BUT
BUT DID
BUT DID YOU KNOW -- IF THE ANIMALS ARE NOT SURRENDERED - THE COST TO TAKE
CARE OF
THOSE ANIMALS FALLS ON YOU.
ANIMAL ADVOCATES BELIEVE
THAT'S THE
REASON MANY HOARDING CASES ARE
OVERLOOKED.
FOCUS INVESTIGATOR HEATHER
FOUNTAINE IS
DIGGING INTO THE COST OF ANIMAL
CRUELTY - AND THE CHANGE ANIMAL
ADVOCATES ARE PUSHING FOR.
STACKED
STACKED ON TOP OF EACH OTHER FROM THE FLOOR TO THE CEILING 1:16:43 DOGS WERE UP
TO
TO THEIR
TO THEIR KNEES IN MUCK THIS IS HOW DOZENS OF DOGS WERE HOARDED
AT A MCCRACKEN COUNTY, KENTUCKY
HOME...
HOME...
HOME... THE RESIDENCE BUSTED IN APRIL 1;18:56 IMMEDIATELY
IT'S VERY HARD TO BREATH. YOUR
EYES START BURNING
1:19:17 YOU LOOK TO
THE LEFT THERE'S DOGS, YOU WALK
INTO A SEPARATE ROOM - DOGS
STACKED IN KENNELS.... WITH SEVERAL INCHES OF FECES AND
SAWDUST IN THE CRATES JAMES
HOUCHINS WITH GUARDIANS OF
RESCUE SAYS ALTOGETHER THEY
RESCUED MORE THAN 100 ANIMALS
FROM THE HOUSE... INCLUDING
70-PLUS DOGS, KITTENS, GOATS,
PIGS AND CHICKENS
1:18:00 IT WAS A VERY
HEARTBREAKING CASE, THAT ONE WAS
THE NONPROFIT HAS BEEN APART OF
AT LEAST FIVE RESCUES IN THE
LAST TWO MONTHS..... INCLUDING ONE AT THIS ALLEGED
PUPPY MILL IN ADAIR COUNTY IN
MARCH.
WEARING GAS MASKS - AND HAZMAT
SUITS...... HOUCHINS AND OTHER
VOLUNTEERS CARRIED 132 DOGS...
AND 9 CATS OUT OF THE HOME... IN
CERTAIN AREAS....THEY HAD TO
LIFT THEM OVER THE RUSTED SHUT CAGES TO GET THEM OUT.
THEY BELIEVE DOZENS OF DOGS DIED
IN THESE KENNELS.
1:12:17 YOU WOULD CLEAR A CAGE OUT THAT HAD 14-15
DOGS IN IT - WHICH WAS
OVERPOPULATED ... 1:12:35 AND THEN YOU
WOULD LIFT THE DOGHOUSE AND YOU
WOULD FIND SKELETAL REMAINS THE
ADAIR COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
CHARGED DEBRA REMMERS WITH 141 COUNTS OF 2ND DEGREE ANIMAL
CRUELTY
WHICH LEAD TO A GROUP OF ANIMAL
ADVOCATES RALLYING OUTSIDE THE
COURTHOUSE DURING HER ARRAIGNMENT
2:57:52 THAT IS
DEFINITELY THE KIND OF MOMENTUM
WE NEED MYCHELL LAWSON IS THE
FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF KENTUCKY ANIMAL ACTION....
AND FEARS THESE CASES ONLY
REPRESENT A FRACTION OF THE
ABUSE IN THE COMMONWEALTH
2:56:13 WE LOSE A LOT
OF SLEEP WORRIED ABOUT THE CASES
THAT AREN'T BEING BUSTED AND THE
ANIMALS THAT ARE STILL SITTING
THERE WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO COME RESCUE THEM
SHE
SHE BELIEVES THE EXPENSE OF ANIMAL CRUELTY CASES IS PART OF
WHAT KEEPS THEM FROM BEING
FREQUENTLY PURSUED. 2:50:20 THE COST CAN
BE VERY LARGE, VERY QUICK AND
THAT'S SOMETHING A LOT OF
COUNTIES CAN'T INCUR ON THEIR
OWN
IN KENTUCKY, IF A PERSON DOES
NOT SURRENDER THEIR ANIMALS....
