A woman and her daughter have been charged in one of the worst cases of animal hoarding ever recorded in Northeast Ohio, after 113 dogs were removed from their home. Glenda Curtis, 54, and her daughter, Danielle Tschappat, 27, are each charged with 20 counts of cruelty to a companion animal.
Each count carries the maximum punishment of 90 days in jail and a $750 fine. If convicted, the women could face a year and a half in jail, Fox 8 News reporter Lorrie Taylor reports. Earlier this week, the Medina County SPCA was tipped off that a house in Chippewa Lake had between 75 and 100 dogs.
When the humane officer and volunteers arrived, they were shocked by the deplorable living conditions. Investigators said dogs were packed inside filthy cages, surrounded by trash and debris that was two-feet high.
In one instance, a dog was cemented to the ground by its own feces. "I've never seen anything like it," humane officer, Mary Jo Johnson said. All of the animals were filthy, and most had bite marks, fleas, lice and skin conditions.
An astounding 113 dogs were removed from the home: Five of them dead, five others pregnant. This past weekend, two litters of puppies were delivered, bringing the total to 124. The surviving animals were rushed to the Medina County SPCA shelter where they received proper care for their ailments.
However, despite being taken out of the extremely poor living conditions, some of the dogs are battling additional health issues. "We are noticing that some of the dogs are coming down with some upper respiratory infections at this point," said Johnson.
It could take weeks before they are healthy enough to be put up for adoption. Meanwhile, volunteers say the rescue has overwhelmed the shelter financially and they are desperate for donations. "I really need people to come forward and help us through this next week," said shelter director, Stephanie Moore.
The shelter needs cages and volunteers to help clean cages and walk the dogs. Volunteers must have a current tetanus vaccine and must have health care. In addition, because it's a non-profit facility, the shelter is in great need of monetary donations. Moore says spaying, neutering and vaccinating each dog will run a couple of hundred dollars -- and that doesn't include food or the cost of keeping everything clean.
"We just spent about $400 at the laundromat. One of our volunteers donated $400 worth of their services to get our laundry done for us," Moore told Fox 8 News reporter Lorrie Taylor. Donations can be made at any First Merit Bank, on the shelter's website or by check payable to the Medina County SPCA Medical Fund.