Child and 139 animals taken from Athol home
<p>A blind horse is one of the many animals being boarded at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds after being taken from a Athol area residence by police Friday night.</p>
<p>85 rabbits are among the immense number of animals being kept at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds after police confiscated them Friday from a residnece near Athol.</p>
<p>A goat pokes its head through a fence Tuesday at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds where about a dozen goats, along with 129 other animals, are being kept after being confiscated Friday from a residence near Athol.</p>
<p>GABE GREEN/Press A caged chicken sits in a barn at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds Tuesday after police brought them from a residence near Athol Friday.</p>
<p>35 guinea pigs were confiscated from an Athol area residence Friday and are being kept at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds.</p>
COEUR d’ALENE — An 8-year-old girl and 139 animals were removed by sheriff’s deputies from a home in Athol last week.
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office received an anonymous tip on Jan. 14 that the girl was living in a home located on East Pend Oreille Divide Road with no running water or electricity.
When deputies arrived at the location they found that the home did not have any sewer or functioning septic system. According to a press release, the home was filled with animal feces, rotting food and garbage.
The child was taken into protective custody and deputies are seeking child injury charges against the parents.
On Jan. 15, animal control officers went to the home and saw that the animals were all confined in pens and cages with no water.
The seized animals began arriving at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds Friday at 6 p.m.
By midnight that night, Kootenai County Sheriff’s officers had dropped off 139 animals - 83 rabbits, 38 guinea pigs, nine goats, four miniature horses, three chickens, a horse and a very vocal goose.
“It’s kind of like the fair arrived a little early,” said Dane Dugan, Kootenai County Fair general manager.
Dugan added that the animals all appeared to be in good condition and that he and other fair volunteers have been taking care of them.
“In this type of situation, we are really the only place they could have stored them,” Dugan said.
Because charges are still pending in the child abuse and animal abuse cases, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office is not releasing the individuals names at this time.