Over 100 neglected animals removed from Norwich home

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – A large-scale animal welfare case brought the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office, the Licking County Humane Society, and the ASPCA to a home in Norwich, Ohio.

The sheriff’s office went to the Norwich home on June 16 based on complaints of animal neglect. During visit and subsequent search warrants, they found over 100 animals who suffered from a lack of food and water, feces filled kennels and crates, and even dead dogs and a cat found in a freezer.

“We took 68 dogs, 24 chickens, 3 exotic birds, and 6 cats that were removed from the property during the execution of the two search warrants. The dogs are being housed, both by Muskingum County K-9 Adoption Center also Licking County Humane Society are helping with that,” said Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz.

Large-scale transport vehicles were provided by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or ASPCA. 42 of the dogs are at the Licking County Humane Society, one had to be euthanized, and the rest are at the adoption center.

“We currently have a detective assigned to the case and we’ll be getting all the investigation together, presenting it to the prosecutor’s office to see if criminal charges are warranted in the matter,” Lutz said. “And I’d just like to publicly thank, obviously, the ASPCA, the Licking County Humane Society, and of course, we have the a real good working relationship right now with the Muskingum County Humane Society and our Humane Officer Abbey. They do a phenomenal job in the county so I’d just like to recognize them and thank them for all the assistance.”

Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz says that he hopes the office will present the case to the county prosecutor sometime next week.