Montcalm County - There is new information about an alleged case of animal cruelty in Montcalm County.
Thursday morning, there were four dogs at the Montcalm County Animal Shelter. Three of them had been taken from the home in the 9000 block of Derby Street in Six Lakes that we told you about yesterday where several dead animals had been removed. Those three had been taken in earlier this month and another dog was rescued Wednesday afternoon.
WZZM 13 News went looking for answers after neighbors say they tried to tell authorities months ago about what was going on.
Deborah Byrne says she called several different agencies, but got no action. Bill Burden, the Montcalm Co. Undersheriff says, "This is the first we've heard of it."
Burden dispatched an officer as soon as he was made aware of the problem. He says the call should have been handled by Montcalm County Animal Control.
"Currently, they're in a transition phase. Their director is no longer there and it probably broke down there," said Burden.
The person temporarily in charge of Montcalm County Animal Control is County Controller Chris Hyzer. "Right now, we're in the process of reviewing all the documentation that Animal Control has received and right now the last thing that I found, was March 1st."
That's when Animal Control removed some of the dogs, but the snow was deep and Hyzer suspects they didn't see all the carcasses around the home. County Prosecutor Andrea Krause says they take animal cruelty cases seriously. "Absolutely, there are misdemeanor and felony charges for killing or not caring for your animals," said Krause.
The investigation continues and will be handed over to the Prosecutor's office for review.
As for the dogs at the shelter, they will be up for adoption when the case is complete.
Sarah SellIn your voice
