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Humane Society of Huron Valley rescues 126 animals in felony abuse case

Abused horses scramble for food from a feeding trough.
Michigan DNR
Abused horses scramble for food from a feeding trough.

The Humane Society of Huron Valley (HSHV) has rescued 126 animals. There are now pending felony charges against a woman accused of animal cruelty in separate cases. WEMU's Caroline MacGregor reports.

The Humane Society of Huron Valley (HSHV) has rescued 126 animals in a case that involves a repeat offender.

The rescued animals include dogs, cats, horses, ponies, a donkey, goats, sheep, a rabbit, snakes, iguanas, frogs, and tarantulas.

The suspect in the case, Christine Thompson, also has felony animal cruelty charges pending in northern Michigan.

Wendy Welch is the Director of Communications for the Humane Society of Huron Valley. She says most of the animals are sick or emaciated.

“We definitely need people to foster animals and volunteer to help the animals. We anticipate that many of the animals will be available for adoption in the near future, so we need people to stand ready to do that.” 

She says the public needs to be aware of people who take advantage of animals for making money.

“There are lots of times roadside zoo shows, little animal attractions to get your picture taken with animals. And although, you know, it looks innocent and harmless on the face of it. Um, oftentimes there's cruelty going behind the scenes because the animals are being kept for money motivation. It can be dark.”

Welch says the animals are receiving veterinary care prior to their availability for adoption. More information on how to help by donating money or goods can be found here.

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An award winning journalist, Caroline's career has spanned both commercial and public media in addition to writing for several newspapers and working as a television producer. As a broadcaster she has covered breaking stories for NPR and most recently worked as Assistant News Director for West Virginia Public Broadcasting. This year she returned to Michigan to be closer to family.
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