Ash Grove woman charged after animals removed from Lawrence County property

A southwest Missouri woman has been charged as authorities continue investigating a Lawrence County property where 170 animals were rescued and removed this week.

70-year-old Susan Berry is charged in two separate Lawrence County cases. She faces misdemeanor animal neglect and felony stealing.

According to a probable cause statement, a sheriff's deputy alleges Berry had a large number of dogs and horses in her custody that were not receiving adequate care.

The deputy wrote that video from the property showed some dogs with filthy and matted fur and horses with matted manes. The statement also alleges many dogs were kept in cages too small for anything beyond a brief, temporary stay.

A separate case accuses Berry of stealing a Catahoula Leopard Dog that had disappeared from another person's home earlier this year.

Investigators say the dog's owner later recognized the animal and its distinctive bark in a video posted on Facebook showing animals at Berry's property.

The charges come after the animal welfare authorities carried out a large-scale rescue at the property Tuesday.

Initial estimates placed the number of animals above 100, while some later reports put the final number at about 170.

That included dogs, cats, horses, goats and chickens.

The Humane Society said rescuers encountered animals in small wire cages amid mountains of trash, overgrown vegetation and dilapidated vehicles.

The organization's vice president of operations described it as the worst animal hoarding situation she had encountered in more than 40 years working in animal welfare.

The Missouri Department of Agriculture is also investigating whether animals were being bred at the property without a required license.

The Humane Society says this is the third time it has responded to animal welfare concerns at the property. 31 dogs were removed under a warrant in 2000, and 27 animals were voluntarily surrendered in 2021.

Berry and Steven Morrison were each convicted of six misdemeanor counts of animal abuse following that investigation in 2000.

However, the Missouri Court of Appeals reversed those convictions in 2003, ruling investigators improperly entered a fenced area around the residence before obtaining a search warrant.

The animals removed this week are being cared for at Humane Society facilities and undergoing veterinary evaluations and treatment.