Update: Criminal Charges Sought in Warsaw Animal-Hoarding Case
For Immediate Release:
April 29, 2024
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
This morning, PETA sent an urgent letter to Kosciusko County Prosecuting Attorney J. Brad Voelz calling on him to file criminal charges against Linda Ozier for denying sick, injured, and dying animals veterinary care at her self-proclaimed “rescue” facility, Isaiah 11 Ministry, in violation of state law—and requesting that he seek a court order permanently barring her from possessing animals. The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office submitted evidence to Voelz three weeks ago, following a PETA undercover investigation that prompted the removal of all the animals from the facility—but despite dire warnings of future harm, authorities apparently allowed her to keep eight animals who were in her home and whose welfare remains at serious risk and only recommended that she not obtain any others.
Ozier repeatedly refused to seek veterinary care for Pearl, a young calico cat a new PETA video shows was too weak to stand or even sit upright. PETA’s investigator found Pearl cold to the touch, visibly shaking, and reeking of infection. The investigator rushed her to an emergency veterinary clinic, but despite days of round-the-clock intensive care, she couldn’t be saved. At the facility, other cats were kept inside filthy crates in an ammonia-sodden trailer, dogs were locked inside feces-filled barn stalls, and dead animals were found rotting in coolers.
“This hoarder caused animals to suffer greatly and languish in filth amid stockpiled corpses,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “PETA is calling on Prosecuting Attorney Voelz to hold Ozier accountable to the fullest extent of the law and prevent more animals from being hurt or dying in her custody by barring her from ever owning any again.”
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
PETA’s letter to Voelz follows.
April 29, 2024
The Honorable J. Brad Voelz
Kosciusko County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office
Dear Mr. Voelz:
I’m writing to urge you to file criminal charges against Linda Ozier for neglecting animals at her self-proclaimed “animal rescue” facility—Isaiah 11 Ministry—and, should she be convicted or offered a plea bargain, to seek a court order permanently barring her from possessing any animals.
The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) merely “recommended” that Ozier take in no more animals other than the eight she evidently keeps at her home. She fits the profile of an animal hoarder. Without adequate intervention and treatment, animal hoarders have a near 100% rate of recidivism. The only way to protect animals from Ozier’s continued neglect—and spare your office and the KCSO from having to address it again and again—is to ensure that she legally cannot possess them.
As you’ve had this case in your office for more than three weeks, we hope you have seen that the evidence relates primarily to Pearl, a critically ill cat for whom Ozier knowingly and intentionally failed to seek veterinary care and whom she intended to leave to die unassisted. Pearl suffered from parasitic, viral, and bacterial infections—all treatable conditions if veterinary care is sought early enough, but instead, Ozier allowed Pearl to decline to a state of severe emaciation and severe systemic disease. KCSO deputies said this “absolutely” met their understanding of the state’s definition of neglect. Other cats the KCSO and PETA later removed from the property suffered from upper respiratory and ear infections; chronic, painful wounds; an injured eye; diarrhea; parasites; muscle wasting; and emaciation.
Of course, those were the animals who survived long enough to be removed. PETA eyewitnesses documented coolers at Ozier’s operation containing multiple cats’ rotting remains and additional animals’ skeletons. Unless a lasting intervention in Ozier’s behavior is secured through the court system, this could be the fate of more victims. We regret that your office has ignored our four previous attempts to discuss this with you. As you will surely understand, we look forward to seeing your office file charges against Ozier without further delay and seek a court order preventing her from possessing any animals. Thank you for your time and consideration. Please let me know how we can help.
Sincerely,
Sarah Deffinger
Senior Evidence Analyst
Cruelty Investigations Department
