Couple Accused Of Animal Abuse Has History Of It

vbanimalcruelty-2
vbanimalcruelty-2

The couple charged with animal neglect this week for keeping 108 dogs in their Lawrence Township home has apparently done this sort of thing before. Melissa Copen and husband Donald Smith were cited in 2001 in Allegan, and got the charges dropped by reimbursing the county for the cost of medical care for the 25 dogs and 30 cats that were taken from their home back then. Copen insists they have been trying hard to take care of the animals.

“You don’t find anything dead here,” said Copen. “You don’t find anything starving. You don’t find anything sick and dying. We take care of these animals before we take care of ourselves.”

But that’s not the story from county officials who say many of the animals were deformed, most were underfed, flea bitten and mangy. One of the dogs had to be transferred to a vet’s office for treatment of a serious medical problem. Van Buren County Sheriff Dale Gribler says they have received some donations of dog food and other items and they could use more, as volunteers and staff rehabilitate the animals seized earlier this week. The items can be dropped off at the Van Buren County Sheriff’s office in Paw Paw.