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LISBON -- A new pretrial was set at 9:15 a.m. Oct. 13 for an East Palestine woman charged with four counts of prohibitions concerning companion animals for 21 animals seized earlier this year due to alleged unsanitary conditions.
Jennifer Albert, 38, West Main Street, was scheduled to face a pretrial Monday in Columbiana County Municipal Court, but defense attorney Frank Williams and attorney DanaMarie Panella, who was representing the county humane society, had a conversation instead, leading to a new pretrial date.
Williams was there on behalf of Albert's defense attorney, Chris Amato, while Panella was there for attorney J. Jeffrey Holland, who prosecutes cases for the the county Humane Society at their request.
As part of her recognizance bond, she's to have no companion animals.
The original affidavit said animals were found at her address on April 3 "in conditions of extreme filth, causing suffering, lack of grooming and ear mites. Defendant admitted to being the owner and caretaker."
The affidavit was filed by Holland. Humane Agent Fabian Pike reported previously that 18 cats, two rabbits and one dog were seized from the residence for unsanitary conditions.
According to the complaints, from Feb. 1 to April 3, Albert was the custodian or caretaker of the animals and "did negligently torture, torment, or commit an act of cruelty against the companion animal."
A report by Columbiana County Humane Agent Fabian Pike was included in the case file regarding the day he responded. He was met on site by officers from the East Palestine Police Department who accompanied him to the residence. He noted that conditions within the residence were severe enough that his eyes began to water upon entry. He described in detail what he found inside, with the two rabbits in cages and the dog on a couch with a patch of hair missing. After leaving, he returned and found more cats than what he found initially. The total number of animals removed from the residence included the 18 cats, one dog and two rabbits.