Six of a dozen family pets found dead: Palm Harbor, FL (US) - Jun 2, 2011

Incident Date: Thursday, Jun 2, 2011
County: Pinellas

Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Michael Edward Waite

Pinellas County Sheriff's deputies arrested a Palm Harbor man June 2 after discovering several dead animals inside his home.

Deputies responded to a report of animal cruelty at 516 Rebstock Blvd. at 6:15 p.m., according to a sheriff's report. When deputies arrived, they met with Joanna Waite, 34, of Pinellas Park, who reported she and her husband Michael Edward Waite, 39, have been separated since late April. They shared custody of their three children and 12 family pets.

Joanna said she left the animals with Michael in the home they shared in Palm Harbor when she and the children moved to Pinellas Park in late April. Since then the children have been staying between the two homes while still attending school.

Joanne reportedly picked the children up from school about 3 p.m. June 2 and brought them to Michael at the Palm Harbor residence only to find him not there and house locks changed.

One of the children entered the home through a window and unlocked the door. This is when Joanna discovered the deplorable living conditions inside, and the animals deceased, missing, or suffering from malnutrition, according to the sheriff's report.

One bird, a blue and gold Macaw, was still barely alive. She rushed him to her veterinarian's office where he later died. Joanna then called deputies. In all Michael was in charge of 12 animals, and according to Joanna he never told her he was having a problem taking care of them.

Deputies called the Pinellas SPCA to the scene and they removed one cat and two kittens, all suffering from starvation. Two dogs and one cat were given to the custody of Joanna.

When deputies interviewed Michael, he stated he could not afford the animals and had stopped feeding them. He claimed two of the birds that were missing, an African Gray Parrott and a Moluccan Cockatoo had died, and he threw them in the trash. One kitten that is still missing he could not account for, but deputies believe it had also died along with two other kittens found dead in the home.

Deputies reported the house was in a state of deplorable unsanitary condition. Animal feces and urine was documented to be all over the floors, carpets, and furniture. The birdcages appeared as if they had not been cleaned in sometime, and no food could be found.

In all five of the animals are confirmed dead because of lack of care and intentional starvation. Michael allegedly told deputies he was glad he was being arrested because he needed this push to straighten out his life.

The investigation continues.

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18 starving, dehydrated horses found at boarding facility: Ludowici, GA (US) - Jun 4, 2011

Incident Date: Saturday, Jun 4, 2011
County: Long

Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 3 files available

Alleged:
» Jason Ashley
» Curtis Austell

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

A tip leads authorities to neglected horses in a Long County boarding facility off of Stafford Dairy Road...one deputy refers to the scene as an obvious case of animal cruelty.

The tip came in on Saturday and led to the discovery of 18 horses at the un-named boarding facility.

The owner had been paid to care for the animals but they were found in various stages of neglect…many in advanced stages of starvation and dehydration.

Deputy Walt Pelton with the Long County Sheriff's Office says, "These animals are in very bad condition. There's a couple we're not sure we're going to be able to save or not - it's just sickening."

Investigators say most of the horse owners have been contacted and some have already retrieved their animals. The Department of Agriculture is expected to join the investigation on Monday.

The owner of the boarding facility has also been contacted - authorities say he is currently in Florida and they're not sure if he plans to return on his own.

Long County Sheriff officials confirm they have taken the owner of a horse stable into custody. They say Jason Ashley showed up on the property a short time ago.

Sgt. Mark Hall with the Long County Sheriff's Office says that Jason Ashley has been charged with one count of animal cruelty, which is a misdemeanor. Sgt. Hall also says an employee of Ashley's, Curtis Austell, was charged with being a party to a crime. Both men are set to appear in court on July 20.

Hall told us that the Georgia Agriculture Department spent much of the day on the scene investigating and that when Ashley showed up, "they called me and I came out and arrested him," Hall told News 3.

Owners of horses boarded at a farm near Ludowici began removing their animals today after some were found near starvation over the weekend.

A young woman names Sarah Johns told us her mare appears to have lost as much as 300 pounds. Johns told us she is a busy student at Armstrong and on the golf team so she had been out of town a lot and hadn't been able to see her horse for about two months.

