It was a 911 call that ultimately led officials from the Belmont County Animal Rescue League to a home in the village of Bellaire that resulted in 22 animals being taken from a residence on April 12.
There were dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, bunnies, and a pig. Each of the animals, according to BCARL Director Denise Nally, was suffering from . Members of the non-profit organization, Nally reported recently, took quick action once taking the animal into custody, and the dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, bunnies, and, yes, the pig, too, are safe and alive today.
“In all, we ended up seizing six dogs, three cats, two rabbits, two ducks, nine chickens, and the pigs,” Nally detailed. “There were so many different kinds of animals because I think, in some cases, there are good people that get overwhelmed with trying to help. I believe that’s what this situation was because it appeared it was all of a sudden that these animals were not being taken care of properly.
“For example, there was no more straw for the chickens, but there had been straw,” she continued. “That’s one of many reasons why I do believe these people had good intentions at the start of it all, but then I think they got overwhelmed. That’s why, after the 911 call was received, Belaire Chief (Dick) Flanagan gave us a call.”
While each emergency situation presents different circumstances, Nally said, she, BCARL employees, and the organization’s volunteers always must be prepared for the worst.
“And we were this time, too, especially with it being in the middle of the village and the report including mentions of farm animals living in a house,” the director explained. “On the surface, I’ll admit, it sounded like this could have been a very bad situation we were walking into, and while it wasn’t pretty by far, I think everything worked out for the best.”
The Courts
Once an animal seizure takes place in Belmont County, the Ohio Revised Code mandates a court hearing to determine the fate of the mammals involved and whether or not criminal charges will be filed against those found guilty of the neglect.
Most often, Nally said, such hearings are swift. In this particular case, however, there were details needing to be defined.
“We did have the probable cause hearing that is always a part of the process in a situation like this one,” Nally said. “Usually, these kinds of cases do not go much farther than that because most of the animals get surrendered to us because the people want to avoid the criminal charges. But, because there was no ill will in this case, we did come to an agreement in the courtroom that allowed the people to have some of their pets back.
“The people got four of their dogs back, one cat, and the pig, too, because the family had moved to a new environment during this whole situation,” she reported. “Thank goodness we do have some amazing people who help BCARL when we have farm animals in cases like these, so the chickens were moved to an appropriate place, and the rest of the dogs and cats have since found homes. So, when you look past that initial headline from back in April that may have shocked people when they first saw it, you see that it worked out to be a happy ending for the animals and for the family, too.”
Animal Rescuing
It’s right here in the name of the non-profit, and that’s because the employees and volunteers at the Belmont County Animal Rescue League are in the business of following a passion to protect all living creatures in the vast East Ohio county.
Keep in mind, that often extends far past dogs and cats. Also realize there are more than 300 paved roadways and more than 200 more that are dirt or gravel paths, as well.
“Most people only see what’s along Interstate 70 when they are in Belmont County, and that’s one of the reasons I don’t think a lot of people don’t realize how many farm animals live in this county,” Nally said with a chuckle. “But sometimes some of our farmers fall behind, too, and even though they are trying to do their best, their animals are suffering. When people see those cows or horses or whatever, that’s when we or 911 receives the calls.”
In those situations, Nally insisted, positive results are realized, too.
“There are times when not everything works out for the best for the people involved or especially not for the animals. Those are the tough days with a lot of tears,” the organization’s director said. “When we get calls like the one in Bellaire and we are headed to the home or the area where the complaint originated, we don’t know what to expect either because of what we have walked into in the past. Yes, it can be pretty horrifying.
“But in this case in Bellaire, there was no ill intent, and that’s when we get the chance to educate in the best ways possible,” Nally added. “Happy endings are what we want, of course, but when you are in this business, you have to expect the worst, unfortunately, because of what we have seen in the past. But it’s the positive stories like this one that keep us going.”
