TRUMBULL COUNTY, OHIO

NAFA volunteers remember the horrors we encountered in Northwest Arkansas several years ago at EDNAH a sanctuary for pit bulls. The following investigation and rescue in Ohio is very similar.

OHIO Sanctuary found to be horrendous.

February 2010 TRUMBULL COUNTY , OHIO --Volunteers are finding ways to care for hundreds of animals, including dogs, cats and geese that were rescued from a local home/sanctuary.

A Trumbull County warehouse is the temporary home for 162 dogs rescued from a home Friday that was supposed to be an animal sanctuary."The final tally was 162 dogs, 18 cats, two horses and a multitude of fowl and chickens," said detective Harold Firster of the Trumbull County Sheriff's Office.

Trumbull County sheriff's deputies arrested 58-year-old Kathy Witzman during the raid at her home. They say she faces close to 200 counts of cruelty to animals."One person could not feed these animals if they had 25 hours a day, let alone take care of them," said detective Firster.

"We're finding a mixed bag of things that are wrong with them, some are thinner than others, some are a little bit better taken care of than others, but what we're seeing probably is the fact that there is some problem with all of them," said Barbara Busko of the Animal Welfare League.Veterinarians are checking out the dogs. Volunteers are helping the Animal Welfare League feed and walk the animals.At least one dog may have to be put down, another already died."We had hoped that we could give him a little bit of quality of life, and unfortunately he died around five o'clock in the afternoon on Saturday," said Busko.

Volunteers say eventually many of the dogs will be available for adoption. First, the case must go through the legal process and the dogs' temperaments must be analyzed."These animals were chained to three-to-five foot chains, never getting away from the chains or in little crates...it can cause them to become aggressive," said Busko.

The Animal Welfare League of Trumbull County is asking for donations to care for the animals.

The animal cruelty charges are misdemeanors, but investigators say Witzman is also being charged with a felony, because they say a 55 gallon drum of animal bones were also found on the property.

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