ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, February 3, 1997 TAG: 9702030120
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: TODD JACKSON STAFF WRITER
The dozens of animals seized from a Franklin County breeder left the local society chapter with unprecedented pressures and a budget-busting burden
The Franklin County Humane Society spent about $9,000 last year on animal care.
But, in January, the organization suddenly became responsible for boarding, caring for and possibly finding homes for 119 animals - 68 dogs and 51 cats - when a judge ordered them taken away from Valery Green, a breeder who lives near Ferrum.
The organization has spent about $11,500 to care for Green's animals, and growing costs soon could deplete the Humane Society's budget.
Green has appealed the judge's decision, and a hearing will be scheduled in the next few weeks. The Humane Society must board the animals until the appeal is heard, and can begin adopting out the cats and dogs if the earlier court ruling is upheld.
The organization doesn't have a shelter of its own, so some of the animals are being kept in foster homes for free. But many are being boarded at veterinary clinics at a daily cost.
Many of those have needed treatment, which adds to the bill.
The Green case - which set a legal precedent in the county - is pushing the Humane Society as it's never been pushed.
"Here's one woman who has caused an incredible amount of problems," Donna Essig, the organization's president, said of Green. "It's really a can of worms."
To put the situation in perspective: The Humane Society is caring for more animals at one time than it normally deals with in a year.
Tammy Javier is a certified state animal investigator who's been working the case. She was instrumental in securing a search warrant that enabled animal control officers to seize Green's animals Jan. 3.
The case is placing a lot of pressure on the Humane Society, Javier said, but money's not the issue.
"We'll raise more money if we need to," she said. "We just want to find good homes for these animals."
The Green case is like no other that she's worked in 13 years on the job, Javier said.
Usually, breeders who face complaints or charges respond to educational efforts offered by investigators.
Green did not.
When Javier went to see her several weeks ago after a resident's complaint, Green testified that she told the investigator "to get off my property and have a nice day."
Javier said Green's attitude and continued complaints about the condition of her animals prompted the need for the search warrant. The Humane Society - with which Javier is associated - later filed civil charges that Franklin County Commonwealth's Attorney Cliff Hapgood agreed to pursue.
The penalties allow a judge to give custody of a breeder's animals to a humane society and to prohibit a breeder from owning any animal unless that person petitions the court - the judgment handed down against Green.
It was the first time that Javier and Hapgood, the county commonwealth's attorney for the past 12 years, have been involved with a case under that portion of the law.
The law fits extreme cases such as Green's, Hapgood said.
"This isn't the-dog-wouldn't-fetch-and-I-hit-it-with-a-newspaper-type case," he said.
Green's story has provoked emotion across the region.
"Any case that involves an animal is going to have emotion," Hapgood said. "People who are rational about most things aren't rational when it comes to animals."
Over the past 10 years, Green - who's also being investigated by the American Kennel Club - has been a lightning rod for controversy.
She's had animal care problems in Radford and in Floyd and Montgomery counties. She also was convicted of assaulting a police officer in Martinsville.
She's been convicted of several animal care violations, and other charges against her have been dropped - several times after she had moved from one locality to another.
But she still found her way to Franklin County last October with more than 100 animals, including at least seven breeds of dogs.
Some who are familiar with Green are frustrated that she was able to move from locality to locality and continue to breed animals.
After she moved to Franklin County, Green was advertising in the newspaper and selling animals with price tags as high as $1,000 a dog, depending on the breed.
Green said she loves her animals and tried to care for them. She admitted in court that she had too many and let her "hobby and labor of love go too far," but believes that she can adequately care for 15 to 20 animals at a time.
But Humane Society representatives, animal control officers and even one of Green's friends said Green is incapable of that.
Animal control officer Steve Lynch, who was a member of the team that searched Green's property Jan. 3, said he had to wear a gas mask because of the overpowering smell of feces. Excrement covered the inside of plastic animal carriers - many of which had litters of puppies inside - and it covered the inside of Green's home, he said.
Javier said some dogs were without food and water.
Wanda Wyrick, a Roanoke woman who tried to help Green care for her animals, said it became obvious to her Green could not care for them.
Friends bought food and supplies and spent hours cleaning up the animals' mess. Some even took dogs and cats and kept them while Green was hospitalized.
Wyrick, a cat breeder who says she helped Green out of concern for the animals, now wonders if the woman was taking advantage of the people who tried to help her.
"It's sad for the animals' sake," she said.
Green's treatment of her animals has angered others.
The Humane Society volunteers are channeling their emotions into determination to find loving homes for the animals.
But that's not going to be easy, even though the organization has received about 150 calls from people interested in adopting an animal.
Essig said a number of people called about the purebred dogs because they wanted to breed them. State law requires the sterilization of adopted animals - a requirement that cooled interest, Essig said.
Also, because of a lack of early training, many of the dogs are going to be hard to housebreak, and some have behavior problems.
There has been less interest in adopting the cats.
The Humane Society, by court order, will be allowed to keep adoption fees to recoup its expenses. But that's of little concern to Essig.
"We're going to do what we have to do," she said. "I have a feeling that it's going to be hard to place many of the animals," Essig said. "It's going to take special people with a lot of patience."
And, while the Humane Society works and waits, several of Green's animals have had puppies. Several more are pregnant.
Essig fears Green will move somewhere else and start breeding animals again.
"If she moves somewhere else, who's going to enforce the penalties against her?" she said.
Essig and Javier hope the Green case will help educate the public.
They urge people to report puppy mill breeders and animal care violators. They also have tips for people interested in purchasing purebred dogs: Always insist on visiting a breeder's facilities to inspect them and to view a puppy's father and mother; ask for breeder recommendations from the local humane society and veterinarians; and look for breeders who have American Kennel Club or other credentials.
"A reputable breeder will tell you that their care for their particular breed costs more than they'll ever make," Javier said.
Call the Humane Society's hot line at 540-489-3775 for more information.
LENGTH: Long : 151 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: DON PETERSEN/Staff. 1. These Pomeranians, photographedby CNBJan. 6, were among dozens of dogs found penned up at Valery Green's
Franklin County home. 2. ROGER HART Staff. Gene Hallenbeck, owner of
Mud Lick Kennels, gets an affectionate greeting from some of his
charges. He is boarding many of the dogs taken from Green. 3. ROGER
HART/Staff. Franklin County Humane Society President Donna Essig
(left) and investigator Tammy Javier (center) pay a call on Betty
Elkins, who has agreed to temporarily house more than 20 cats
removed from Valery Green's home. 4. (headshot) Green. color.
Graphic: Chart by staff: Adopt a pet. color.