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DEBRA JANE CATLEDGE arrested twice in less than two days on animal cruelty charges

Updated: Sep 27, 2024

- Alabama, USA -


~ Update: September 27, 2024

 

On September 24, 2024, 64-years-old DEBRA JANE CATLEDGE (pictured) was sentenced after in August 2024, she was found guilty of thirty-seven (37) counts of animal cruelty.

 

Colbert County Circuit Judge Mitchell D. Hays handed down a thirty (30) year-split-sentence. CATLEDGE will only serve nine (9) years in prison and after her release, she will be on probation for the remaining twenty-one (21) years during which time she cannot have animals. If she violates her probation she will be sent back to prison for the remainder of her sentence.

 

WHNT reports that according to court documents, CATLEDGE entered a guilty plea for seventeen (17) counts of second-degree dog/cat cruelty, twelve (12) counts of cruelty to animals, three (3) counts of first-degree dog/cat cruelty, three (3) counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, and two (2) counts of failure to bury livestock. Four counts were abandoned by the court to be considered in the sentencing.

 

As reported by WAFF, CATLEDGE  is planning on appealing her conviction. Judge Hays set a $150,000 appeal bond at the end of the sentencing. CATLEDGE is booked in the Colbert County Jail on that bond.

 


~ Original story:


On Friday, September 29, 2023, Colbert County authorities executed a search warrant on a property in Cherokee.


Corey Speegle, the director of animal services at the Colbert County Animal Shelter, told Fox News Digital that back in June he received reports of dead horses on the property which prompted an investigation. On September 25, 2023, Speegle received another report, and after presenting it to both the sheriff’s office and district attorney’s office, a search warrant was executed.


County Animal Services and State Bureau of Investigation found at least twenty-nine (29) dead horses as well as ten (10) live horses who were suffering from starvation, and nearly fifty (50) dogs who were living in horrible conditions. Additionally, officials discovered skeletal remains of two dogs. One of the deceased horses was found in a pond.


Speegle told Fox News Digital the conditions “were bad as the hair on the majority of the dogs was matted, and they were living in urine and feces. Some of the dogs were so matted that it was difficult to find the eyes. The dogs were also covered in bugs and cockroaches.”

“This was a puppy mill,” added Speegle.


All the surviving animals, including horses, dogs, donkeys, and mules, were removed from the property, and taken to the Colbert County Animal Shelter.


On Saturday, September 30, 2023, deputies with the Colbert County Sheriff’s Office arrested 63-years-old DEBRA JANE CATLEDGE (pictured) on fifteen (15) counts of animal cruelty. CATLEDGE was booked into the Colbert County Jail and released the following day after posting $12,250 bond.


WAFF reports that CATLEDGE was then arrested again on the evening of Tuesday, October 3, 2023, on state charges of twenty-eight (28) counts of failing to bury or burn dead animals.


Through Facebook posts, the Colbert County Animal Shelter thanked the volunteers who came out and helped and everyone who stepped up to assist the shelter with monetary donations and food.


On a separate note, News 19 reports that CATLEDGE “is not a stranger to animal-related cases with law enforcement. She was convicted in 2013 after authorities rescued more than 120 small dogs that were found in cages outside her home.”

After pleading guilty to the animal cruelty charges, CATLEDGE spent some time in jail and according to a plea agreement, she was no longer allowed to breed animals.

Colbert County Sheriff Eric Balentine told News 19: “After she did her 14 days, she was ‘out of sight, out of mind’ and I’m not pointing fingers because I don’t know whose at fault for that… I’m just saying after this, as long as I’m in office, somebody is going to keep an eye on what’s going on.”


As I always say, animal abusers are toxic. Toxic people do not change, they only change their victims!


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.



CATLEDGE’s mugshot shared from the Colbert County Jail.





 
 
 

RONALD AVERY KEARNEY and MOHAMED SAMIH DWEYDARI facing charges – Dead animals found on a Garner farm

- North Carolina, USA -


On Friday, September 15, 2023, Wake County Animal Control officers responded to a farm in the 7500 block of Trudy Lane in Garner, in reference to an animal cruelty case.


Officers found more than two hundred (200) animals, including cows, donkey, fowl, goats, a kitten, mini horse, and sheep.

Officers reported that several animals were found deceased and the live ones were emaciated.

Animal Control officers requested the assistance of the Wake County Sheriff’s Office.


An investigation revealed that 60-years-old RONALD AVERY KEARNEY (pictured) and 70-years-old MOHAMED SAMIH DWEYDARI lived on the farm and were the animals’ guardians.


According to court documents, ninety (90) livestock were found to be emaciated and injured causing three of them to be euthanized.


While Wake County Animal Control officers continue to count the number of animals involved in the case, a Wake County spokesperson told ABC11 that two calves have been taken to NC State Veterinary School. The sheriff’s office said that the animals who could be saved have been placed into rehabilitation centers.


On Monday, September 18, 2023, KEARNEY appeared in Wake County District Court where Judge Rashad Ahmed Hauter set bond at $90,000.

ABC11 published a segment of the video of the hearing and in the background, KEARNEY can be heard asking the judge to lower his bond. “Please”, he said, as if the animals on his farm could say: “Please, feed us, don’t let us die.” KEARNEY had the nerve to tell Judge Hauter: “I don't really know what I've done wrong.”

During the hearing, Assistant District Attorney Christy Joyce pointed out that another animal died while investigators were on site.

Judge Hauter denied KEARNEY’s request and online records show that he is no longer in custody.


As for DWEYDARI, he was cited with one count of misdemeanor animal cruelty.


On a separate note, as reported by The News&Observer, KEARNEY has an extensive criminal background comprising several misdemeanor and felony charges in addition to felony arrests. In 2010, he was convicted and imprisoned for assault on a female and served three months in jail.


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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IVERY LUCKEY JR. wanted for animal cruelty after more than 80 cows were found extremely malnourished

- Florida, USA -


On Wednesday, August 24, 2022, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods during his regular “Wanted by Woods Wednesday” on Facebook, reached out to the public for assistance in locating 43-years-old IVERY LUCKEY JR. (pictured). LUCKEY is wanted for 24 counts of aggravated animal cruelty and 17 counts of animal cruelty.


During his video, Sheriff Woods showed some heartbreaking images of cows who were extremely malnourished to the extent that their rib cages were showing.

He said: “These animals are in this condition due to the cruelty of 43-year-old Ivery Luckey.”


Sheriff Woods explained that his “agriculture deputies alongside Marion County Animal Control officers investigated the well-being of over 80 cows and found the majority of them to be in so malnourished condition that you could see their rib cages. I was present, and I saw them as well.”


Except for one, all the cows were removed and are being treated.

One cow had to be euthanized because of the “horrible conditions she was left in”, said the sheriff.


While addressing directly to LUCKEY, Sheriff Woods told him that animal control officers spoke with him and he claimed he was in Georgia and that he would be back to talk to them but he did not show up.


Sheriff Woods is confident that his citizens, being animal lovers, will find him.

If you have any information on LUCKEY’s whereabouts, please call Crime Stoppers of Marion County at 352-368-STOP and reference 22-50 in your tip.

Sheriff Woods said if you use Crime Stoppers and your tip leads to an arrest, you could be eligible for a cash reward.


Meanwhile, as I was looking for LUCKEY’s court records, I learned that a “Petition for Hearing to Determine Fitness of Owner to Care for Animals” has been filed against him.


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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