DONNA MARIE THOMPSON charged after extremely sick cats and dogs, and 41 dead cats found in two homes

- West Virginia, USA -

On March 20, 2023, Randolph County Humane Officer Ron Gooden contacted Deputy Knotts and Cpl. Kyle with the Randolph County Sheriff's Office, about an animal cruelty complaint at a residence in Valley Head.

Officer Gooden advised them that when he and former animal control officer Jim Cain went to the residence, they noticed that the home had no electricity, all windows and doors were closed, and there was an overwhelming odor of urine.

According to a news release by the Randolph County Sheriff's Office, Gooden and Cain further noticed “numerous cats and kittens ‘too many to count’ through the window on the porch.”

Officer Gooden said he saw cat food scattered throughout the floor which was mixed in with the urine and feces on the floor. While at the property, Officer Gooden also heard several dogs barking from inside the residence, and through a window, he saw a number of dogs “standing in feces that had been there so long it was white in color.”

Officers learned from the Randolph County Assessor's Office that the property is owned by 50-years-old DONNA MARIE THOMPSON (pictured) and her sister.

While officials were executing a search warrant, deputies could hear barking from a neighboring property. When they looked inside through a window, they realized that the property was in the same condition as the first one. It turned out that the second home is also owned by THOMPSON and her sister, so a search warrant was obtained for the second property.

The sheriff’s office said both residences were in “deplorable, unlivable condition.”

In both properties were foot-height feces and urine. “The conditions were so severe, hazmat suits and respirators were required to even enter the threshold of both houses,” stated the release.

In one of the two houses, officers found twenty-six cats and eight dogs.

Sadly, officers also discovered twelve deceased cats whose carcasses were in all stages of decomposition with some down to skeletons.

Most of the cats were found inside the sunporch. As stated in the release, “Inside this room, officers had discovered different sections where the cats had attempted to escape, but were rigged shut by bungie cords on the outside, and were blocked by big boxes.”

In the other residence, officers found two dogs locked in the sunporch area. “The door had multiple obstructions there were placed intentionally to keep the dogs from escaping,” said the sheriff’s office. The press release went on to say: “It appeared that the dogs were being thrown food through the back window of the residence. In one section of the house, a large pile of approximately ten deceased cats was located. They were all stacked on top of each other. In the back bedroom, a mother cat with several newly born kittens was found deceased on top of a shelf. Throughout this residence, multiple piles of deceased cats were found in various locations.”

In this property, officials found fourteen cats, three dogs, and sadly, a total of twenty-nine deceased cats.

The sheriff’s office explained that all of the live animals removed from both properties, were “extremely sick” and in “desperate need of medical attention.”

The Randolph County Humane Society assisted the Randolph County Sheriff's Office with this case and is now asking for donations in view of the major intake of furbabies.

If you wish and can afford to help out, please click here. Thank you!

The sheriff’s office said that THOMPSON was charged with ninety-two (92) counts of animal cruelty.

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Details may be removed or additional information may be provided in future should such sources report an update.

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THOMPSON’s mugshot provided to Voice For Us by the Randolph County Sheriff's Office.

Additional Source:

WDTV – March 25, 2023

#animalcruelty #crueldadanimal #cruautéanimale #tierquälerei #animalslivesmatter #cats #dogs #deathpenaltyforanimalabusers #westvirginia

ANDREW JOHN VETTERS sentenced for repeatedly abusing his roommate’s dog

- Florida, USA -

~ Update: March 27, 2023

I am overjoyed to let you know that Mickey is alive and doing well!

His wonderful furmom Larissa tells me that “Mickey’s just celebrated his 2nd birthday.”

Larissa was kind enough to share an update on Mickey’s health.

Mickey “is safe and healthy now, and gaining confidence every day . He’s a very sweet and happy boy and I am so so grateful I’ve still got him . He unfortunately has sustained permanent damage in his rear right hip and will likely develop early onset arthritis in that hip, though he is a very young dog. The vet also sees signs of neuropathy likely related to the numerous head injuries Vetters inflicted. All that said, Mickey will live a long life and has a lot of people looking out for him, he [is] so well loved by my friends and family.”

Larissa also shared a couple of Mickey’s pictures which I have added to the gallery.