THE COST TO BOARD THEM, FEED
THEM, AND PROVIDE MEDICAL CARE FALLS ON THE TAX PAYER
2:49:37 WHEN THERE'S
A LARGE CASE, UNFORTUNATELY
SOMETIMES COUNTIES HAVE TO LOOK
THE OTHER WAY BECAUSE THEY COULD
BE LOOKING AT 100-200,000 DOLLAR
BILL TO HANG ONTO THESE ANIMALS
DURING A COURT CASE IT'S WHY
KENTUCKY ANIMAL ACTION IS WORKING ON A 'COST OF CARE'
BILL... WHICH WOULD PUT THAT
EXPENSE ON THE ALLEGED OFFENDER.
3:00:42 THE PERSON
BEING CHARGED EITHER HAS TO PAY
A DECIDED AMOUNT OF MONEY TO
CARE FOR THOSE ANIMALS WHILE THEY'RE IN CARE DURING THE CASE
OR IF THEY CAN'T OR WON'T PAY
THAT FEE THEY HAVE TO FORFEIT THE ANIMALS WHERE THE ANIMALS
CAN MOVE INTO ADOPTERS OR
RESCUERS IMMEDIATELY AND THERE'S
NOT A COST OF CARE FOR THE
ANIMALS INCURRED DURING THE COURT CASE
LAWSON HAS WORKED CLOSELY
ALONGSIDE JOYE KEELEY
A FORMER LOUISVILLE METRO POLICE
OFFICER WHO HAS DEDICATED HER
RETIREMENT TO EXPOSING THE LINK
BETWEEN ANIMAL ABUSE... AND
ABUSE TOWARDS PEOPLE 3:16;09 IN 2018 FOR
EXAMPLE, THE NUMBER ONE CRIME
ASSOCIATED WITH ANIMAL ABUSE WAS
ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF A
MINOR AND THAT'S IN THE STATE OF
KENTUCKY
KENTUCKY
KENTUCKY LAST FALL, KEELEY WAS A CONTRIBUTOR TO THE UNIVERSITY OF
LOUISVILLE; BRANDEIS SCHOOL OF
LAW'S JOURNAL OF ANIMAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAW... AND CITED A
STUDY THAT SAID 82-PERCENT OF
DEFENDANTS IN ANIMAL ABUSE CASES
HAD ALSO COMMITTED OTHER CRIMES
LIKE INTIMATE PARTNER ABUSE,
ASSAULT, AND CHILD OR ELDER ABUSE.
3:22:37 WE NEED
LAWMAKERS TO QUIT LOOKING AT THE
SPECIES OF THE VICTIM AND START
LOOKING THE ABUSIVE NATURE OF
THE PERPETRATOR BECAUSE IT'S THAT ABUSIVE NATURE WHICH WILL
ABUSE MORE THAN ONE SPECIES AT A
TIME
TIME
TIME HER
TIME HER RESEARCH ALSO REVEALED THAT
IN 2018 AND 2019.... 6-PERCENT
OF THE ANIMAL CRUELTY CASES WERE
HOARDING CASES IN KENTUCKY....
BUT 58-PERCENT OF THE ANIMALS ABUSED IN
ABUSED IN
THOSE
THOSE TWO
THOSE TWO YEARS... WERE INVOLVED IN THOSE HOARDING CASES.
3:20:04 IT MEANS THAT HOARDING CASES DO NOT MAKE UP
THE MAJORITY OF NEGLECT CASES...
