by Deborah Parkhill Mullis
Even as a new generation of public animal shelters works to build volunteer crews and educate citizens about responsible pet ownership, animal control officers continue to respond to animal cruelty issues.
“Our (animal control) officers answer call after call after call. Most of the time it’s the public calling about cases of abuse or neglect. We send officers out to investigate immediately,” said Union County Sheriff Eddie Cathey.
On March 14, Union County Animal Services helped investigate the condition of 50 abused and neglected animals belonging to Waxhaw dog breeder and kennel operator, Denise Helms. Upon the arrival of a state investigator and a local animal services deputy at Helms' Pleasant Grove Road property, the breeder surrendered what she claimed to be the “worst” animals: two yellow labs, two chocolate labs and a bloodhound.
Lt. Michelle Starnes, UCAS director, said the five dogs were emaciated, and no food or fresh water for the animals was found on the property. The surrendered dogs' health was so poor they were euthanized.
The conditions led to a search of the premises and subsequent seizure of 36 dogs; one pair each of cats, ferrets, birds, horses, and goats; a donkey, sheep, rabbit and iguana. Helms has been charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty.
The US Equine Rescue League is fostering the horses, goats, sheep and donkey seized from the premises; a veterinarian is looking after the birds. Starnes said it appears the remaining animals receiving care at the animal shelter on Presson Road in Monroe will recover. Shelter staff had to learn how to tend to an abused iguana with a fused tail, securing a him a proper diet of dandelion greens, fruit, and kale and soaking him in tepid water three times a day. “His color is coming back and he is eating now,” said Starnes.
This article for the Union County Weekly, Volume 2, Number 12 * March 23-29, 2007.
