A total of 29 animals have been taken into the care of an animal rescue organization as part of a neglect investigation by the Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office.
On Tuesday, January 18, deputies began investigating allegations of animal neglect, according to a press release from Sheriff Quinn Riess.
The complaint, brought forward by and with information obtained by It Takes A Village Animal Rescue and Resources, alleged a woman was living in a camper on a property with dozens of dogs and one cat and that the camper was uninhabitable due its condition.
The Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of Muscatine County Zoning Office and It Takes A Village Rescue and Resources, executed a search warrant on Wednesday, Jan. 19.
A single drop cord was found running from the residence on the property to the camper and the windows on the camper were iced over, and 28 dogs and one cat were found inside.
The camper was confirmed to be uninhabitable due to the amount of feces and subsequent odor from the feces, Riess said.
The property owners were provided notice by Muscatine County Zoning officials that the trailer on the property was deemed a dangerous building and was unsafe for human occupancy.
Riess said neither of the property owners were the woman identified as living in the trailer and possessing the animals. Due to the nature of the ongoing investigation, other details were not released.
Pursuant to Iowa Code 717B.5, which outlines the rescue of threatened animals, the Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office contracted with It Takes A Village Animal Rescue and Resources for the maintenance of the rescued animals.
The animals will be cared for and remain with them until dispositional proceedings can be held in Muscatine County Court, Riess said.
It Takes A Village has been raising funds for a space to care for the animals at a cost of $7,200 for the next six months. While they quickly reached that goal, donations are still being accepted:
- Text: ITAV to 89871
- PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9ELZV8K2C5Z6N
- Venmo: @Ittakesavillageanimalrescue
- Shelterluv/Stripe: https://checkout.shelterluv.com/donate/itav
- Check by mail: It Takes A Village Animal Rescue and Resources, PO Box 634, Muscatine, IA 52761