LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A woman was taken into custody after authorities discovered eight dogs left unattended in a residence with excrement piled “several feet high,” based on the woman’s arrest citation. Vallary Amato, 52, was arraigned Friday morning on eight counts of animal cruelty and one violation of the Metro Louisville ordinance. She was entrusted with the care of the dogs at her son’s home, but she only visited once a week to feed them, according to her arrest citation.
It remains unclear whether Amato’s son and his boyfriend will also face charges related to the case. Stephanie Jackson, a spokesperson for Louisville Metro Animal Services, declined to provide details about the case, including the identity of the two additional co-defendants mentioned in the arrest citation. The two men resided in the 1400 block of Possibility Way, off Westport Road in Eastern Jefferson County.
Neighbors informed WLKY News that the men had been absent from the home for months and seemed to have deserted both the residence and the dogs. The neighbors reported the situation to LMAS, which dispatched animal control officers to the house three times between Sept. 30 and Nov. 15, but no one was present on each occasion. In mid-November, one of the men agreed to allow the dogs to be removed from the home.
According to court records, “Seven of the dogs were confined to one room, which was covered in feces several feet high. A large hole had been scratched into the wall. Feces and dirt were present on the window sills and the ceiling. Feces were also found throughout the residence. The dogs were not socialized.” Jackson confirmed that the dogs were all transferred to foster families after undergoing cleaning and grooming at LMAS.
Amato’s bond was set at $2,500 by a judge, who also prohibited her from having any contact with animals. She is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 8.