Owner of Mantua Township home where 146 dead dogs were found facing 146 felony charges

The owner of a Mantua Township home where authorities say dozens of dead dogs were discovered in June is now facing 146 felony charges.

A Portage County grand jury on Thursday indicted Barbara A. Wible, 68, of Parma on 146 counts of fifth-degree felony cruelty to a companion animals.

It has been reported that Wible has been hospitalized with terminal cancer, but this has not been confirmed. Court records did not identify an attorney for her as of Thursday.

The Portage Animal Proctive League said its humane agent had been attempting to investigate Wible and Canine Lifeline Inc., the dog rescue organization Wible co-founded and led, since July 2022. However, the APL was not able to obtain a search warrant for the home until June 15. At that time, the 146 dogs, all dead, were found.

The APL said the dogs showed indications of extensive neglect and malnourishment.

The APL filed 50 counts of first-degree misdemeanor cruelty to companion animals in Portage County Municipal Court in Ravenna. Wible is listed as defendant for all of the charges, with half while doing business as Canine Lifeline, Inc.

The APL and attorney J. Jeffrey Holland, one of the APL's prosecutors, have said that in light of Wible's reported medical condition, it was decided to charge her with misdemeanors due to the possibility she would not live until the end of a lengthy felony case and a potential conviction.

In a media release issued Thursday, the Portage County Prosecutor's Office said it is asking APL prosecutors to agree to dismiss that case. Holland said Thursday that the case would be dismissed.

"I don't know that we have a reasonable alternative," he said. "[Portage County Prosecutor Victor Vigluicci] seems to want to handle every one of these animal cases. I have a different view, but I don't have any problem with him pursuing felonies on the case and I defer to the county prosecutor on this."

Holland added, "We're happy to help in any way and always have been."

Animal welfare advocates, including Kim Goddard, daughter of legendary Cleveland meteorologist and animal lover Dick Goddard, had been pushing for felony charges in Portage County.

When reached late Thursday afternoon, Goddard said she had learned of the indictment earlier in the day.

"I had tears, I had goose bumps," she said. "I was in the process of walking my two dogs. I really just wanted to kind of just fall on the floor and just cry because I wasn't so sure this was gonna happen. You know, I was having severe doubt that we would be able to do this. So to hear that, yeah, it just kind of made me shake a little bit. The reality is oh my gosh, now these voices, these poor souls, these 146 innocent animals that died by a rescue, their voices can now be heard."

Goddard started a petition on Change.org to have Wible charged in Portage County with felonies — one count for each dog. The petition had 2,500 signatures on it as of Thursday, but Goddard acknowledged that it is no longer necessary.

"I did what I wanted to accomplish," she said.

Wible is also under indictment on 36 similar felony counts in Cuyahoga County stemming from dogs found at a home she owns in Parma in early July. The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office said dogs all showed indications of neglect and malnourishment.

More: Happy ending for Wren: Dog rescued in animal cruelty case with Portage ties gets new home

A dozen dogs were dead at the scene, three were euthanized and 21 were taken to a local shelter.

Goddard has said that she wanted Wible charged under Goddard's Law, named for her father, which became law in 2016. It allows for defendants to be charged with felonies in especially egregious animal abuse cases.

Amy Beichler, executive director of animal welfare organization PAWS Ohio who worked with Dick Goddard to get the law on the books, said it was recently amended to make it a "violent offense." She said this would take probation or a diversion program if there is a conviction off the table.

The APL has said that if it had charged her with felonies, it would likely have been under Nitro's Law, which is geared specifically against animal rescue organizations, kennels and similar organizations.

Vigluicci said Friday that Wible is being charged under both laws.

Goddard said Thursday that she is mainly just pleased that felony charges have been filed.

"They're felony charges and I'm happy with that," she said.

Online court records did not show an arraignment date scheduled for Wible in the Portage County case.

She had been scheduled for arraignment in the Cuyahoga County case on July 13, but it has twice been continued. Wible is now scheduled for arraignment on Aug. 4.

Reporter Jeff Saunders can be reached at jsaunders@recordpub.com.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Owner of Portage home where dead dogs were found faces 146 felonies