GREENFIELD — A Greenfield woman caught with 32 animals on her property, including a cat so badly injured it had to be euthanized, faces seven criminal charges, records show.
Prosecutors charged Carole Pope, 50, 6125 N. County Road 400E, Greenfield, with seven counts of cruelty to an animal, a Class A misdemeanor, after police found 32 animals — many underfed or dirty — living on her property, according to court documents. A warrant for her arrest was pending at press time.
Police and animal management officers began investigating Pope after someone requested they check in on her animals. At first, Pope refused to let police inside her home, and officers had to get a warrant to search the property, according to court documents state.
Police say Pope had 12 dogs, 16 cats and four horses that weren’t properly cared for, according to court documents.
The inside of her home — where the dogs were kept — was so filthy the board of health inspector deemed it uninhabitable, records state.
Outside, nine cats were kept in a tall wire crate covered with a tarp, officers said. The litter box inside the cage was full, the cats’ food was wet and soggy, and their water was green, according to court records.
At the back of her property, Pope had tied up three horses with no access to food, water or shelter from the rain, charging documents state. A fourth horse was found covered in mud in a side pasture; it also had no access to food, water or shelter, documents state.
Greenfield-Hancock Animal Management took all 32 animals, and the horses were transported to an area rescue.
Animal management employees reported the dogs all seemed timid of other people. Many of the cats appeared sick, including two male cats with leg injuries and six kittens that had round, distended bellies — usually an indication of intestinal parasites, charging documents state.
One cat was so sick, it had to be euthanized, according to court records.
Pope is the second Hancock County woman to be charged with animal cruelty this week.
Norita Sample, 46, 6639 W. Philadelphia Drive, McCordsville, faces one count of animal cruelty amid allegations she underfed her dog.
Sample was arrested Wednesday and bonded out Thursday afternoon on a $600 cash bond after pleading not guilty to the charge.
Police say she kept her pet dog in filthy living conditions and underfed the animal, documents state. The dog’s rib cage, spine and hip joints were protruding from its skin when it was found, according to court documents. Most of the dog’s fur had fallen out, and what remained was matted, court records state. The dog had trouble walking and couldn’t fully open its eyes, police said.
When police asked Sample what type of food she feeds the dog, she said she didn’t know, then went and looked in the pantry, where there was no dog food, records state. She told police she fed the dog beans earlier in the day, court documents state.
When questioned by animal management employees, Sample said she usually takes care of the animal but she had fallen behind on bills, charging documents state.
Animal management officials took the dog.
The Class A misdemeanors the women face carry a penalty of up to one year in jail and a $5,000 fine.
