Exotic birds found in house relocated

…Union Township Trustee Phil Mote - the jurisdiction under which the house is located in - said the trustees have not received a formal complaint about the property, which would cause them to investigate the property.
"In the last four years since I have been a trustee, we have not had any complaints about the property," Mote said. "We haven't had a complaint from a township resident. But, in the last few days we've had emails from people all over the country."
Mote said in order to look into the conditions of the property, a Union Township resident would need to make a written statement - signed with their contact information - about the condition of the property. He said the three trustees, likely accompanied by the Miami County Health Department, would then visit the property and make a decision on the property's condition…more

Humane office is rehabilitating more than 60 exotic birds found in home

Kim Seitz of Troy, an officer with the Miami Valley Bird Club, said the club is providing food to Karns for the birds…more

Company won't build egg farm

Hi-Q Egg Products has dropped plans to build a 6-million-chicken egg farm in Union County…

The news followed a decision announced yesterday by Ohio Department of Agriculture Director James J. Zehringer to deny the Iowa-based company a permit to build and run the farm near West Mansfield…

…environmental advocates and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency officials feared manure from the farm would pollute a nearby stream…

Hi-Q's attorney, Kevin Braig, said the company won't appeal…

…Environmental groups saw the issue as a test case for Zehringer, who was appointed by Gov. John Kasich in January.

Zehringer owned a 300,000-chicken operation near Fort Recovery in western Ohio until he transferred ownership to a relative in January 2010.

Union County Commissioner Charles Hall said his main concern was that trucks that would go to and from the farm would cause excessive damage to county and township roads…

Vickie Askins, spokeswoman for the Ohio Environmental Stewardship Alliance, said she's concerned that a bill in the Ohio General Assembly would eliminate local governments' ability keep large livestock farms from being built…more

76 dead dogs found at Lower Valley Pike shelter

Springfield News-Sun: ASPCA cruelty investigations unit

SPRINGFIELD — Clark County officials on Tuesday found 76 dead dogs at a local shelter that was declared a public nuisance by the Clark County Combined Health District last week.

The dogs, along with 367 that are alive, had been housed in hog barns at One More Chance Rescue and Adoption…

The cause or causes of the animals’ death is unknown, and charges could be filed against shelter operator Jeff Burgess…

“The investigation is still open. We will follow through with it,” said Clark County Humane Society Executive Director James Straley…

…Piqua authorities confiscated 100 dogs at a shelter Burgess, 56, operated in that city.

Eleven criminal charges — including nine related to cruelty to animals — were filed by the Piqua Health Department…more