humane Society of Greater Dayton. “However, our team is well trained and responded quickly to obtain a warrant and remove the animals from this horrible situation so that we could begin to immediately address their veterinary needs and provide them with the food, shelter and medical care they need to rehabilitate.”
The animals were placed in foster homes after they were found malnourished with little to no fresh food, water that “looked more like sludge” and with stalls nearly three-feet deep in fecal matter, the agency said.
Germantown police first responded around 1 p.m. June 16 to the farm in the 7400 block of Weaver Road for an animal complaint. At that time only two cows were outside and they appeared underweight, according to a Germantown police report.
Police returned with humane society agents around 7:30 p.m. The owners were home this time, and showed them all of the animals. The owners apparently agreed to increase the animals’ food intake and said they would clean up the property, the report stated.
The agents and police returned around 1 p.m. June 23, this time with a search warrant to check the entire property.
Credit: Humane Society of Greater Dayton
Credit: Humane Society of Greater Dayton
“It was determined that the animals were not being taken care of properly, and the agents determined that all the animals were going to be seized from the property,” the report stated.
“We are so grateful for the people who reported this situation,” Weltge said.
The owners, a 37-year-old man and 35-year-old woman, surrendered the animals to the humane society and pleaded guilty July 15 in Miamisburg Municipal Court to misdemeanor animal cruelty, court records show. Both were given the maximum sentence under the law and were given up to five years of probation, the release stated. Court records show the sentence is stayed until Aug. 31.
Caring for the animals is costly for the humane society, which is a nonprofit that relies on donations to support the animals in its care. For more information, visit www.hsdayton.org.
Credit: Humane Society of Greater Dayton
Credit: Humane Society of Greater Dayton
Credit: Humane Society of Greater Dayton
Credit: Humane Society of Greater Dayton
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