Post by SpyderLady on Oct 23, 2007 9:13:40 GMT -6
Oct 16, 2007 - 10:51:13 am CDT
Operation Rescue
Most of the seized animals doing ‘amazingly well'
By Carrie Frillman - Staff Writer
DeKALB - As volunteers passed by his cage Monday at DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport, a young cocker spaniel hopped on his hind legs, longing for some affection.
The spaniel was given the name “Frogger” this weekend because he lay flat on his stomach like a frog for hours.
“He was so petrified, but you wouldn't know by looking at him now,” said Ellen Lekostaj, animal care technician from TAILS Humane Society in DeKalb.
The pup is among nearly 300 dogs, cats and birds rescued Friday from a property at 1912 Melugins Grove Road, just south of Rochelle. The 107 dogs and 160 cats were taken to a hangar at the airport, where a temporary shelter is set up. The 30 birds are at Ollie's Parrots Perch in Creston.
An additional 200 dead animals were found in the house, in freezers, outside and near a burn pile.
The animals' owner is 65-year-old Barbara Munroe, who was arrested Friday and charged with eight counts of animal cruelty and two counts of failure of duty of a companion animal owner.
Her house was condemned Monday morning by the Lee County Health Department as “unfit for human habitation.” Volunteers with TAILS describe a home in which every room is covered with cages, pens, medical waste or piles of fecal matter, urine and hair.
At an arraignment hearing Monday, Munroe pleaded not guilty, according to the Lee County State's Attorney's Office. She is being considered unfit for trial because of her living conditions, Lee County State's Attorney Paul Whitcombe said.
“It's really a tragedy on several levels, not only for the 200-plus animals,” Whitcombe said. “It doesn't appear she intended to be cruel to any of these animals.”
The pets' temporary home in the hangar is quiet for the number of animals there, but an occasional bark can be heard from a large Saint Bernard in a kennel at the south end of the facility. TAILS employees and volunteers have helped to bathe the animals and, in many cases, shave their fur that was caked with fecal matter.
“Most of them are doing amazingly well, while others need some pretty serious attention,” TAILS shelter supervisor Jenni Johnson said Monday. “Mostly it's dehydration, malnutrition and severe flea allergy dermatitis.”
Most of the animals have been vaccinated, dewormed and inspected by veterinarians. Many are missing fur from constant scratching. Some sit quietly in their cages, and several are paired together according to breed. Nearly all are purebred.
Since Munroe still owns the pets, the state must take forfeiture action to seize them before putting them up for adoption, according to the TAILS volunteers who came to the hangar throughout the day Monday.
Volunteer Laura Stadie was found crouched beside the cage of a Siberian husky, trying to coax him out for a walk.
“Come on, honey,” she cooed. “Are you going to stay in there forever? Come on, come with me.”
The dog stayed still, cowering in back.
“You aren't ever going to come out, are you?” Stadie said with a tone of defeat.
She learned of the need for helpers from her 13-year-old daughter, Carly, who has been volunteering with TAILS for the last two years.
“We keep them out for 10 to 15 minutes,” Laura Stadie said of walking the dogs. “And most of them have never been walked before. They've been in crates their entire lives, so most don't know how to walk. But it's amazing how good some of them are, even with no human contact.”
Some of Munroe's dogs were kept inside the house, and others were outside in a kennel, Lekostaj said.
Most of the cats were inside, either in cages in the poorly lit basement or free to roam the house. Despite the pets' suffering, TAILS Executive Director Beth Drake insisted Munroe's heart was in the right place when she tried to give the animals a home.
“The way hoarders operate is they are trying to rescue,” Drake said. “But the problem is they have no boundaries. Her goal in all of this was to help them, but she ended up hurting them more than anything in the end.”
Trying to take care of all the animals alone is unfathomable, Drake said.
“One thing we are running into with the dogs is that we have to ration their food,” she said. “They're used to being fed and eating as much as they can because they might not see food for a long time.”
If Munroe loses ownership of the pets, they will be put up for adoption, given to breed rescues and possibly distributed to other shelters. Those interested in adopting can put their names on a list being compiled by TAILS.
PetSmart stores in DeKalb, Rockford, Machesney Park, Geneva, South Elgin and Hoffman Estates have collected cages, crates, carriers and food for the animals. Other donations were made privately and by Petco.
Use of the hangar was donated by Ed Kling of Steffens & Kling appraisers.
Munroe's bond was amended by $5,000 Monday to bar her from possessing or coming into contact with any animals. She is currently being held in Lee County Jail on $30,000 bond.
