NEARLY 100 LARGE ANIMALS SEVERELY NEGLECTED-SOME DEAD. PLEASE SIGN FOR MAX CHARGES & PUNISHMENT

The Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service carried out a search this morning on rural property northwest of Elk, in north Spokane County.

SCRAPS responded to complaints about the condition of about 75 animals, including horses, llamas, cows, sheep, goats and dogs. SCRAPS Animal Protection Officers received complaints of alleged animal cruelty and were continuing their investigation at the site, 42505 N. Bruce Rd., until late afternoon.

A number of dead animals were also found.

The scene this morning included penned animals lacking proper food, but investigators are still evaluating it, said Nancy Hill, the director of SCRAPS.

A veterinarian examined the condition of each animal and rated all of them either thin or emaciated, the top two levels in veterinary rating system, Hill said.

Any large animals seized were being taken to an emergency shelter at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center in Spokane.

SCRAPS is being assisted by two volunteers from the American Humane Association, who flew to Spokane for the raid, and volunteers from HEART (Humane Evacuation Animal Rescue Team) based in Spokane.

Officers will investigate potential first-degree animal cruelty, a class C felony carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison and $10,000 fine, or second-degree animal cruelty, a misdemeanor with a penalty of up to $1,000 or 90 days in jail.

Hill said authorities were planning to talk with the animal owner.

SCRAPS is asking for donations to help feed, shelter and care for animals from the seizure. Donations can be sent to SCRAPS at 2521 N. Flora Road, Spokane

Valley, 99216, or online at www.spokanecounty.org/scraps.

CASE UPDATE:

A couple weeks ago Spokane County Animal Protection Officers seized nearly 100 large animals from a property in Elk during an animal cruelty investigation.

During the seizure SCRAPS told us officers found dead animals on the property.

According to a search warrant, in addition to numerous horses i found extremely thin, officers also discovered several dead goats and a llama.

Court documents say their owner 35-year-old Michelle Stiner told officers a dead goat found underneath a blue feed possibly was kicked by a pony stallion.

Court papers say Stiner said another died when an eagle pecked its eye out. A third died when she mistakenly dropped a bale of hay on it while using a tractor and a llama was killed when snow fell off the roof of a hay barn.

In addition to citing unclean living conditions for some of the animals, SCRAPS tells us they were not being properly fed either.

Stiner said, "I've done the best that I could to take care of them and unlike a lot of owners that are just opening their gates and letting them go, at least I was making the attempt to take care of them."

According to the search warrant Stiner stated she sold several goats to get money to pay for hay.

Court documents say Stiner told investigators she was "performing sexual acts for people" and "pimping herself out" to get hay.

SCRAPS says it worked with Stiner for several months to provide better care for the animals and when that didn't happen officers seized them.

We've inquired and are still waiting to hear back from scraps whether or not Stiner will be charged with animal cruelty.

All of the animals officers with scraps seized when they raided this property in Elk have now been adopted into new homes.