Butler County, Ohio shelter owner charged after 30 dead dogs found, 90 rescued from ‘unlivable’ conditions
An Ohio shelter owner is facing dozens of felony and misdemeanor charges after 30 dead dogs were found in fridges and freezers on her property and another 90 were rescued, Butler County authorities said Saturday.
In a scene that made animal control officers’ eyes burn, dog wardens “seized 90 living dogs and discovered at least 30 deceased dogs at an animal rescue in Madison Township,” county Sheriff Richard Jones said Saturday in a statement.
The shelter, Helping Hands for Furry Paws, had asserted in its mission statement that it is “driven by a single goal to save as many dogs as we can.”
Shelter owner Rhonda Murphy was charged with numerous counts of neglect and cruelty to companion animals, the sheriff’s office said.
Police found adult dogs and puppies stashed in “various structures” on two properties in Madison Township, Ohio, about halfway between Cincinnati and Dayton. Deputy dog wardens, investigators and sheriff’s deputies had found the animals in “the most horrible conditions they have ever seen,” Jones said.
“Remains of deceased canines were located in five different refrigerators/freezers on the properties, some of which were not working,” the sheriff said. “Other deceased canines were located in varying states of decomposition, including both adult canines and puppies. One garage housed over 25 dogs in cages with no ventilation or air conditioning, with measured indoor temperatures of 89 degrees. Numerous animals were housed together in cages filled with urine, fecal matter, and no food or water. One cage contained a mother and eight newborn puppies.”
They found 11 dogs, some caged together, in the main house, in “unlivable” conditions according to the statement. In addition to the filth, the animals had no food or water.
“The odor was strong enough to burn their eyes and take away their breath,” Jones said. “Conditions were so horrendous that Deputy Dog Wardens had to leave the structure numerous times to catch their breath.”
The shelter had lost its nonprofit status in 2021 after it failed to file a statement proving it still existed, The Enquirer reported, and the IRS also revoked its tax-exempt status after the facility did not file informational tax forms for three consecutive years.
The rescued dogs were brought to another Butler County animal shelter, the Animal Friends Humane Society, which appealed for donations to support the animals and their healing.
