By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — PETA is calling on local authorities to file cruelty-to-animals charges against a woman who ran Isaiah 11 Ministry — a local self-proclaimed “rescue” operation that has come under fire for animal neglect.
The animal rights group said the recent police action was part of an undercover investigation by PETA.
Authorities recently raided the facility and removed numerous animals that had been left to suffer from open wounds, chronic illnesses, and severe infections and a lack of veterinary care.
Kosciusko County authorities have opened a criminal investigation into its owner, Linda Ozier, according to PETA.
The animal rights group is also seeking to ensure that Ozier is prevented from ever owning animals again.
PETA claims Ozier repeatedly failed to seek veterinary care for sick and injured animals at the facility — including a cat that was cold to the touch and eventually had to be euthanized.
An investigator with PETA checked on the cat several times and then offered to adopt that cat, a move that allowed the person to take the cat for emergency care.
According to a PETA news release, other animals denied veterinary care at the facility included a cat named Raven who had large, open sores behind both ears; a thin potbellied pig whose overgrown tusk had become embedded in his cheek; and two turkeys with severe feather loss.
One of the turkeys limped on a swollen foot, and the other was found dead just days later.
Dogs at the facility were relegated to a feces-filled barn stall. Some cats were confined to filthy crates in a trailer with a rotting floor that reeked of ammonia.
PETA has secured placement of the animals at reputable sanctuaries. Some of the animals included birds, pigs, and a goat. A donkey named Hosanna, who was overweight and whose hooves required care, was also removed by the local sheriff’s office, the news release said.
Earlier this week, the ministry announced on its Facebook page that they would no longer have the animal rescue/ refuge as part of its operations.
The post also said they would continue to offer counseling and tutoring services.
The facility is located southeast of Atwood on CR 100N.
