Isaiah 11 Ministry eliminated its animal rescue and refuge part of its ministry after a nearly two-month investigation by county and state officials and PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).
According to Isaiah 11 Ministry’s Facebook page, they will continue to offer counseling, tutoring and groups at their current location - 6256 W. CR 100N, Warsaw - for now.
The county’s animal control officer made an initial visit to Isaiah 11 on Feb. 9, according to Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Sgt. Doug Light.
“He felt like he needed some assistance, so he contacted the Indiana State Board of Animal Health and had Dr. Bruce Lamb come up and assist him with the assessment of the property,” Light said.
They assessed all of the numerous animals that were on the property, and then sent a list of recommendations to owner Linda Ozier to make some corrections. The recommendations included things like changing animals’ diets, have animals seen by a veterinarian and clean up the property.
“The initial assessment was basically for the dogs and farm animals. There were numerous cats - a lot of them were skittish,” Light said. “... But the overall was they had food, water and shelter.”
Ozier was given a follow-up date of when they would be back. Unfortunately, she didn’t receive the full list of Lamb’s recommendations until the day prior to the second visit. The second visit on March 14 included members of the KCSO, prosecutor’s office, health department and Lamb.
“It was noted in Dr. Lamb’s report that improvements had been made, that she had taken some steps to make some improvements,” Light said, including changing animals’ diets and giving them more proteins. Some of the donkeys and goats had their hooves examined. “Some things were improved.”
Along the way, he said PETA got involved.
In a news release Thursday from PETA, it states, “Following a PETA undercover investigation documenting that animals at Isaiah 11 Ministry — a local self-proclaimed ‘rescue’ operation that has come under fire for animal neglect and for the claim that it provides 'mental health' counseling to children and others — were left to suffer from open wounds, chronic illnesses, and severe infections without veterinary care (including a dying cat who was too weak to stand), Kosciusko County authorities have removed all animals from the facility and opened a criminal investigation into its owner, Linda Ozier. PETA has secured placement at reputable sanctuaries for the animals, including 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.”
PETA’s investigation revealed that Ozier repeatedly failed to seek veterinary care for sick and injured animals at the facility, the release states, including Pearl, an emaciated cat whom the investigator found curled up in a ball, cold to the touch, visibly shaking and reeking of infection. The investigator brought Pearl’s condition to Ozier’s attention multiple times, but she failed to act, according to PETA’s release. After Ozier agreed to let the investigator adopt Pearl, the investigator rushed her to an emergency veterinary clinic, but despite days of intensive, round-the-clock care, a veterinarian determined that euthanasia was the most compassionate option for her.
“Sick, injured and dying animals suffered amid their own filth and the decomposing remains of other animals at this hoarder’s hellhole, which deprived them of care yet called itself a ‘rescue,’” said PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “PETA is calling on authorities to file cruelty-to-animals charges against Ozier and bar her from ever owning animals again.”
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 imbedded 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, and the liquefying remains of dead cats (and the turkey) rotted in coolers outside, the release states.
Light said it was determined to remove the farm animals from the property. On Good Friday, members of the KCSO removed one donkey, one goat, three chickens, one rooster, one turkey, one duck and four pigs. He said Ozier also had worked on getting some animals relocated herself. Two dogs also were rehomed.
At one point, Light said there were 23 cats on the property and they were relocated, through the help of the Animal Welfare League and another animal rescue agency. The cats were not removed as part of the relocation efforts on Good Friday. At some point, at least one horse was removed, he said.
“PETA made arrangements, and then Monday we worked with getting those animals relocated to some other sanctuaries that were not in our area. So a couple different groups, we met and transferred those animals,” Light said.
He said the case and investigation has been completed. The information has been turned over to the prosecutor’s office.
“There are currently no animals on the property of Isaiah 11, so that’s where it stands today,” Light said Friday. “I think Sheriff (Jim) Smith would say that our animal control officer did really a fantastic job with it. Navigated a lot of tough waters there to get it. I think it shows that we were willing to work with whoever we needed to work with and I think we did that with going there ourselves and taking possession of those farm animals and seeing that they got relocated to some different locations. I think we feel pretty good about what we were able to do. I think sometimes in the people’s eyes things don’t happen fast enough, but it was a long process to get to where we are, but there’s no animals there and I think that’s what everybody ultimately wanted.”
Ozier still owns the property and it’s her property, he said, in response to people who have asked if Ozier was “shut down.” It was recommended to her that she not take any more animals in. A “shut down” would have to come from the courts and prosecutor’s side of the matter.