MONROE - Green County could be stuck paying a $47,785 tab for the care of dozens of dogs seized in May from a home near Brodhead and housed for months with the Green County Humane Society.
On Tuesday, the Finance and Accounting Committees recommended that the Green County Board of Supervisors approve the payment to the Humane Society out of the general budget. The board will consider the resolution during its monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13, in the courthouse.
The sheriff's department seized 46 dogs, mostly Great Danes, from a home on May 25 in the north 4600 block of County F in the Town of Decatur. The dogs were reportedly kept indoors with little to no ventilation in conditions that reeked so strongly of feces and urine that a veterinarian testified she suffered chest tightness and breathing difficulties for days after visiting the home.
Four people were charged with animal mistreatment in the case: Melissa Harrel, 58; Allyson Williams, 24; Donovan F. Williams, 45; and Kathy J. Williams, 55. Allyson Williams and Donovan Williams were found guilty on some counts and are currently in deferred prosecution. Charges against the other two defendants are still pending.
Brian Bucholtz, corporation counsel for Green County, said he is in the beginning stages of attempting to recover the $47,785 from the defendants. He will be examining the defendants' assets and assessing their ability to foot the dog-care costs.
"It's going to take a while. I'm not giving up hope that we can get some of this back," he said.
Harrel paid bonds to the court totaling $9,601, and Bucholtz said this money will be counted toward the Humane Society invoice.
The Humane Society typically gets $47,000 to $48,000 annually from the county, or about 20 to 25 percent of its budget, for animal control services. If county supervisors give final approval Tuesday to reimburse the shelter for the seizure invoice, it will double the normal cost of the agency to the county in 2011.
"We don't like it," said Bucholtz, but he added that it won't have a severe impact on Green County's overall budget.
Sheriff Jeff Skatrud and representatives from the Humane Society, including board president Paul Barrett, explained the bill to the committee Tuesday evening and discussed the unusual burden the seizure put on the shelter. Committee members listened sympathetically and offered thanks to the Humane Society for its extra work.
For a shelter with a capacity for 37 dogs, the extra animals strained the shelter's resources to the limit, according to Humane Society board member Rachel Schardt. Seventeen puppies were born into the shelter's care after the seizure, bringing the total number of dogs in the case to 63. Many required special veterinary attention, plus routine vaccinations, deworming and spaying or neutering.
Volunteers at the Humane Society put in more than 1,000 hours to help the shelter with the seized dogs. Foster homes were able to take some of the dogs temporarily, Schardt said, but even this involved extra work for the shelter, since unvaccinated dogs' waste must be burned for health reasons.
"As they were not vaccinated or dewormed when they came to us, all waste was bagged and hauled off site," Schardt later explained. Even after dogs received the appropriate shots, their waste still needed to be hauled off for sanitation purposes.
"As you can imagine, that many large dogs create a lot of waste," Schardt said.
Of the 63 dogs involved in the case, 55 have been adopted. Of the remaining eight, one was euthanized due to medical issues, five were returned to their co-owners or a third party, one is being held as evidence for the court and one is still available for adoption.
"We had fantastic adopters come from around the country," Schardt said. "We follow up on all adopted animals, and the new owners of the Great Danes report that their dogs have adjusted well and are thriving in their new homes. We are very grateful to these new owners and the community for supporting the shelter during this time."
The last dog available for adoption is described as a playful and affectionate Great Dane named Elle. She's almost one year old and has a brindle coat, and according to her shelter bio, she "wants your full attention."
On Tuesday, the Finance and Accounting Committees recommended that the Green County Board of Supervisors approve the payment to the Humane Society out of the general budget. The board will consider the resolution during its monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13, in the courthouse.
The sheriff's department seized 46 dogs, mostly Great Danes, from a home on May 25 in the north 4600 block of County F in the Town of Decatur. The dogs were reportedly kept indoors with little to no ventilation in conditions that reeked so strongly of feces and urine that a veterinarian testified she suffered chest tightness and breathing difficulties for days after visiting the home.
Four people were charged with animal mistreatment in the case: Melissa Harrel, 58; Allyson Williams, 24; Donovan F. Williams, 45; and Kathy J. Williams, 55. Allyson Williams and Donovan Williams were found guilty on some counts and are currently in deferred prosecution. Charges against the other two defendants are still pending.
Brian Bucholtz, corporation counsel for Green County, said he is in the beginning stages of attempting to recover the $47,785 from the defendants. He will be examining the defendants' assets and assessing their ability to foot the dog-care costs.
"It's going to take a while. I'm not giving up hope that we can get some of this back," he said.
Harrel paid bonds to the court totaling $9,601, and Bucholtz said this money will be counted toward the Humane Society invoice.
The Humane Society typically gets $47,000 to $48,000 annually from the county, or about 20 to 25 percent of its budget, for animal control services. If county supervisors give final approval Tuesday to reimburse the shelter for the seizure invoice, it will double the normal cost of the agency to the county in 2011.
"We don't like it," said Bucholtz, but he added that it won't have a severe impact on Green County's overall budget.
Sheriff Jeff Skatrud and representatives from the Humane Society, including board president Paul Barrett, explained the bill to the committee Tuesday evening and discussed the unusual burden the seizure put on the shelter. Committee members listened sympathetically and offered thanks to the Humane Society for its extra work.
For a shelter with a capacity for 37 dogs, the extra animals strained the shelter's resources to the limit, according to Humane Society board member Rachel Schardt. Seventeen puppies were born into the shelter's care after the seizure, bringing the total number of dogs in the case to 63. Many required special veterinary attention, plus routine vaccinations, deworming and spaying or neutering.
Volunteers at the Humane Society put in more than 1,000 hours to help the shelter with the seized dogs. Foster homes were able to take some of the dogs temporarily, Schardt said, but even this involved extra work for the shelter, since unvaccinated dogs' waste must be burned for health reasons.
"As they were not vaccinated or dewormed when they came to us, all waste was bagged and hauled off site," Schardt later explained. Even after dogs received the appropriate shots, their waste still needed to be hauled off for sanitation purposes.
"As you can imagine, that many large dogs create a lot of waste," Schardt said.
Of the 63 dogs involved in the case, 55 have been adopted. Of the remaining eight, one was euthanized due to medical issues, five were returned to their co-owners or a third party, one is being held as evidence for the court and one is still available for adoption.
"We had fantastic adopters come from around the country," Schardt said. "We follow up on all adopted animals, and the new owners of the Great Danes report that their dogs have adjusted well and are thriving in their new homes. We are very grateful to these new owners and the community for supporting the shelter during this time."
The last dog available for adoption is described as a playful and affectionate Great Dane named Elle. She's almost one year old and has a brindle coat, and according to her shelter bio, she "wants your full attention."