Tip leads to conviction in animal cruelty case
The condition of Widow the cat was horrible when the animal was found in November 2020. After surgery and a special diet, Widow is now enjoying life at a new home.
The Tuscarawas County Humane Society is pleased with the outcome of a case they investigated in November 2020.
Following a call from a concerned citizen who provided photographic evidence, a search warrant was obtained to examine the conditions at the home of Jessica Wentling and Ashley Kedigh, who live at 5981 state Route 212 in Somerdale.
On Nov. 13, 2020, humane officer Jimmie Hitchcock and three Tuscarawas County Humane Society representatives — shelter director Haley Predragovich, RVT; TCHS Vice President Kelly Schoelles; and Ashlie Yoder, RVT — went to the home. The group also was accompanied by three sheriff deputies and a social worker from Tuscarawas County Job & Family Services.
The group noticed foul conditions before they went inside. Hitchcock approached the front door, where he described the smell as repulsive with the odor of ammonia burning his eyes and sinuses, accompanied with the smell of trash, similar to that of a landfill.
Nine animals were removed from the Wentling/Kedigh residence that day: eight dogs and one cat.
“All of the animals had evidence of extreme neglect, ranging from less-than-ideal body condition scores, alopecia, irritated skin, and all had strong fecal and urine odors coming from their hair coats,” Predragovich said.
The cat named Widow was suffering from severe urinary tract issues that went untreated for some time. Widow had urine scolding on her hind legs and urinary stones within her bladder and urethra, which led to discomfort and could have led to urinary blockage. Zeke, the adult male Great Dane removed from the home, was in a condition the medical staff and veterinarian with the TCHS had never seen before.
“Zeke was a 1 out of 9 body condition, where there is very little body fat and muscle wasting has started taking place,” Predragovich said.
The two women were not cooperative and hid a male Chihuahua in the oven, so he was not removed from the home that day.
While going through the evidence photos, Hitchcock was able to see the dog in the oven. After obtaining a second search warrant on Nov. 19, 2020, he was able to remove the Chihuahua from the home.
Wentling and Kedigh were charged with two counts of animal cruelty, both second degree misdemeanors, and one count of obstruction of official business. The two women pled no contest on all counts and were found guilty on all counts.
Last week the court sentenced the women to 90 days in jail on each count, consecutive, for a total of 270 days. All jail time is suspended pending successful completion of five years of probation.
The terms of probation are the defendants shall not own, possess or live at a residence with companion animals and may not possess outdoor animals. They must submit to random inspections to ensure compliance by probation, which may be in the company of a humane agent. They also must obtain a mental-health assessment and comply with recommended treatment including taking medications as prescribed. They are not to use alcohol and illegal drugs and must submit to random testing.
Wentling and Kedigh also must pay restitution to the TCHS for the care and boarding of the animals in the amount of $4,105.53.
Defendants also are prohibited from possessing companion animals for life. That restriction goes beyond the term of probation; however, the court would be willing to consider amending the order if in the future the woman were able to prove they have their mental-health situation under control and can provide proper care for animals.
“We are very happy to announce that all of the animals within the case have been adopted and are thriving in their new, safe and clean homes,” Predragovich said.
Once Zeke was fed a normal diet at the shelter, he responded well.
“He had a good month and a half of regular eating before he was well enough to be adopted,” Yoder said. “He gained 20 pounds with us and then 20 pounds with his new owners after he was adopted at the end of December.”
Widow had surgery for bladder stones and is now on a special diet for life to prevent the problem from reoccurring.
“We were able to find someone who has experience with that kind of situation who ended up adopting her,” Yoder said.
Helping abused and neglected animals is something the organization deals with regularly. Cases involving many animals such as this one happen about once or twice a year.
“We get calls all the time,” Yoder said. “Most of the time we don’t end up pressing charges because we can work something out with the owner and find the animals a better home.”
Anyone who would like to report a suspected case of animal abuse or neglect can call the TCHS at 330-343-6060 and press 1 to be connected to the humane officer hotline.
The women in this case will be subject to random checks over the next five years that will be monitored by their probation officer, and the TCHS will be able to do inspections whenever they want.
“After the five years, anyone can call it in if they see anything that looks suspicious, and then we can go out,” Yoder said.
The TCHS is always in need of volunteers and donations. Currently, they especially need blankets and wet dog food.
“Anyone interested in volunteering can call and leave a message, and we’ll get them scheduled for our next orientation,” Yoder said. “Our director usually does the orientation, and it is about an hour. We explain how we are run, and then they learn everything they need to know when they come in to volunteer.”
The Tuscarawas County Humane Society is a nonprofit organization that operates solely on grants and donations. Help them save more animals by donating at www.tuschumanesociety.com.