Conway gets probation and forfeits rights to 30-plus dogs
All confiscated pets are being adopted into new homes
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ST. CLAIRSVILLE -- A Piedmont woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to five second-degree misdemeanor charges of prohibitions concerning companion animals.
Kay Conway of 71554 West Lake Road, Piedmont entered her plea in Belmont County Western Division Court and forfeited her rights to any of the dogs that had been seized from her home, as well as to puppies born to a pair of dogs that were pregnant when they were seized.
"The case ended exactly how we intended for it to end," Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan said after the hearing. "She is forbidden to own any dogs during her probation, and that's two years."
During the investigation of the case, more than 30 dogs were removed from Conway's home and taken into the custody of the Belmont County Hoof and Paw humane organization. Following the plea, Flanagan said all of the dogs can now be adopted by other families and individuals. He said the humane group can recoup the adoption fees to help cover the costs of caring for and treating the dogs for medical issues experienced due to the crowded conditions in Conway's home.
"Belmont County Hoof and Paw did a wonderful job in this case from the very beginning," Flanagan added. "… Even prior to the search warrant, they had contact with Conway to monitor her possession of these dogs. When they gained information that there were too many dogs for her to care for, they requested and received the search warrant."
Flanagan termed Conway a "self-proclaimed breeder" and stressed that her case differed from many animal hoarding and cruelty cases. He said her situation "spiraled into something she could not handle, resulting in her having possession of so many dogs that she could not provide them with adequate treatment and care.
"It's different than just being abusive toward dogs. Those people end up in prison," Flanagan said. "Ms. Conway was not one of those situations. That's simply not what we had here. She had no prior criminal history. She just had too many dogs to take care of."
Julie Larish, humane agent with Hoof and Paw, was pleased with the outcome of the case.
"It's good that all the dogs are getting to go into homes," she said Tuesday evening. "When a case drags on, you worry about the well-being of the dogs. So we are very happy that they are all placed now.
"It's good that we will be able to keep track of her (Conway) for a couple of years to make sure she doesn't go back into the same situation. This was a positive ending."
Larish said her organization is still in the process of placing some of the dogs. She said adoption applications were accepted, so once the court released them Tuesday volunteers knew they had homes lined up for them. She said the group still had possession of several of the dogs Tuesday and was working with their new families to range pickup.
"They will be going into new homes very shortly," she added, noting the dogs include Shih Tzus, Yorkshire terriers and "Shorkies," which are a cross of the other two breeds.