Mark Hall told us when they arrived on scene Saturday night that there was no water or feed or hay in any of the stalls. Hall says up to eight horses out of an estimated 15 at the stables, appeared very malnourished.

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15 dogs, 2 cats found inside van, 1 dead: Tewksbury, MA (US) - Jun 7, 2011

Attorneys/Judges

Images for this Case

Incident Date: Tuesday, Jun 7, 2011
County: Middlesex

Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 1 files available

Alleged: Margo Malpher

Case Updates: 2 update(s) available

A disturbing discovery at a Tewksbury motel revealed more than a dozen animals in dangerous conditions.

Authorities said that one dog died, while three others are fighting for their lives. A woman is now charged with putting the animals in danger.

Police said a woman stopped at a motel in Tewksbury after leaving her home in Maine when she found out there might be an animal cruelty investigation launched against here there. She put all of her animals in the van, only to wind up in the same trouble in Massachusetts.

Animal cruelty charges were filed against a woman after guests at a motel in Tewksbury noticed something very wrong with the van parked outside her room.

"When the police opened it up I was like…there's 15 more dogs," said one man.

Police said 71-year-old Margot Nickerson let two cats and 15 dogs locked in her van at the height of midday heat. One of the dogs didn't make it.

Guests said they spotted Nickerson carrying the dead dog into her room and alerted hotel management.

"She was crying. She brought him inside. But it was too late," said one witness.

"The car there was like at least two inches, three inches, of this feces all like…trash…all in the van was like disgusting," said Shyke Jarteh, a motel guest.

The MSPCA, Animal Control and police responded to the incident. Nickerson was arrested on the scene.

"When the officer opened the vehicle, the dogs inside were in real bad shape. They all looked like they were suffering from heat exhaustion," said Chief Timothy Sheehan of the Tewksbury Police Department.

Guests said some of the dogs were foaming at the mouth from dehydration and were too weak to move.

"They couldn't even stand. The cops were like holding them up and they'd just fall back down," said James Douglas, motel guest.

Guests said the owner seemed oblivious to just how terrible the conditions were for her animals.

"Inside the van she has the bench seats and she had kennels in the bottom in the back and the middle…the kennels were stack on top of each other," said Douglas.

Nickerson is staying at the motel on Tuesday night after posting bail.

A 71-year-old woman accused of mistreating her dogs and cats at a Tewksbury motel was convicted of animal cruelty in Maine last fall, and was free pending an appeal.

Margot Nickerson was arrested on Tuesday when a motel guest called police to complain animals were left in her van. Police and animal control took 15 dogs and three cats from Nickerson. One dog died. Nickerson's attorney, Paul King, said his client has surrendered all the surviving dogs and cats to the MSPCA.

On Wednesday, Judge Michael Brooks set Nickerson's bail at $1,000 cash or $10,000 surety. If she posts bail she is not to own any small animals.

Bail was set after prosecutors said Nickerson had a prior conviction. The Bangor Daily News reported last December that Nickerson was sentenced to five years in jail with all but 10 days suspended, and ordered to pay $13,000 in restitution to the state of Maine. She appealed that decision, and was free.

The state seized 20 dogs and a cat from her home in 2006. Nickerson filed a $100 million lawsuit against the governor of Maine and a number of other state and local officials, alleging the state stole her dogs. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court determined in February 2008 that the state had the right to seize the animals.

Nickerson also has used the name Margot Kathleen Nickerson-Malpher, according to the Bangor Daily News. She gave police a South Dakota address, but also lists a family camp in Topsfield, Me.

A South Dakota woman has pleaded not guilty to leaving two cats and more than a dozen dogs in a van outside a motel for nearly six hours on a day when temperatures reached the high 80s.

Margot Nickerson-Malpher, of Sioux Falls, S.D., was ordered held Wednesday on $1,000 cash bail by a Lowell District Court judge on 18 counts of animal cruelty. The judge also ordered the 71-year-old not to possess any animals.

Tewksbury police said they found the animals in the hot van with windows cracked open. Police say some had trouble walking and others had to be hosed down.

Police said at least one dog died.

Nickerson-Malpher told police she was driving from Maine back to South Dakota.

A pre-trial conference is scheduled Aug. 9.

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