Woman charged with animal cruelty

COEUR d’ALENE — A woman is facing criminal charges after police said she kept dozens of animals in unsanitary conditions in an apartment.

Samantha R. Ohara, 30, of Coeur d’Alene, is charged with 20 counts of cruelty to animals and one count of injury to a child, all misdemeanors.

Ohara pleaded not guilty Wednesday to all charges.

Coeur d’Alene police responded to Ohara’s residence Tuesday evening for a welfare check.

Conditions inside the home were poor, according to court documents. The combined smell of urine, feces and rot was “unbearable,” police said, burning the eyes and making it hard to breathe.

A child was removed from the home Tuesday and placed in the care of family, according to court documents.

Law enforcement reportedly found 12 cats and kittens, seven dogs, a rabbit and numerous reptiles inside the home, including ball pythons, geckos, bearded dragons and turtles.

Approximately 100 rodents were kept in cages. An algae-coated tank was full of dead fish and police discovered multiple dead reptiles.

Police said the cats and dogs appeared malnourished and several were clearly sick. Living in their own filth, some animals were locked in crates or kept in rooms without food, water or human interaction.

In one crate, some of the cats had been eating the body of a dead pet.

“It was clear the cats were eating it to survive,” one officer wrote.

The Kootenai Humane Society has sheltered the cats, dogs and rabbit. The rodents have been placed in foster care.

Several reptiles were left at the residence to be cared for by a third party, according to court documents, with plans for animal control to follow up on their condition.

Ohara allegedly told police that many of the animals did not belong to her and she was keeping them for a friend.

A second suspect, who has not yet been charged, reportedly told police that he and Ohara took the animals from “bad homes” and became overwhelmed by the care they required.

Police arrested Ohara at the scene. She remained in jail Wednesday on $300 bail, the statutory amount for most misdemeanors.

In Idaho, cruelty to animals is generally a misdemeanor, but some forms of abuse become a felony if the defendant has previous animal abuse convictions.

Misdemeanor cruelty to animals is punishable by a maximum of six months in jail and a $5,000 fine.

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