Animal Cruelty

FREDERICK, Md. (AP) -- A Thurmont. Md., woman convicted of animal cruelty has been found guilty of violating her probation and has been ordered to serve 45 days in jail. Thirty-two-year-old Faith Kilby asked a judge Thursday for another chance but was told her probation was her second chance. Kilby and her now ex-husband Jeff were sentenced in April 2007 to probation and 64 hours of community service. A police officer had found the remains of their 10-year-old dog decomposing in their backyard in June 2006.

An Ohio man will spend 30 days in jail after pleading guilty in West Virginia to 20 animal cruelty counts. Leonard Woods Jr. of Lewisville, Ohio, entered his plea Monday in Berkeley County Magistrate Court. Another 74 animal cruelty counts were dismissed under a plea agreement. Magistrate Harry Snow also barred Woods from owning or possessing any animals for five years and fined him $300 on each of the 20 misdemeanor counts. The charges stem from the seizure of 90 dogs from the Yip Yip Kennel outside Martinsburg last August.

Two Maugansville residents were charged with animal cruelty in connection with an American Staffordshire terrier that was in "horrible shape," including being bony and having an abscess on its back, according to court records. Michael Powell, 28, and Athena Harvey, 36, both of 14024 Seneca Ridge Drive, were each charged with animal cruelty, inflicting unnecessary suffering and pain on a female dog, and failing to provide a female dog with nutritious food and necessary veterinary care, according to Washington County District Court records.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. -- Five misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty have replaced a felony animal cruelty charge against a Martinsburg woman who was charged after authorities in November 2008 found a pit bull with open wounds and ribs showing in the attic of a Martinsburg home, according to court records. Breshannon Leslie Deveraux, 34, was released on a $12,500 personal recognizance bond set Tuesday by Berkeley County Magistrate Sandra L. Miller, according to court records. In July 2009, Deveraux backed out of an agreement to enter a guilty plea to one felony count of animal cruelty filed by the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney's office.

Animal cruelty bill is shelved ANNAPOLIS - A dispute that pitted farmers against animal-rights advocates was resolved, at least temporarily, Tuesday when Washington County lawmakers removed the legislation that started the debate. "I think the wisest thing would be to withdraw the bill," said Del. John P. Donoghue, D-Washington, chairman of the county's delegation in the Maryland General Assembly. With the bill gone, a hearing scheduled for today on the legislation has been canceled.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. -- An apparent scheduling mix-up by the 23rd Judicial Circuit public defender's office in Martinsburg caused court officials to again reschedule a hearing for a woman who was charged in November with animal cruelty and solicitation of prostitution. After waiting for several minutes for Breshannon Deveraux's court-appointed attorney to appear for a 9:15 a.m. preliminary hearing, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Stephanie Saunders told Magistrate W. Randy Smith in court that the public defender corporation's office in a courtroom telephone conversation indicated it didn't have the case on attorney Thomas Stanley's schedule.

An 85-year-old Hagerstown woman whose home was entered by officials last April to remove 41 cats was found not competent to enter a plea on animal cruelty charges, but her son and live-in caretaker was fined nearly $6,000 on Tuesday in Washington County District Court. Roger Mills, 50, of 40 Charles St., was sentenced to pay $5,705 in restitution to the Humane Society of Washington County over a three-year period and serve a suspended jail term of 75 days by Judge R. Noel Spence. Mills also was banned from keeping pets and feeding stray animals at the Charles Street property.

Woman sentenced for animal cruelty By MARLO BARNHART marlob@herald-mail.com An Allegany County, Md., woman convicted of animal cruelty for allowing nine cats to die in her Security Road garage in 1999 was sentenced Tuesday in Washington County District Court to perform 50 hours of community service at an animal shelter. Denise Tweedale, 49, now of Cumberland, was also forbidden by Judge Ralph France to have any pets in any home in which she resides for the next two years.

Legislation aimed at eliminating “puppy mills” and providing minimum standards for horse-boarding facilities still are alive in the West Virginia Legislature after passing the Senate, the bills' lead sponsor said. “We've heard enough horror stories of hundreds of dogs packed into very confined spaces and the mistreatment of horses at boarding facilities. It's time to do something decisive, and these bills are a critical step forward.” state Sen. John Unger, D-Berkeley/Jefferson, said in a news release about the legislation's intent.

