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