Children removed in animal cruelty case
ALKER — The state removed five children from the custody of the couple arrested Thursday in a bizarre case of animal neglect where hundreds of live and dead fowl and animals were found living in and around a rusted mobile home just outside of Walker, investigators said Friday. Deputies think the children, ranging from 3 to 13 years of age, lived among the 87 carcasses of birds and animals found inside the mobile home, said Jason Ard, chief of operations for the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office. The state Office of Community Services is investigating, and the children are in custody of relatives, he said. The couple remained in the Livingston Parish Jail on Friday after state District Judge Beth Wolfe set their bonds at $1.9 million each, Ard said. In addition to the 77 counts of aggravated animal cruelty facing Cindy Jones, 34, and Samuel Stroup, 40, both of 11260 Florida Blvd., Walker, investigators added three counts of child desertion to each of their booking sheets, he said. The number of birds and animals seized Thursday evening totaled 593 alive and 240 dead, the vast majority of which were chickens and other fowl, investigators said Friday. Deputies don’t anticipate booking the couple with additional counts even if more of the neglected animals begin to die as expected, in part, because chickens don’t fall under the state’s statutes for animal cruelty, Ard said. However, the couple faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and up to $25,000 in fines if convicted, he said. As many as 17 volunteers with the Livingston Humane Society worked well into the night Thursday capturing birds and finding foster homes for birds and animals that had been neglected by the couple living in a mobile home near the Woodside landfill on Florida Boulevard, said Terri Dunlap, humane society vice president. The Humane Society, which runs solely on volunteers and donations, now faces feeding and treating the poultry for injuries or diseases during the next two weeks, Dunlap said. All the animals, which include many dogs, hamsters, a miniature horse and a donkey, are under a 14-day quarantine before they can be adopted. Dunlap said she has received many calls from people wanting to help, in particular by adopting several Chihuahuas seized in the raid. However, what the society needs most are money for antibiotics and other medications as well as help taking care of the fowl, consisting of many varieties of chickens, ducks, geese, quail and other types of birds, she said. Many of the birds are in “transitional housing,” such as small cages, at the home of a Humane Society volunteer, Dunlap said. They are provided with food, water and veterinary treatment now, but she said the cages are too small to be considered permanent, humane solutions. Denham Springs and Walker both have animal control services in their incorporated limits, but the Sheriff’s Office and the volunteer rescue groups are the ones who investigate animal cruelty cases and care for seized animals in the unincorporated areas.
ALKER — The state removed five children from the custody of the couple arrested Thursday in a bizarre case of animal neglect where hundreds of live and dead fowl and animals were found living in and around a rusted mobile home just outside of Walker, investigators said Friday. Deputies think the children, ranging from 3 to 13 years of age, lived among the 87 carcasses of birds and animals found inside the mobile home, said Jason Ard, chief of operations for the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office. The state Office of Community Services is investigating, and the children are in custody of relatives, he said. The couple remained in the Livingston Parish Jail on Friday after state District Judge Beth Wolfe set their bonds at $1.9 million each, Ard said. In addition to the 77 counts of aggravated animal cruelty facing Cindy Jones, 34, and Samuel Stroup, 40, both of 11260 Florida Blvd., Walker, investigators added three counts of child desertion to each of their booking sheets, he said. The number of birds and animals seized Thursday evening totaled 593 alive and 240 dead, the vast majority of which were chickens and other fowl, investigators said Friday. Deputies don’t anticipate booking the couple with additional counts even if more of the neglected animals begin to die as expected, in part, because chickens don’t fall under the state’s statutes for animal cruelty, Ard said. However, the couple faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and up to $25,000 in fines if convicted, he said. As many as 17 volunteers with the Livingston Humane Society worked well into the night Thursday capturing birds and finding foster homes for birds and animals that had been neglected by the couple living in a mobile home near the Woodside landfill on Florida Boulevard, said Terri Dunlap, humane society vice president. The Humane Society, which runs solely on volunteers and donations, now faces feeding and treating the poultry for injuries or diseases during the next two weeks, Dunlap said. All the animals, which include many dogs, hamsters, a miniature horse and a donkey, are under a 14-day quarantine before they can be adopted. Dunlap said she has received many calls from people wanting to help, in particular by adopting several Chihuahuas seized in the raid. However, what the society needs most are money for antibiotics and other medications as well as help taking care of the fowl, consisting of many varieties of chickens, ducks, geese, quail and other types of birds, she said. Many of the birds are in “transitional housing,” such as small cages, at the home of a Humane Society volunteer, Dunlap said. They are provided with food, water and veterinary treatment now, but she said the cages are too small to be considered permanent, humane solutions. Denham Springs and Walker both have animal control services in their incorporated limits, but the Sheriff’s Office and the volunteer rescue groups are the ones who investigate animal cruelty cases and care for seized animals in the unincorporated areas.