Animal hoarder sentences
Kat Russell, Reporter
The Paducah Sun
June 5, 2015
http://www.paducahsun.com/news/local/060515_PS_Luken_Deal
An agreement was reached Thursday resolving the animal hoarding case against a Reidland woman who was facing 196 counts of animal cruelty.
Deborah Luken, 54, pleaded guilty to amended charges of violating a local county ordinance dealing with animal neglect in exchange for a suspended sentence. She pleaded to 196 counts of the violation and received the same number of 90-day suspended sentences, to run concurrently.
"The whole case is sad," prosecutor Jamie Mills said. "So, I don't take any joy in any of this, but I think (the deal) was an appropriate outcome considering her lack of any criminal history ... and considering that there seems to be some legitimate mental health issues at the root of this that need to be addressed."
The McCracken County Sheriff's Department opened the case against Luken on March 25 after animal control seized three rats, six ducks, seven chinchillas, 11 exotic birds, 83 dogs and 86 rabbits from her Merrydale Drive home.
An anonymous note left on animal control officer Chyss George's vehicle earlier that month tipped the agency to unsanitary and overcrowded conditions in the house.
The conditions of Luken's deal require she forfeit the seized animals and allow the McCracken County Animal Shelter to adopt them out.
The plea arrangement also bars Luken from owning more than one animal and gives animal control the authority to make regular visits to ensure she is complying.
Luken is also required to pay more than $3,400 in restitution, which will go to reimburse the many foster households caring for the animals, the McCracken County Animal Shelter and veterinarians who have nursed the animals back to health.
The final condition of Luken's deal requires her to seek a mental health evaluation and follow any recommended treatment. Luken has already started counseling, defense attorney David Bundrick said.
Mills, of the McCracken County Attorney's Office, said the deal required the mental health stipulations because he wanted to make sure Luken gets the help she needs.
"While she took the steps to get into counseling while the case was going on ... we want to make sure that the counseling she's getting is appropriate," he said. "So we want to follow up with an evaluation and not just rely on the counselor that she picked out."
Bundrick said he is satisfied with the case's resolution.
"I think that this is a good outcome," he said. "It makes sure that the animals are cared for. I think it also reflects the fact that she is a good person, she is not a bad person, she is not a criminal person, and I think it takes the necessary measures to ensure that this does not happen again."
Bundrick described Luken's case as a well-intentioned situation that got out of control.
"Debbie is very relieved to put this behind her," he said. "I think I can safely say that Debbie loves animals and was trying to help animals and the situation got out of control."
Mills concurred, saying a quick resolution was also important for the animals and the fosters.
"We had almost 200 animals that were kind of in limbo," he said. "They couldn't be placed until the case was resolved. And I know that the people who were good enough to take them in and care for them â ¦ needed a resolution sooner rather than later because it is expensive to care for all those animals."
As for the animals, McCracken County Animal Control Director Kathy Coleman said they will be available for adoption starting Monday. All of the animals, with the possible exception of the rabbits, are now healthy enough to adopt, she added.
"The (adoptions) will be done probably two ways," Coleman said. "The people that are fostering the animals full time will be given the first chance to adopt because they've cared for the animals and the animals have gotten used to them. The other way is they will be adopted out through the shelter and possibly through adoption fairs and events throughout the area."
Coleman added she felt confident a majority of the fosters involved would give the animals they've cared for permanent homes.
There are fosters, such as Donna Floedin, who took in large numbers of animals. Floedin took in 80 rabbits and seven chinchillas.
A majority of the female rabbits were pregnant, Floedin said, and, since they were seized, have delivered more than 125 babies, many of which were too sick to survive.
Coleman said for those fosters caring for many animals, it's reasonable to assume they will only keep one or two and the rest will be adopted.
Animal control will continue to monitor Luken and make regular house calls to ensure another hoarding situation does not develop, Coleman said.
Contact Kat Russell, a Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8653.
Deborah Luken, 54, pleaded guilty to amended charges of violating a local county ordinance dealing with animal neglect in exchange for a suspended sentence. She pleaded to 196 counts of the violation and received the same number of 90-day suspended sentences, to run concurrently.
"The whole case is sad," prosecutor Jamie Mills said. "So, I don't take any joy in any of this, but I think (the deal) was an appropriate outcome considering her lack of any criminal history ... and considering that there seems to be some legitimate mental health issues at the root of this that need to be addressed."
The McCracken County Sheriff's Department opened the case against Luken on March 25 after animal control seized three rats, six ducks, seven chinchillas, 11 exotic birds, 83 dogs and 86 rabbits from her Merrydale Drive home.
An anonymous note left on animal control officer Chyss George's vehicle earlier that month tipped the agency to unsanitary and overcrowded conditions in the house.
The conditions of Luken's deal require she forfeit the seized animals and allow the McCracken County Animal Shelter to adopt them out.
The plea arrangement also bars Luken from owning more than one animal and gives animal control the authority to make regular visits to ensure she is complying.
Luken is also required to pay more than $3,400 in restitution, which will go to reimburse the many foster households caring for the animals, the McCracken County Animal Shelter and veterinarians who have nursed the animals back to health.
The final condition of Luken's deal requires her to seek a mental health evaluation and follow any recommended treatment. Luken has already started counseling, defense attorney David Bundrick said.
Mills, of the McCracken County Attorney's Office, said the deal required the mental health stipulations because he wanted to make sure Luken gets the help she needs.
"While she took the steps to get into counseling while the case was going on ... we want to make sure that the counseling she's getting is appropriate," he said. "So we want to follow up with an evaluation and not just rely on the counselor that she picked out."
Bundrick said he is satisfied with the case's resolution.
"I think that this is a good outcome," he said. "It makes sure that the animals are cared for. I think it also reflects the fact that she is a good person, she is not a bad person, she is not a criminal person, and I think it takes the necessary measures to ensure that this does not happen again."
Bundrick described Luken's case as a well-intentioned situation that got out of control.
"Debbie is very relieved to put this behind her," he said. "I think I can safely say that Debbie loves animals and was trying to help animals and the situation got out of control."
Mills concurred, saying a quick resolution was also important for the animals and the fosters.
"We had almost 200 animals that were kind of in limbo," he said. "They couldn't be placed until the case was resolved. And I know that the people who were good enough to take them in and care for them â ¦ needed a resolution sooner rather than later because it is expensive to care for all those animals."
As for the animals, McCracken County Animal Control Director Kathy Coleman said they will be available for adoption starting Monday. All of the animals, with the possible exception of the rabbits, are now healthy enough to adopt, she added.
"The (adoptions) will be done probably two ways," Coleman said. "The people that are fostering the animals full time will be given the first chance to adopt because they've cared for the animals and the animals have gotten used to them. The other way is they will be adopted out through the shelter and possibly through adoption fairs and events throughout the area."
Coleman added she felt confident a majority of the fosters involved would give the animals they've cared for permanent homes.
There are fosters, such as Donna Floedin, who took in large numbers of animals. Floedin took in 80 rabbits and seven chinchillas.
A majority of the female rabbits were pregnant, Floedin said, and, since they were seized, have delivered more than 125 babies, many of which were too sick to survive.
Coleman said for those fosters caring for many animals, it's reasonable to assume they will only keep one or two and the rest will be adopted.
Animal control will continue to monitor Luken and make regular house calls to ensure another hoarding situation does not develop, Coleman said.
Contact Kat Russell, a Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8653.