BUT IT MEANS THAT THESE ARE A
PHENOMENAL AMOUNT OF ANIMALS INVOLVED IN THESE 6% THOUGH SHE
SAYS OFTEN TIMES - A HOARDER IS
IN DENIAL OF THEIR INABILITY TO
PROVIDE FOR THEM
3:43:51 THERE'S A PERSISTENCE, DESPITE THIS
FAILURE, IN ACCUMULATING AND
CONTROLLING ANIMALS, AND THAT IS
PART OF THE MENTAL ILLNESS
KENTUCKY IS STILL RANKED ONE OF
THE WORST STATES FOR ANIMAL
PROTECTION LAWS....
PROTECTION LAWS....
KEELEY
KEELEY BELIEVES PASSING THE COST OF CARE ACT WOULD HELP.
3:33:15 IT WILL GIVE ANIMAL CONTROL AND LAW
ENFORCEMENT MORE TOOLS TO SAVE
THESE ANIMALS AND POSSIBLY
HUMANS AND IT WILL GIVE THEM THE
WHEREWITHAL TO SAY I'M HERE FOR
THESE
THESE
ANIMALS,
ANIMALS, BUT LET ME FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON INSIDE IF I CAN
THOUGH IT WASN'T HEARD ON THE
FLOOR OF THE KENTUCKY CONGRESS THIS YEAR.. IT HAS GARNERED
SUPPORT FROM
SUPPORT FROM
LAWMAKERS
LAWMAKERS LIKE KENTUCKY REPRESENTATIVE KIM BANTA... WHO
SAID IN A STATEMENT TO FOCUS: IT
PROTECTS "AGAINST HUGE BILLS TO
TAX PAYERS" AS WELL AS "ANIMALS
WHICH I SUPPORT WHOLE HEARTEDLY"
3:03:32 THINGS ARE
CHANGING, IT MIGHT BE SLOW, BUT
I FEEL LIKE THE MOMENTUM IS
PICKING UP AND IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN
IN THE CASE OUT OF MCCRACKEN
COUNTY, KENTUCKY....
DAVID HOWERY WAS CHARGED WITH
TWENTY-FIVE COUNTS OF CRUELTY TO
ANIMALS 2ND DEGREE...
HIS CRIMINAL HISTORY REVEALED AN
OUTSTANDING BENCH WARRANT FROM A
PREVIOUS CRUELTY TO ANIMALS
CONVICTION IN ADAIR COUNTY BACK
IN 2009... COURT RECORDS SAY HE
PLEAD GUILTY TO MORE THAN 100
COUNTS.... AND WAS SENTENCED TO
12 MONTHS IN JAIL. HE SERVED 60
DAYS.
DAYS.
DAYS. HOUCHINS SAYS - THAT'S NOT UNCOMMON IN CASES LIKE THIS.
1:31:50 THEY BASICALLY
GET A SLAP ON THE WRIST AND THEN
JUST
JUST
MONTHS
MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD - THEY'RE RIGHT BACK AT IT - HOARDING DOGS,
BREEDING DOGS,
SELLING DOGS
THESE ANIMAL ADVOCATES ARE
ANXIOUS FOR TOUGHER LAWS - AND
MORE ACCOUNTABILITY...
AND HOPE EXPOSING LIVING
CONDITIONS LIKE
CONDITIONS LIKE
THIS
THIS -
THIS - WILL RALLY THE SUPPORT NECESSARY. 3:30:22 THERE ARE A
LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO AREN'T
GOING TO GIVE UP AND WE'RE NOT
GOING TO STOP TRYING TO MAKE THE
WORLD A BETTER PLACE FOR ANIMALS
IN KENTUCKY
IN KENTUCKY IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT BUYING A DOG FROM A
BREEDER - ALWAYS ASK TO SEE THE
THE PUPPY'S PARENTS... AND THE
LIVING CONDITIONS IN PERSON. IF THE BREEDER SAYS NO - THAT'S
A RED FLAG. YOU SHOULD REPORT
SUSPECTED PUPPY MILLS TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT - AND CAN ALSO
REACH OUT TO THE GUARDIANS OF
RESCUE.
FOR FOCUS, I'M HF.
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