ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, January 4, 1997 TAG: 9701060056
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: TODD JACKSON STAFF WRITER
Animal control officers and humane society officials secured more than 100 dogs and cats at a breeder's home in Franklin County on Friday and took 23 puppies to a local veterinarian for emergency care.
The animals belong to Valery L. Green, 39, who lives in the Six Mile Post community near Ferrum. She was not at home when the search of her property took place, Sheriff W.Q. "Quint" Overton said.
The floors of Green's home at 1255 Highland Farm Road were covered with animal feces, litters of puppies were piled into plastic carrying crates, some animal pens had no food or water, and different breeds - including cocker spaniels and German shepherd dogs - were mixed in cramped spaces, said Donna Essig, president of the Humane Society's board.
The dogs are being kept in the house and in pens in the yard. "It's a disaster up there,''she said.
Green faces a charge of failing to care for her animals properly and many other counts of failing to obtain county dog licenses and rabies vaccinations. She didn't show up for a court hearing on the charges last month.
Tammy Javier, a certified state humane investigator, has also worked the case. She's been an investigator for 13 years and said the Franklin County case is the third worst she's ever seen.
Javier's statements to a Franklin County judge led to Friday's search warrant.
"It wasn't the feces in the house that alarmed me the most," she said. "It was the amount of feces in the carriers and the amount of space the animals had."
It's apparently not the first time that Green has had trouble with animal control officers.
Franklin County Commonwealth's Attorney Cliff Hapgood said he's been told Green has had complaints filed against her in other localities.
Deputy Chief Jonny Butler of the Radford Police Department said his department dealt with a woman by the same name.
The Radford woman had similar run-ins with animal control and faced similar charges, Butler said.
Frank Havens, animal control officer for Radford, said the woman he charged had several animals living both inside and outside her home. He ticketed her several times for having unlicensed dogs, dogs at large or barking dogs.
The city officers ticketed the woman several times during a six-month period, Havens said, until the woman moved out of Radford.
Some time after the woman was gone, court officials in Floyd County and Montgomery County subpoenaed Havens to testify as a witness for the prosecution in other animal-related cases against the woman, he said.
Green could not be reached for comment.
The Franklin County court order gives animal control officers and humane society representatives the authority to secure the animals not in need of emergency treatment and to continue to monitor and feed them at Green's residence.
Overton said he talked with Green over the weekend when she called him to inquire about her situation. Green said she didn't want sheriff's deputies coming to her home, Overton said.
Javier said she plans to continue to care for the animals at Green's residence whether Green is there or not.
Several complaints have been filed over the past few weeks by neighbors, Javier said. At the same time, though, Green was advertising in the classified section of newspapers and was selling purebred dogs.
Javier said she's talked to several people who bought dogs from Green, and none of them went to Green's residence. Green either arranged a meeting elsewhere or went to the client's home, Javier said.
"It's our hope to shut this woman down," Essig said.
- Staff Writer Lisa K. Garcia contributed to this story.
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