CASPER — A Natrona County woman faces 20 charges of cruelty to animals stemming from an investigation last month when Casper Police Department animal protection officers removed a hoard of 22 animals from her Blue Sage Lane home.
An arraignment for Bridget Sue Ray Cochrun, 32, is scheduled for Jan. 19 in Natrona County Circuit Court.
An arrest affidavit alleges that when officers arrived at her home Dec. 6 in response to a complaint, they found “feces all over the floors as well as a strong smell of ammonia from urine build up.”
‘Lesions On Heads and Bodies’
Three dogs were locked inside small wire crate and an officer counted 13 dogs overall in the home ranging in age from 8 weeks to adult. All the dogs “appeared emaciated and had lesions on their heads and bodies,” the affidavit states.
Officers also “saw several kittens running around and two cats that appeared sick and emaciated,” according to the affidavit. “All the animals had urine-stained paws with overgrown nails.”
Officers removed 13 dogs, seven cats, one rabbit and a chicken, and took them to Altitude Veterinary Hospital West where the affidavit states a veterinarian told officers all the animals, except the rabbit, were malnourished.
“They all appeared to have ringworm on their bodies and some were very dehydrated,” the affidavit states. “Some dogs had severe untreated dental disease and extended abdomens. When the veterinary technicians fed the animals some food, the animals ate the food ravenously.”
Feeding ‘Every Two Or Three Days’
Testimony by a witness contacted by police indicated Cochrun only fed the animals every two or three days, the affidavit says.
The witness, who had previously stayed at the home, said when he tried to feed the animals, “Cochrun would yell at him, so he would wait until she left the residence, then he would feed them as much as possible,” the affidavit states.
The affidavit states Cochrun’s attitude toward the condition of her animals when police officers were there “was very dismissive and seemed to lack the ability to comprehend the seriousness of the animals’ condition.”
Each misdemeanor charge carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $750 fine.
A Metro Animal Shelter spokeswoman directed questions about the current conditions of the animals to the Casper Police Department.
Casper Police Department spokeswoman Amber Freestone said the animals remain at the animal shelter as evidence in the case.
“They are making progress toward a good bill of health and gaining weight,” she said.
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
