State-Journal.com - Malnourished dogs rescued during raid

Photo By Hilly SchifferA pit bull barks stands near his doghouse at the home on 3387 St. Johns Road.

A Franklin County couple have been charged with animal cruelty after officials removed 11 pit bulls from their property - leaving nearly 50 dogs behind.

Sandra Coy, 52, and William S. Coy, 44, both of 3387 St. Johns Road, were served Sunday with multiple misdemeanor cruelty to animals charges after Franklin County Sheriff's deputies and animal control officers raided their property Dec. 14.

According to Sheriff Steve Clark, the Coys had more than 60 dogs at their property when officers received complaints that barking dogs were chained in the Coys' yard.

Clark said 11 malnourished animals, two of which ultimately died from their treatment, were taken from the Coys' property in December.

Nearly 50 animals remained at the property, Clark said.

The Coys have an unlisted telephone number and could not be reached for comment.

No one answered the door at their St. Johns Road residence Thursday, though dogs could be heard barking inside and they were pawing at a window partially obscured by a Christmas tree.

A barking German Shepherd was chained to an outbuilding on a sliding lead that crossed a frozen creek.

Numerous other dogs, pit bulls included, were chained to buildings and near dog kennels in sub-freezing temperatures.

Court documents said county animal control officer Kevin Caudle described the dogs as "malnourished" and "in poor condition."

An animal control official declined to comment on the investigation into the Coy's treatment of their animals.

A 2007 article attributed to Hardin County's News-Enterprise posted on the Web site www.pet-abuse.com says the Coys have walked this road before.

The article says they agreed in August 2007 to leave Larue County and not return with animals for two years after they were charged there with 12 counts of animal cruelty.

LaRue County officials confiscated 37 pit bulls, a German Shepherd and eight puppies from their property, the article says.

A dog was found dead on its chain when officers arrived at their property.

The article says 11 of their dogs died after they were housed in a Taylor County animal shelter, either from attack from other dogs or disease.

The Coys received six months jail time in the matter, which was probated for two years, the article said.

According to meeting minutes posted on city Web sites, Sandra Coy addressed city council members in Ludlow, Taylor Mill and Crestview Hills in 2005 concerning dog breed bans.

She decried breed-specific bans and vicious dog legislation at local levels, the Taylor Mill minutes said.

Coy was identified as chairperson of Responsible Dog Owners of Eastern States at the Crestview Hills meeting.

Coy and her husband are set to appear in Franklin County District Court Feb. 24.

25.	Posted by animal protector February 7, 2009
	I CANT SAY WHO I AM FOR LEGAL REASONS BUT IT WONT BE TOO HARD TO FIGURE OUT. I HAVE BEEN QUIET FOR TOO LONG. THE ANIMAL CONTROL DEPT HERE IS A JOKE. TODD MOORE IS A WASTE OF TAXPAYERS DOLLARS. HE DOES THE BEAR MINIMUM JUST TO GET BY. HE DOES NOT ANSWER CALLS RIGHT AWAY HIS RESPONSE TIME IS SO LONG THAT BY THE TIME HE GETS TO CALLS THAT THE DOGS AT LARGE ARE ALREADY GONE SO HE DOESNT HAVE TO GET HIS FATT BUT OUT TO DO ANY WORK. I WAS RECENTLY TOLD THAT HE WAS BUSTED FOR LOOKING AT PORN OR EXPLICIT MATERIAL AT WORK ON WORK COMPUTERS....BUT OFFICIALS DIDNT FIND IT PRUDENT TO FIRE HIM....IM DISGUSTED HE GIVES A GOOD DEPARTMENT A BAD REPUTATION AND NO ONE WANTS TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. ITS ALMOST LIKE THE FRANKLIN COUNTY GOVERMENT WANTS ANIMAL CONTROL TO BE SEEN AND NOT HEARD. THEY WANT YOU TO DO A JOB BUT DONT WANT TO GIVE YOU THE MEANS OR THE BACKING TO DO SO.AND THE ANIMAL CONTROLL OFFICER WHO BUSTED THIS CASE DID IN FACT WANT TO SEIZE ALL DOGS OWNED BY THE COYS BUT WAS INSTRUCTED BY VARIUOS OFFICIALS THAT DOING THAT WOULDNT BE POSSIBLE. SO THEY TOOK A VET OUT TO THE COYS TO GET THE "WORST OF THE DOGS"WHICH MAKES NO SENCE AND IT TOOK A MONTH FROM THE TIME OF THE SEIZE TO GET THE CHARGES OUT ON THE COYS....WHATS THAT ABOUT????? THE COYS ARE NOT JUST FRIENDS WITH DERIK REYBORNE, THERE NEIGHBORS. WOULDNT SUPRISE ME IF SOME OF THOSE DOGS WERENT REALLY HIS BUT NONE THE LESS I THINK THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO CALL THE COUNTY JUDGE EXEC'S OFFICE AND THE SHERRIFFS OFFICE AND TELL THEM JUST WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT TODD MORRE...HES A WASTE OF TIME MONEY AND SPACE AND THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO WOULD CARE MORE ABOUT IT AND DO A BETTER JOB THEN HE EVER WOULD....ONE MORE TIB BIT TO THINK ON...TODD MORRE HAS KNOWN ABOUT THE COYS AND THERE DOGS FOR MONTHS AND NEVER ACTED ON THE MATTER. ITS PRETTY BAD THAT THE NEW PART TIME GUY THEY HIRED TO ASSIST HIM IS DOING MORE IN THE FEW MONTHS THAT HE HAS BEEN THERE THEN TODD MORRE HAS IN THE 9 YEARS HES BEEN LEACHING OFF THE TAXPAYERS DOLLARS.........SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE!!!!!!!

23.	Posted by gailgail February 7, 2009
	one of the owners of metro pets is the woman who runs the humane society. obviously everyone remembers a few yrs ago the 40 dogs taken from st john's road. the fchs had to make room for the animals, 40 animals are a lot-especially given that they have maybe 30 kennels, kennels which are continually full. and of course,food. all animals that come into fchs Have To be kept for 10 days. The personality of the animal HAS to be known before adoption. Nobody wants a vicious and/or sick animal. Then the fchs would be blamed for adopting this animal out,people would be angry then over buying a mean animal. They will not leave the remaining animals there, but room has to be found for the rest. You cannot take 60 animals to a shelter as small as the fchs. Where are they to be kept? They do not have the space. The fchs is not perfect as many are saying but IF you love animals as many profess too, go to your local shelter and HELP... It doesn't always require donations, spend 1 hour walking a dog,give some time to those animals that are adoptable and as much as i hate it, please remember that not all animals are adoptable. Dogs being fought, crippled. plain vicious, they cannot be adopted. It isn't the dogs fault, it is the owners.Volunteers are always appreciated, take your kids.It is good for the kids and the animals,cats and dogs LOVE IT. It is terrible knowing that you have NO choice but to put an animal down, due to someone else's neglect. But they will be on the phones looking at other shelters to help, they won't leave the dogs. It took a couple of trips for the previous 40, it will be this time also. Remember, this is an extra 20 animals. Community members can't take the animals,they have to be evaluated.What should be an outrage is that the 40 before, some were returned due to our court system, after being returned to health. A few months later, they were back at the fchs in worse shape than before. Volunteer and help, especially now, it will be needed more thatn ever...