Staff writer Benji Feldheim contributed to this report.
www.daily-chronicle.com/articles/2007/10/16/news/news02.txt
Operation Rescue
Most of the seized animals doing ‘amazingly well'
By Carrie Frillman - Staff Writer
DeKALB - As volunteers passed by his cage Monday at DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport, a young cocker spaniel hopped on his hind legs, longing for some affection.
The spaniel was given the name “Frogger” this weekend because he lay flat on his stomach like a frog for hours.
“He was so petrified, but you wouldn't know by looking at him now,” said Ellen Lekostaj, animal care technician from TAILS Humane Society in DeKalb.
The pup is among nearly 300 dogs, cats and birds rescued Friday from a property at 1912 Melugins Grove Road, just south of Rochelle. The 107 dogs and 160 cats were taken to a hangar at the airport, where a temporary shelter is set up. The 30 birds are at Ollie's Parrots Perch in Creston.
An additional 200 dead animals were found in the house, in freezers, outside and near a burn pile.
The animals' owner is 65-year-old Barbara Munroe, who was arrested Friday and charged with eight counts of animal cruelty and two counts of failure of duty of a companion animal owner.
Her house was condemned Monday morning by the Lee County Health Department as “unfit for human habitation.” Volunteers with TAILS describe a home in which every room is covered with cages, pens, medical waste or piles of fecal matter, urine and hair.
At an arraignment hearing Monday, Munroe pleaded not guilty, according to the Lee County State's Attorney's Office. She is being considered unfit for trial because of her living conditions, Lee County State's Attorney Paul Whitcombe said.
“It's really a tragedy on several levels, not only for the 200-plus animals,” Whitcombe said. “It doesn't appear she intended to be cruel to any of these animals.”
The pets' temporary home in the hangar is quiet for the number of animals there, but an occasional bark can be heard from a large Saint Bernard in a kennel at the south end of the facility. TAILS employees and volunteers have helped to bathe the animals and, in many cases, shave their fur that was caked with fecal matter.
“Most of them are doing amazingly well, while others need some pretty serious attention,” TAILS shelter supervisor Jenni Johnson said Monday. “Mostly it's dehydration, malnutrition and severe flea allergy dermatitis.”
Most of the animals have been vaccinated, dewormed and inspected by veterinarians. Many are missing fur from constant scratching. Some sit quietly in their cages, and several are paired together according to breed. Nearly all are purebred.
Since Munroe still owns the pets, the state must take forfeiture action to seize them before putting them up for adoption, according to the TAILS volunteers who came to the hangar throughout the day Monday.
Volunteer Laura Stadie was found crouched beside the cage of a Siberian husky, trying to coax him out for a walk.
“Come on, honey,” she cooed. “Are you going to stay in there forever? Come on, come with me.”
The dog stayed still, cowering in back.
“You aren't ever going to come out, are you?” Stadie said with a tone of defeat.
She learned of the need for helpers from her 13-year-old daughter, Carly, who has been volunteering with TAILS for the last two years.
“We keep them out for 10 to 15 minutes,” Laura Stadie said of walking the dogs. “And most of them have never been walked before. They've been in crates their entire lives, so most don't know how to walk. But it's amazing how good some of them are, even with no human contact.”
Some of Munroe's dogs were kept inside the house, and others were outside in a kennel, Lekostaj said.
Most of the cats were inside, either in cages in the poorly lit basement or free to roam the house. Despite the pets' suffering, TAILS Executive Director Beth Drake insisted Munroe's heart was in the right place when she tried to give the animals a home.
“The way hoarders operate is they are trying to rescue,” Drake said. “But the problem is they have no boundaries. Her goal in all of this was to help them, but she ended up hurting them more than anything in the end.”
Trying to take care of all the animals alone is unfathomable, Drake said.
“One thing we are running into with the dogs is that we have to ration their food,” she said. “They're used to being fed and eating as much as they can because they might not see food for a long time.”
If Munroe loses ownership of the pets, they will be put up for adoption, given to breed rescues and possibly distributed to other shelters. Those interested in adopting can put their names on a list being compiled by TAILS.
PetSmart stores in DeKalb, Rockford, Machesney Park, Geneva, South Elgin and Hoffman Estates have collected cages, crates, carriers and food for the animals. Other donations were made privately and by Petco.
Use of the hangar was donated by Ed Kling of Steffens & Kling appraisers.
Munroe's bond was amended by $5,000 Monday to bar her from possessing or coming into contact with any animals. She is currently being held in Lee County Jail on $30,000 bond.
Staff writer Benji Feldheim contributed to this report.
www.daily-chronicle.com/articles/2007/10/16/news/news02.txt
