Last of rescued dogs gets a home

Staff report

LORDSTOWN

It took nearly 10 months to do it, but the Animal Welfare League of Trumbull County has found a home for the last of 162 dogs rescued from a Gustavus Township home.

League President Barbara Busko said Lester, a Plotthound mix, was adopted by a couple from Austintown on Saturday.

A week ago, the organization found a home for one of two horses that were taken from the state Route 87 property, Busko said.

In all, 203 animals, including two horses, 20 cats, 14 chickens and five ducks were removed because the animals were being kept in poor conditions, according to the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office.

The owner of the property, Kathy Witzman, later pleaded guilty to cruelty to animals, a misdemeanor, and was placed on five years’ probation. Not possessing animals for those five years is part of her probation.

Busko said 14 of the dogs had to be euthanized, but that was a much better outcome than in most cases in which large numbers of pit bull and pit-mix dogs are rescued.

This was a much larger animal rescue than the league had ever undertaken before, Busko said.