Animal Cruelty Article

Police were first called to the property Friday afternoon by a neighbor who heard yelling from inside the home while looking for a missing dog.Officers detected a foul odor and feces on the front porch and said they heard barking and howling from inside the dwelling. Police left, though, when nobody answered the door.The next day, police were called back by the same person, who feared the missing pet might have wandered onto the property.About 24 hours later, the gruesome discovery was made when Shotsberger was served with a search warrant, said police.The odor was so powerful that authorities inside the home breathed through masks attached to oxygen tanks strapped to their backs.McSpadden, 71, said the smell, more noticeable on hot days, existed for a couple of years.According to McSpadden, he and his neighbors just suspected the smell was from waste not being cleaned up because they couldn't imagine anyone living among dead animals."It just boggles my mind," he said.According to police, Shotsberger described herself as an animal lover.Her only explanation was having a problem that became so out of control "she didn't know how to handle the situation," police said.Bernard said some of the cages belonged to animal control authorities in Jasper County, who gave her dogs and cats under the belief she was finding them new homes. Instead, though, Bernard said it appears she merely stockpiled many of the animals without providing food or water."She was just bringing them into the garage and basically letting them die," Bernard said.Shotsberger is charged in LaPorte Superior Court 4 with seven counts of Class B misdemeanor neglect of a vertebrate animal. Each count is punishable by up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine, LaPorte County Prosecutor Rob Beckman said.