An Inwood, W.Va., man accused of shooting a white pit bull mix dog outside his house earlier this month was arraigned Wednesday on one felony count of animal cruelty in Berkeley County Magistrate Court, according to court documents. Earl Dean Stegall, 45, of 175 Longwood Drive, also was arraigned by Magistrate Betty Jo Hersh on one count of discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, according to court documents. Berkeley County Sheriff's Deputy H.C. Lu said in a criminal complaint that video footage from cameras mounted at Stegall's home in Timberwood Ridge subdivision show the defendant was facing the dog prior to shooting the animal.

A Falling Waters, W.Va., man accused of mistreating more than 130 dogs and several cats pleaded guilty Thursday in Berkeley County Magistrate Court to 10 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. Rocky Del Trolio, 55, was placed on two years of unsupervised probation and ordered to pay court costs, and a six-month jail sentence was suspended as part of a plea agreement reached between Berkeley County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney R. Greg Garretson and Trolio's attorney, Paul G. Taylor.

An 18-year-old man who is accused of cheering and encouraging a boy to kick a cat off the porch of a home in Berkeley County in July was charged with one felony count of animal cruelty, according to Berkeley County Magistrate Court records. Naim Robert Carter, of 561 Good Drive in Martinsburg, was arraigned on the charge Thursday by Magistrate Jim Humphrey, according to court documents. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 25, according to court documents. The alleged incident surfaced after a woman and her daughter told police on July 28 that they saw a video posted on the Internet, according to court documents.

An 85-year-old Hagerstown woman whose home was entered by officials last April to remove 41 cats was found not competent to enter a plea on animal cruelty charges, but her son and live-in caretaker was fined nearly $6,000 on Tuesday in Washington County District Court. Roger Mills, 50, of 40 Charles St., was sentenced to pay $5,705 in restitution to the Humane Society of Washington County over a three-year period and serve a suspended jail term of 75 days by Judge R. Noel Spence. Mills also was banned from keeping pets and feeding stray animals at the Charles Street property.

A Falling Waters, W.Va., man accused of mistreating more than 130 dogs and several cats was charged with 141 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty, according to Berkeley County Magistrate Court records. Rocky Del Trolio, 54, of 64 Slate Lane, was arraigned on the charges Monday by Magistrate Jim Humphrey shortly after a seizure hearing was held by the magistrate at Trolio's request. Humphrey upheld the county's decision to remove the animals June 19 from Trolio's home after hearing testimony from Berkeley County Animal Control officer Kevin Jones and Trolio, who testified without an attorney.

A man is facing animal cruelty charges after police found 10 exotic African cats in his vacant property last month. Ryan Houde, 28, of Charles Town, was charged with 10 counts of animal cruelty, according to a news release from the Charles Town Police Department. Houde turned himself in on June 5, police said, and posted bond of $7,500. On May 19, officers responded to a home at 51 Shutt Court after a man who was checking on the house reported what he believed to be either a cheetah or leopard in the basement.

A Berkeley County Circuit Court judge Thursday ordered a man charged with killing a caged feral kitten by shooting it multiple times with a pellet gun to serve a week in jail, pay $500 in fines and complete 250 hours of community service. Justin Michael Beall, 24, of Pasadena, Md., who pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of animal cruelty, is expected to report to Eastern Regional Jail next Friday, according to sentencing terms from 23rd Judicial Circuit Judge John C. Yoder.

The trial for a man accused of shooting a caged kitten four to six times with a BB gun, killing it, has been scheduled for Feb. 14. Justin Michael Beall, who was indicted last month on one felony count of animal cruelty, was arraigned Friday on the charge by 23rd Judicial Circuit Judge Gina M. Groh. Beall, 23, of 8097 Castle Rock Court, Pasadena, Md., pleaded not guilty to the charge. A witness told police that Beall smiled before he pointed the gun into the cage and shot the cat, according to court documents.