Released by SPCA of Texas
GREENVILLE/HUNT COUNTY (KYTX) - Today, at a custody hearing in Greenville at the Hunt County Courthouse, the SPCA of Texas was awarded custody of 120 cruelly treated animals seized from a Hunt County property last Wednesday.
The SPCA of Texas was also awarded $8,341.68 in restitution, but it does not actually expect to receive any of this money to help offset costs. If the animal owner does not file an appeal in the next ten days, the SPCA of Texas will at that time individually evaluate the animals for adoption or placement on a case by case basis.
Under the authority of the Hunt County Precinct 1 constable, the SPCA of Texas took custody of 120 animals - 90 fowl of various species, 12 rabbits, 12 cats, five dogs and one duck on Aug. 28. These animals were discovered on the same Hunt County property from which the organization seized 249 animals in July.
SPCA of Texas vehicles transported the fowl, rabbits and duck to the Perry Animal Care Center in McKinney and the dogs and cats to the Jan Rees-Jones Animal Care Center in West Dallas, where they were examined by medical staff and cared for until the custody hearing.
One dead bird and one dead cat were found on the property. Seven dead birds were found at another location, where the animal owner had allegedly dumped the bodies.
As was the case the last time the SPCA of Texas took custody of animals from this property, from this same animal owner, the odor of feces was strong throughout the property. It appeared to the SPCA of Texas' investigator that the owner had not cleaned up the property since the previous 249 animals had been seized from him. The animals were living in feces-filled, overcrowded conditions in pens, cages and coops. Most of the animals were housed outside on the property, all of which was covered in feces and urine. Several dogs were living in make-shift pens made of chicken wire. Some rabbits were housed in elevated hutches and the rest lived in make-shift chicken wire enclosures that were full of feces. Most of the fowl were running loose on the property, but others were kept in make-shift crates the size of shoe boxes, also made of chicken wire. Some of the animals did not have access to an appropriate water source, and the only water many of the animals had to drink was contaminated. Some of the animals appeared to be unhealthy.
"It is sadly not uncommon for us to see the same person start back up operating their breeding operation even after a seizure and civil proceedings take place," said Colby Grady, Chief Investigator for the SPCA of Texas. "There is no provision on the Justice of the Peace Court level to prevent people who have had animals seized from them from turning around and getting more animals."
The SPCA of Texas received two separate complaints of suspected animal cruelty going on at the property in the days before the animals were seized. The SPCA of Texas Investigator and the Hunt County Constable, Precinct 1 visited the property on August 28th and discovered that the new animals were living in the same inhumane conditions as the animals that had previously been seized. The Hunt County Constable and the SPCA of Texas concurred that it was in the animals' best interest to remove the animals, and the Hunt County Constable sought a seizure warrant.
More information on the animal seizure that took place on July 18th:
An SPCA of Texas Investigator visited the same property on July 5th and discovered the first group of animals' conditions. The SPCA of Texas attempted to work with the owner to bring the animals' conditions into compliance with Texas Health and Safety Code. When the SPCA of Texas' Investigator returned to the property on July 16th, the animals' conditions had deteriorated. The SPCA of Texas and the Hunt County Constable, Precinct 1 visited the property on Tuesday, July 17th, and at that time the Hunt County Constable and the SPCA of Texas concurred that it was in the animals' best interest to remove the animals, and the Hunt County Constable sought a seizure warrant.
During the last two visits to the property, a deceased goat and a deceased pig were found. The goat was found, bloated and stiff, in the front of the property on July 16th, and the piglet was found floating in his water source, which was contaminated, on July 17th. Additionally, the owner stated that they were selling the animals at a flea market.
On July 18th, under the authority of the Hunt County Constable, Precinct 1, the SPCA of Texas took custody of 249 animals--186 fowl of various species, 32 rabbits, 13 cats, 11 dogs and seven piglets--from the property. The animals were not receiving adequate food, water, shelter or care. At a custody hearing in Greenville, TX on July 24th at the Hunt County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1, Place 2 courthouse, the SPCA of Texas received custody of those animals. Only a handful of the animals from this seizure are still available for adoption.
Camper where a dog lived.
