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May 15, 2009

Former shelter board member charged with animal cruelty

By Carl Keith Greene and Samantha Swindler

Jennifer Adkins, formerly a member of the Knox/Whitley Animal Shelter board, has been charged with 22 counts of animal cruelty and three counts of endangering a minor.

Adkins, said board president Barbara Storms, was a member of the board for a short while and was asked to resign because of what Storms called “questionable activity.” She said Adkins had taken home kennels owned by the board and had not returned them.

Storms said Adkins, 29, of North Corbin was on the board from June through the end of July 2008.

Twenty dogs, a cat and a goat were taken to the Laurel County Animal Shelter Wednesday after a sheriff’s deputy found the animals living in what he described as deplorable conditions at Adkins’ southern Laurel County home.

Deputy Jason Back said a report came to him at about 2 p.m. that dogs who appeared to be without food and water were contained outside Adkins’ home at 124 Short Lane, off Spring Cut Road.

The animals seemed to be malnourished and their coats indicated they could have mange, he said.

Inside the house, he reported finding 13 dogs and a cat. Outside the home he found seven dogs in cages and a goat.

Laurel County Animal Control Officer David Coffey said the Laurel shelter had taken in the dogs surrendered to them by Adkins.

“We had a few that look like they got the mange, and some of them were somewhat emaciated, so we’re going to get them fed back up and hopefully find them some homes,” Coffey said.

The dogs, of various breeds, included labs, basset hounds, jack russell terriers, dachshunds and shepherd mixes.

“We’ve already placed a mother and three pups and one lab dog,” Coffey said. “I’ve got some other people who are interested in maybe fostering them for a little while until we get them in a little better shape.”

Most of the dogs seemed in relatively good shape, however one small dachshund was particularly skinny, likely because he was unable to get to food with so many other dogs around, Coffey said.

Adkins’ 17-year-old daughter was at the home and assisted Back with locating her mother, who returned to the home. Two other daughters, one age 15 and the other age 12, were at school, he reported.

Adkins was arrested on a failure to appear warrant and charged with 22 counts of cruelty to animals and three counts of endangering the welfare of a minor.

Back notified the state social services department, and the children were removed from the home, he said.

Cages in which the animals were kept outside the home seemed not to have been maintained and were full of droppings, Back said.

Inside, the home was “covered with dog urine and droppings as well,” Back said.

The deputy said he notified the Laurel County Health Department regarding the sanitation in the home based on the large amount of dog droppings in the home.

Arraignment for Adkins is scheduled for Friday in Laurel District Court.

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