I publicly want to thank Larissa and compliment Larissa for the terrific furmom she is. I believe she is the reason why Mickey is still alive!

~ Original story:

State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden announced that on March 8, 2023, Escambia Circuit Court Judge John Simon sentenced 25-years-old ANDREW JOHN VETTERS (pictured), to six years in Florida’s Department of Corrections followed by four years of supervision on two counts of Aggravated Animal Cruelty and one count of Trespass.

On December 9, 2022, VETTERS pleaded no contest to the charges.

According to the incident report, on March 29, 2022, Sgt. Eddins with the Escambia County Animal Control and Officer Meeks with the with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to an animal abuse complaint. Officers met with Ms. Larissa Lum who told them that her roommate, later identified as VETTERS, had been abusing her dog while she was not home at her residence on 1646 Beachside Drive in Pensacola.

Larissa recounted the devastating events and said that around the week of March 7th and March 14th 2022, she noticed that her furbaby, a 22lb male Cocker Spaniel mix puppy named Mickey, “had very bloodshot eyes, was disinterested in playing or going for walks, and was experiencing chronic diarrhea.”

Larissa told officers that she then took Mickey to both Lost Key Animal Clinic in Pensacola as well as MedVet in Mobile, Alabama.

According to Larissa, the veterinarians who examined Mickey in both clinics saw signs of traumatic injuries but Larissa was adamant that trauma was not possible. She explained that whenever she was gone, Mickey stayed in her room and that Mickey was not allowed to roam free outside.

She went on to say that in the evening of March 21, 2022, “she noticed that Mickey was cowering in his crate and groaning.”

Larissa then felt Mickey’s body to see if he was injured or had a bloated stomach and “felt ‘bubbles’ or ‘pockets of air’ under his skin”.

This, together with the bloodshot eyes, and elevated liver enzymes (shown in an earlier blood test), made Larissa very concerned, and the following day she took Mickey back to Lost Key Animal Clinic.

Meanwhile, the whites of Mickey's eyes were starting to turn yellow and he also had subcutaneous emphysema.

At the clinic, the vet who examined Mickey repeatedly said that Mickey looked like a “trauma dog”. Another blood test was ordered and the results showed that Mickey's liver enzymes were excessively high. Larissa then was told that “she should prepare to say goodbye to Mickey as he may need to be put down to sleep as his liver appeared to be failing.” The veterinarian, however, tried to give Mickey fluids to see if he would get any better.

When on March 22, 2022, Larissa took Mickey to Veterinary Surgery Service in Fort Walton Beach for a liver ultrasound appointment, the vet noticed the subcutaneous emphysema and made the remark: “The only time I've ever seen a dog with this condition is when he has been shaken.”

Larissa then went back home and stayed with Mickey the rest of the week and he appeared to start recovering.

On Monday March 29, 2022, Larissa returned home from class and was going to take Mickey to his vet appointment when she noticed that his tent (bed area) had collapsed.

Larissa took Mickey to the Corry Station Vet where a veterinarian was unable to determine the cause of his symptoms.

Larissa told officers that one of the vets, Dr. Burton, asked if she was very certain Mickey had not been choked or squeezed by someone that has access to him.

At that point, Larissa went back home and began to review her “nest” camera footage that she had in her bedroom. Larissa explained to officers that kept the camera in her bedroom to keep an eye on Mickey while she was gone. What Larissa found out was horrifying!

She first came across a video of VETTERS, opening up her door and coming into her room and picking up Mickey.

Larissa told officers that “she was irritated by this because it was an invasion of privacy and also bothered Mickey while he was sick.” Larissa took Mickey and drove to a friend's house where they reviewed more of the video footage to see how many times that had happened.

Other videos from different dates and times, showed VETTERS “punching, kicking, choking, dragging, and otherwise physically abusing Mickey both inside and outside her room,” stated the report.

Officer Meeks then watched multiple videos and saw VETTERS entering Larissa’s bedroom and “each time would forcefully grab Mickey and repeatedly inflict pain on Mickey by punching, kicking, choking, and shaking him.”

