BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio — A Butler County grand jury has returned more than 20 animal cruelty indictments against a woman arrested last summer following the seizure of nearly 90 dogs at her Madison Twp. property.
Ronda Murphy, 60, was initially charged with one felony count of cruelty to companion animals and two misdemeanor counts in Middletown Municipal Court by the Butler County Sheriff’s Office after the animals were found at her place on Mosiman Road.
Earlier this month, Murphy was indicted for 23 counts of cruelty to companion animals, 16 fifth-degree felonies and seven second-degree misdemeanors.
She is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 24 by Magistrate Matt Reed. The case is assigned to Butler County Common Pleas Judge Noah Powers II.
Murphy’s attorney Joe Auciello is in trial in Hamilton County this week and said he has not had a chance to review the indictment.
Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser said he wants to get the message out to anyone with concerns about animal abuse to reach out to authorities.
“These types of cases generally are only going to be disclosed by the attention of others,” Gmoser said. “So in addition to injuries and deaths that were caused to these animals, which by itself is horrible, I am hoping it will make the public pay attention in their situational awareness to the condition of animals that they see, and may wonder about, and make a call to the sheriff’s office if it is out in the county, or the local authorities of the jurisdiction to alert them that there may be a problem.”
Murphy was arrested July 31 and spent several days in the Middletown City Jail before she waived her right to a preliminary hearing and the case was sent to grand jury for consideration. Middletown Municipal Court Judge James Sherron then released her on an own recognizance bond.
Sherron ordered Murphy to have no contact with “any animals whatsoever” as a condition of her OR release.
Murphy also signed over the dogs to the county dog warden’s office for care by Animal Friends Humane Society. This means they were vetted; the eligible dogs were available for adoption and did not have to await the conclusion of the criminal case to be adopted.
Deputies, detectives and deputy dog wardens arrived at the property in the 5000 block of Mosiman early July 27 for a welfare check on the dogs, court records show.
Murphy ran a rescue called ”Helping Hands for Furry Paws” and she was known to authorities because of previous calls, according to the court complaint.
In addition to the dogs found alive in “horrific” conditions, 30 canine bodies were discovered in refrigerators and freezers throughout the property and at an Eck Road property also owned by Murphy, BCSO said.
“Some bodies were decomposed or liquified and unable to be removed. Eighteen bodies were identifiable and able to be seized,” said Deputy Dog Warden Abigail Forkner in the complaint.
Animal Friends Humane Society on Princeton Road in Hamilton cared for the surviving pups that included senior dogs, nursing mothers and newborn puppies.
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