Prosecutors Consider Charges After Animals Found in Squalor on Winlock Property

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A Lewis County couple may be facing multiple counts of animal cruelty after deputies, a humane officer, code enforcement officers and an equine veterinarian searched their property and found numerous animals living in squalid conditions, including a pony that was put down on the spot.

Deputies referred a man and a woman to the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office under suspicion of six counts of second-degree animal cruelty. The Chronicle does not name suspects until they have been arrested or charged with a crime. Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer told The Chronicle his office had received information in the case within the past week, and could not advise when or if charges would be filed.

According to Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reports obtained by The Chronicle, on Sept. 14, deputies searched a residence on Doring Road in Winlock. A man living there — one of the suspects in the case — showed the responding deputies and humane officers around the property.

Reports describe a large number of dogs, with one reporting officer estimating there were about 30, running loose inside the house.

“As we entered through the front door I was met with very loud barking, the overwhelming odor of feces and ammonia. I counted approximately 30 loose dogs, running about the living room, dining room and kitchen areas,” an officer wrote.

The dogs appeared in decent health, reports indicate, but the house itself was allegedly filthy.

Six dogs were allegedly found living in three crates, described as too small for two animals at a time.

“The living environment provided for these 6 dogs was deplorable, dirty, unsanitary and did not met their basic needs,” wrote an officer, saying the crates had no water, and the animals’ fur was matted with feces.

Other areas of the house contained no animals, but the carpet was deeply stained with what appeared to be feces and urine, reports indicate.

Some animals, including a cat, a couple caged guinea pigs — which were all allegedly found inside the house — and a few goats and rabbits outside the house were all in good condition.

A pony living outside was found to have a hoof condition called “laminitis.”

One officer wrote: “you could observe her hooves were grown out and had twisted grotesquely, appearing more like horns than hooves.”

An equine expert on scene wrote a report saying the pony rocked backward when standing to prevent putting weight on the front hooves. Photos from the scene show the hooves to be severely distorted.



“Laminitis is a condition affecting the attachment of the hoof to the foot of a horse. It has many presentations and causes, but the result is an extremely painful condition causing horses to be lame (limping) on a chronic basis. Lack of proper hoof care and animal husbandry exacerbates the condition,” wrote the vet.

The pony’s physical demeanor and accelerated heart rate allegedly gave hints it was in serious pain.  The vet said it was likely the pony had been living with that pain for several years.

The pony’s owner and one of the suspects in the case signed ownership of the pony over to the county, and it was euthanized on the spot. The suspect agreed to bury the body on his own.

More dogs were found in a barn, in kennel structures.

“These kennels contained so much fecal matter outside you couldn’t see any dirt or grass, there was no clean, dry place to lay down,” reports read.

Reports say the water bowls for the dogs in the barn were dirty. One allegedly had a dead mouse floating in it, and the level of decomposition indicated it had been there for a while.

The 91-year-old male suspect who was present during the execution of the search warrant said his wife took care of the animals inside the house, while he took care of the ones outside. The female suspect’s age was not provided in reports — only her birth year, making her either 67 or 68.

During an interview with a deputy, the man allegedly said his wife previously kept dogs and some other animals at a spot in Kitsap County, however, he said, deputies and humane society personnel took them away in September.

The male suspect is a former prominent official in the Cowlitz Indian Tribe.

“Speaking as an elected official of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, this individual resigned from all tribal positions effective last Friday, and that resignation was accepted by the Cowlitz Tribal Chairman. … The chairman has also asked him to appear before the tribal council in relation to these activities,” said David Barnett, current elected general council secretary of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe.

“On a personal level, I am broken hearted that this person of importance to the Cowlitz people would commit such atrocious acts against animals, defenseless animals, and I hope that he is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Barnett added.