Officer Meeks reported that he also saw VETTERS “hold Mickey by all 4 legs and hold him upside down and slam him down onto the bed repeatedly.” Officer Meeks further reported that he saw VETTERS “hold Mickey upside down by all 4 legs and repeatedly slam Mickey's head into the bed frame.” VETTERS was also seen in the videos “extend both of his middle fingers toward Mickey when he leaves the room.”

Larissa told officers that VETTERS had never had permission to be in her room without her and that he did not normally go into her room.

Officer Meeks spoke with Investigator Eddins and she told him that the symptoms that Mickey had were consistent with significant injuries that he would have sustained from the abuse in the videos.

From all the court documents I have read, it appears that Mickey survived the ordeal but just to be certain, I have sent out a few emails to confirm that he is in fact still alive. I will post an update should I receive a response.

Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is sourced from official news outlets. Links included.

Details may be removed or additional information may be provided in future should such sources report an update.

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VETTERS’ mugshot shared from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.

Additional source:

WRG – March 23, 2023

#animalcruelty #crueldadanimal #cruautéanimale #tierquälerei #animalslivesmatter #florida #deathpenaltyforanimalabusers #abuse #sentence

CHAD SMITH, former animal control officer, charged after dead dogs found in his backyard

- Tennessee, USA -

CHAD SMITH (pictured), employee of Main Street Animal Clinic in Oakland, and former

Fayette County Animal Control Officer is facing animal cruelty charges. SMITH worked with Fayette County Animal Control from February 2020 to May 2021 before he resigned.

The Fayette County Sheriff’s Department said the charges stem from the discovery of dozens of dogs' remains and six live ones in the backyard of a home on Hall Drive in Somerville on January 11, 2023.

Part of a Facebook post published by Main Street Animal Clinic on March 22, 2023, read: “As many of you have heard, one of our employees, Chad Smith, was arrested last night on multiple counts of animal abuse. When we hired Chad Smith, he was a beloved resident of Fayette County and was used by many animal rescue groups. We did not know of any harmful, neglectful, or suspicious activity by Chad prior to these allegations. We were truly shocked by these allegations as I think many people have been. If you have met Chad, he was always (friendly, knowledgeable, and willing to help) nothing ever alerted us for what he has been accused of.”

A spokesperson for the veterinary clinic emphasized that “Anyone who has called or been to our clinic since early February would know that Chad has NOT been there.”

Deputy Chief Garcia with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department explained to WREG that it was landscape workers who made the gruesome discovery in the backyard. He said: “They had noticed there were a lot of kennels, there appeared to be a large number of bones around and they actually saw some dog carcasses there on the property.”

Six dogs were found alive, but the exact number of the deceased animals is unknown.

Deputy Chief Garcia further said: “Our investigators spent hours out there digging and locating bones there on the property.”

Investigators later determined the dogs died due to severe malnutrition and starvation and said that SMITH was in direct care and control of the animals and deprived them of food and water.

On Thursday, March 23, 2023, WREG went to the house of horror but no one opened the door. SMITH no longer lives there and he was arrested somewhere else in Fayette County.

SMITH, who now lives in Oakland, is charged with ten counts of aggravated animal cruelty but the number of counts may change as more forensic evidence comes up.

SMITH was released after posting a $50,000 bond!

Main Street Animal Clinic said: “Our top priority has, and always will be, the best service and care for pets and their pet families” and added: “The allegations against Chad Smith in no way reflects Main Street Animal Clinic’s morals, practices, or values and we hope you are able to see that.”

Through the clinic’s Facebook post, Jennifer Dunlap DVM advised:

1) “The handful of dogs found alive have already been traced back to their rescues/shelters of origin. And I cannot imagine the pain upon reading this if you were not one of the rescues or shelters we contacted and I'm so sorry.”

2) “If you have information regarding a dog that you placed with Chad Smith from January 2022- December 2022 please contact Investigator Salamon at 901-466-3918. Please use this number only if you have paperwork and photos regarding the dog placed.”

Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is sourced from official news outlets. Links included.

Details may be removed or additional information may be provided in future should such sources report an update.

Story on Voice For Us Facebook page

Additional Sources:

Action News – March 21, 2023

WREG – March 23, 2023

#animalcruelty #crueldadanimal #cruautéanimale #tierquälerei #animalslivesmatter #tennessee #deathpenaltyforanimalabusers #animalcontrol #veterinary #clinic #dogs