THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 23, 1994 TAG: 9408230388
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JOE JACKSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 47 lines
Rochelle Ferro, the Norfolk woman found guilty of 26 charges of failing to vaccinate and license her 30 pets, got one of her dogs back Monday after paying a $432 boarding fee to the Norfolk SPCA.
That just leaves 25 cats and four dogs still housed in the animal shelter. And approximately $10,000 left to pay the shelter in boarding costs.
Ferro was found guilty Friday in General District Court of the 26 counts and fined $1,300. But when she drove to the animal shelter, she learned that the $8-a-day boarding fee for each animal had mounted to a total of more than $10,000.
The daily fees had accrued since the animals were seized from Ferro's Ghent home on June 30. They will continue to mount until all the animals are retrieved from the shelter.
Ruth Green, the Norfolk SPCA supervisor, said Monday that ``there was really no time limit'' for getting the animals out before they would be euthanized. Rochelle Ferro and her family have brought food and medicine since the pets were seized by police and animal-control officers.
``The animals are well taken care of,'' Green said.
On Friday, Ferro told her animals that she would have them released by Monday.
But it is more likely that Ferro will pay the boarding fees gradually, releasing them ``one or two at a time,'' Green said.
Ferro could not be reached Monday for comment. On Friday, she told a reporter that she planned to take all the cats to a family farm in Maryland. She and her son Harry would divide up the dogs, she said.
It was not the first time the Ferros had gotten into trouble over an obsessive love of animals.
In July 1992, police and animal-control officers raided their three-story home on Colonial Avenue and removed 112 rabbits, 88 cats and 20 dogs.
This summer, after neighbors complained about the stench of urine and feces, animal-control officers raided the house again. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Rochelle Ferro has vowed to pay the SPCA fees to retrieve all 30 of
her dogs and cats.
by CNB