The discovery of a puppy mill in Rutherford Township in Martin County has led to the arrest of a Loogootee woman.
On Thursday the Martin County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a concerned citizen advising of the active mill.
Around 4:30 pm Thursday, an Animal Control Officer and deputies with the Martin County Sheriff’s Department went to the address to investigate the complaint.
Once they arrived, officers heard dogs barking from various structures on the property and observed several dogs looking outside the windows of a home located at that location.
The Animal Control Officer approached the residence and observed several dogs running around inside as well as a deceased dog lying on the floor.
After further investigation, authorities requested and obtained a search warrant from the Martin County Prosecutor’s office for the residence and other property structures.
The search warrant was granted from the Martin Circuit Court.
Later Thursday evening, additional deputies from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office arrived to assist with the execution of a search warrant at the home located along the 2700 block of Rutherford Road in Loogootee.
Inside the residence, officers discovered several dozen dogs, many of which were locked in feces-covered cages with no food or water, and some of which were already deceased.
In addition to the many dogs located on the property, officers also found other animals, such as horses, mules and donkeys, that were neglected.
Approximately thirty (30) dogs were rescued during the execution of the search warrant, while several dozen animals remained on the property.
73-year old Julia Arney of Loogootee was taken into custody. She was booked into the Martin County Jail for Animal Neglect and Animal Cruelty and was being held on a $20,000 Cash Only bond
Authorities say the investigation is ongoing as members of the Sheriff’s Office and Humane Society continue rescuing additional abused and neglected animals.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office wants to thank every volunteer from the Martin County Humane Society that assisted in the rescuing of these animals.
