Woman charged after 146 dogs found dead in Mantua Township indicted in Cuyahoga County
A woman facing numerous misdemeanor charges in connection with 146 dogs found dead at a Mantua Township home she owns now has several dozen felony counts against her in Cuyahoga County.
A Cuyahoga County grand jury indicted Barbara A. Wible, 68, on 36 counts of fifth-degree felony cruelty to animals Wednesday, according to the indictment.
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This is in addition to 50 counts of first-degree misdemeanor prohibitions concerning companion animals that the Portage Animal Protective League filed this week against Wible in Portage County Municipal Court. Half of those charges are against Wible doing business as Canine Lifeline, Inc., a dog rescue organization of which Wible is president and co-founder.
The APL said in a written statement that the charges are largely symbolic because Wible is hospitalized with terminal cancer.
Wible housed rescue dogs in two homes she owns in Mantua Township and Parma, authorities say.
In a media release issued Wednesday, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office said Parma police and the Parma Fire Department responded to a welfare check at a home near West 54th Street and West Ridgewood Drive in Parma on June 2. When officers arrived, there was a strong odor coming from the home and numerous dog cages and feces were found inside the garage. Officers observed approximately four to five dogs, who appeared deceased,through the window.
Further investigation revealed a total of 36 dogs, which appeared to be malnourished, were locked in cagesinside the residence for an extended period of time. Their cages were too small and contained their ownfeces.
All 36 dogs lacked food or water; some dogs had not been fed since March, the release said. Out of the 36 dogs found, 12 were pronounced deceased on scene, three were transferred to a local emergencyveterinary clinic — one had to be euthanized — and 21 dogs were transferred to a local animal shelter.
“This woman operated to the public under the guise of helping dogs in need of a home, and then causedthe death of 13 dogs and severely harmed 23 dogs in our county alone,” Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley said in a written statement. “I hope this truly horrific case does not deter people from adopting dogs from reputable rescue organizations. If you have any concerns about animal mistreatment or abuse, you can report them to your local animal control officers and/or police department.”
The Portage APL said its humane agent had been attempting to investigate the Mantua Township home since July 2022, but was not able to obtain a search warrant until June 15. At that time, the 146 dogs, all dead, were found.
Arraignment on the Portage County charges is scheduled for Monday. A court date in the Cuyahoga County case could not immediately be determined.
An attorney for Wible could not be identified.
Anyone with knowledge or details about the investigation is asked to contact Humane Agent Holly Ebner at humaneofficer@portageapl.org.
Record-Courier reporter Diane Smith contributed to this story. Reporter Jeff Saunders can be reached at jsaunders@recordpub.com.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Woman accused of leaving dogs to die in Portage facing more charges
