- Ohio, USA -
~ Update: April 11, 2024
On Monday, April 8, 2024, Butler County Common Pleas Judge Noah Powers II sentenced 61-years-old RONDA LYNN MURPHY (pictured), who ran a rescue called “Helping Hands for Furry Paws,” in an animal cruelty case that began in Summer 2023. More than ninety (90) dogs were removed from her property and thirty (30) dogs were sadly found deceased.
Judge Powers sentenced MURPHY to fifty-four (54) months in prison and ordered her to pay $16,221 to the nonprofit animal shelter Animal Friends Humane Society. The money is to reimburse the shelter for the cost of caring for those dogs during the week it took for MURPHY to relinquish her rights to the animals.
Additionally, Judge Powers ordered MURPHY be indefinitely barred from keeping any companion animals after she is released from prison.
In October 2023, MURPHY had been indicted on sixteen (16) fifth-degree felony counts of cruelty to companion animals and seven misdemeanors of the same charge.
In January 2024, MURPHY pleaded guilty to twelve (12) counts, eight (8) of which were felonies, and the remaining counts were dismissed.
~ Original story:
On Tuesday, October 24, 2023, 60-years-old RONDA LYNN MURPHY (pictured), was in Butler County Common Pleas Court. She pleaded not guilty to twenty-three (23) counts of animal cruelty.
It all started on July 27, 2023, when deputies with the Butler County Sheriff’s Office and Deputy Dog Wardens responded to MURPHY’s home on Mosiman Road in Madison Township to check on the welfare of dogs living there.
In a media release of August 2, 2023, Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones said that an investigation revealed that several dogs “were being housed in various structures on two Madison Township properties owned by Murphy.”
Officials conducted searches at both properties, at Mosiman Road and Eck Road, and found the animals in “the most horrible conditions ever seen”, stated the release.
In a garage, authorities found dogs in cages with no ventilation or air conditioning, and the inside temperature hitting almost 90 degrees. Many dogs were housed together in cages filled with urine, fecal matter, with no food or water. Other cages contained mothers and newborn puppies.
Sadly, about thirty (30) deceased dogs were discovered inside refrigerators and freezers “and other locations on the properties in varying states of decomposition.”
According to the release, Deputy Dog Wardens described the conditions of the main house as “unlivable”. The odor emanating from the property was so strong that it was burning the officials’ eyes.
More than eighty (80) living dogs and puppies were removed and placed in the care of Animal Friends Humane Society.
The Butler County Sheriff’s Office arrested MURPHY on August 2, 2023. She was initially charged with two misdemeanor counts of cruelty to a companion animal and one felony count of cruelty to a companion animal. Back then, Sheriff Jones said that as this investigation continued to unfold, more charges could be filed.
On October 11, 2023, a Butler County grand jury indicted MURPHY on seven (7) misdemeanor counts of cruelty to companion animals, and sixteen (16) felony counts of cruelty to companion animals.
Court records show that MURPHY is scheduled to be back at Butler County Common Pleas Court on November 21, 2023, at 8:30 a.m.
At the time of the arrest, MURPHY was the operator of Helping Hands for Furry Paws animal rescue out of the Mosiman Road property.
WKRC reports that between February 2020 and July 2023, Dog Wardens visited MURPHY’s two properties forty-two (42) times.
The news outlet further reports that for years, people had reported MURPHY’s “dogs were living in dirty conditions”, but when Dog Wardens went to do welfare checks, the dogs shown to them, appeared to be fine.
In May 2021, Dog Wardens had to leave two notices at MURPHY’s home before they were allowed to do a welfare check; In October 2021, they had to leave three notices, and in 2022, they had to wait a whole month before they could finally meet with MURPHY in June.
During the June 2022 visit, Dog Wardens noted that three of MURPHY’s dogs “appeared thin and were suffering from hair loss”, reports WKRC.
Dog Wardens then made a surprise visit in July 2022, and on that occasion, they said MURPHY showed them twenty-seven (27) dogs. Dog Wardens reported “a foul-smelling driveway with pallets of rotting dog food and ‘sticky, dirty floors,’ but said the cages were clean and the dogs appeared healthy.”
In 2023, Dog Wardens visited MURPHY’s home sixteen (16) times prior to the final visit on July 27.
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Details may be removed or additional information may be provided in future should such sources report an update.
MURPHY’s mugshot shared from the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.
Additional Sources:
