A Cuyahoga County grand jury has indicted Barbara Wible, 68, of Parma, on 36 counts of cruelty to animals, all fifth-degree felonies, after authorities found dead and neglected dogs in her home earlier this month.
Wible is the cofounder of Canine Lifeline, Inc., a nonprofit animal rescue. She housed some of the dogs for the rescue at her two residences in Parma and Mantua.
According to authorities, Parma Police responded to Wible's home on W. Ridgewood Drive on June 2 for a welfare call after a delivery driver reported packages had started to pile up over a week at the residence.
RELATED: Parma woman charged for animal cruelty after dozens of neglected, dead dogs found in home
When officers responded, they noticed a "strong odor" coming from the home and could see several dead dogs through a window.
Wible was found down on the ground inside the home, according to authorities. It's unclear how long she had been there. Officers helped her to her feet, and she was able to walk outside and was transported to University Hospitals for treatment.
During the welfare check, officers found 36 dogs at the home. Twelve of the dogs were deceased. The 24 dogs who were alive were taken into custody. Three of those were taken to an emergency vet, and two were euthanized. The remaining dogs are currently being rehabilitated for neglect, police said
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office said all of the dogs had been locked in cages, and some of the animals hadn't been fed since March.
“This woman operated to the public under the guise of helping dogs in need of a home, and then caused the death of 13 dogs and severely harmed 23 dogs in our county alone,” said Prosecutor Michael O’Malley. “I hope this truly horrific case does not deter people from adopting dogs from reputable rescue organizations. If you have any concerns about animal mistreatment or abuse, you can report them to your local animal control officers and/or police department.”
Wible's current charges all stem from the Parma incident. She's also under investigation in Portage County after a search warrant at her Mantua home was served, and authorities found 146 dead dogs at that residence.
RELATED: 146 dogs found dead in Mantua home of animal rescue co-founder, group says
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