All 166 dogs and cats that were seized from an Adams County man last week have been surrendered to the Humane Society of the United States, Adams County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Dana Whalen said Wednesday.
But the case is not over. Whalen said that while proceedings Monday in Adams County Court ended the civil part of the case against George Brock, the former owner of the animals, the prosecutor’s office will now “definitely” pursue filing cruelty to animals charges against Brock.
Whalen said the owners asked that five of the dogs be returned to them, but Adams County Court Judge Alan Foster refused to set bond until the home where the owners lived was deemed fit for habitation. She said that if the home was determined fit for habitation, the five dogs could have been returned to Brock if he posted bond.
But Brock said he couldn’t afford to post bond, according to Whalen, so all the animals were surrendered.
There were 148 dogs and 18 cats seized last Wednesday from the Sugar Bear Dog & Cat Rescue facility off Mt. Unger Road near Otway in Adams County. It took about 10 hours to seize them all, authorities said.
Whalen said that within 10 days of the animals being seized, law enforcement is required to have a court hearing to see if the animals were seized properly. She said Foster determined Monday that they were.
Stephanie Twining, media relations manager for the Humane Society of the United States, said the society will now begin the process of evaluating each animal and working with its network of “replacement partners” across the country to find them homes.
The HSUS said last week that it was contacted for assistance by the Adams County Dog and Kennel Department because of the large number of animals that were seized.
“These dogs and cats were in a terrible situation. The owner had too many animals and was unable to provide adequate care,” the HSUS said at the time. “It is a huge relief that they will now receive the care and medical attention they so desperately need. We are grateful to the agencies who collaborated to make this a successful rescue.”
According to the HSUS, Adams County authorities served a search warrant last Wednesday and found dogs and cats suffering from a variety of medical ailments and a lack of basic care. Some of the animals were underweight and suffering from untreated wounds, broken bones and severe eye, skin and ear infections, according to the HSUS.
The animals were moved to an HSUS facility in Columbus where a team of veterinarians accessed the condition of the animals and they received any necessary immediate medical treatment, the HSUS said.
Reach Jeff Gilliland at 937-402-2522 or on Twitter @13gillilandj.
