Animal abuse charges filed
Woman indicted on numerous animal neglect charges.
Date published: 4/10/2009
BY KEITH EPPS
A King George County woman was indicted yesterday on charges that she severely neglected a variety of animals.
Iris Marie Hedrick, 40, is charged with 16 offenses, including multiple counts of animal cruelty and failure to bury dead animals.
According to court records, authorities went to Hedrick's home Jan. 2 in response to an anonymous tip.
At the home on Big Timber Road, a couple of miles east of U.S. 301, officials found ghastly conditions.
Dozens of animals--including dogs, cats, birds, goats, rabbits, pigs, sheep and a cow--were either dead or severely malnourished.
The animals were in pens within 30 feet of the house, and some of the living ones were eating the dead ones. They were clearly not being fed regularly, authorities claimed.
Animal control workers and volunteers spent considerable time cleaning up the mess. Veterinarians were able to save some of the animals; others had to be euthanized.
The rescued animals were shipped out to animal refuges from North Carolina to Rhode Island, court records state.
Hedrick was arrested and placed in the Rappahannock Regional Jail. Court records show that she was convicted of animal cruelty within the past year and received a suspended six-month jail sentence.
A trial in King George Circuit Court is set for July 23.
Keith Epps: 540/374-5404 Email: kepps@freelancestar.com
Read more stories about King George
Date published: 4/10/2009
Most recent reader comments:
Wow, thanks for that link...
(posted by
TPKeller
, Apr. 10, 2009 3:25 pm)  
Fascinating, it IS a mental disorder. Any judge who is hearing a case like this should be required to read an article like that to which ditchdawg linked earlier. Among other things, it said "Sixty percent of the hoarders studied were repeat offenders." This is a clearly significant fact which was apparently not addressed in Ms. Hedrick's earlier case.
Oh please let me!
(posted by
DownontheFarm
, Apr. 10, 2009 3:10 pm)  
What I wouldn't give to be the judge in this case!! Throw the book at her and then charge the first judge as an accessory. No one should get off with a slap on the wrist for abusing children or animals. I pray that this time, she not only pays for what she's done but is ordered not to have animals again.
Animal hoarding
(posted by
ditchdawg
, Apr. 10, 2009 12:52 pm)  
Here's a link for info on people who hoard animals, interesting.
http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/54031
delete my comment
(posted by
lvmidgs
, Apr. 10, 2009 11:57 am)  
all u want....abusing and neglecting animals is HORRIBLE! fine! i wont use any bad words...just plain words that even an idiot would understand...
IF YOU CANT TAKE CARE OF AN ANIMAL, DONT HAVE ANY! IF YOU CANT TAKE CARE OF AN ANIMAL, DONT HAVE ANY! IF YOU CANT TAKE CARE OF AN ANIMAL, DONT HAVE ANY! IF YOU CANT TAKE CARE OF AN ANIMAL, DONT HAVE ANY! IF YOU CANT TAKE CARE OF AN ANIMAL, DONT HAVE ANY! IF YOU CANT TAKE CARE OF AN ANIMAL, DONT HAVE ANY! IF YOU CANT TAKE CARE OF AN ANIMAL, DONT HAVE ANY!
Poor critters
(posted by
travelin_bone
, Apr. 10, 2009 11:13 am)  
They say that animal hording is a form of compulsive behavior. The system fails animals just as it fails children. She was given a suspended sentence and that's it? She was not ordered to not own animals or undergo counseling? This could've been prevented very easily placing her on probation with the condition that animal control can randomly visit her property. Another case of small victim, small crime, small punishment.
|