Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Animal control officer fired for inaction

Timothy Erin Olofson

GREELEY - Greeley police have fired an animal control officer who failed to respond to a complaint regarding an animal hoarding house in the city.

On July 31, police seized 102 animals - including dogs and cats - from a Greeley home.

They were acting on a tip. But a similar tip had come in on July 7 and police say the animal control officer who handled that call basically ignored the complaint.

Greeley police started an internal investigation following the seizure.

This week, Sgt. Joe Tymkowych, spokesperson for Greeley police, said the animal control officer was terminated.

Saying it's a personnel matter, Tymkowych did not release the officer's name..." More


August 6, 2009: Greeley Man Faces Nearly 200 Charges In Animal Abuse Case

Missing Pets May Have Been Found

Greeley police have arrested a man accused of hoarding more than 100 animals -- dead and alive -- in his home.

Timothy Erin Olofson, 38, was arrested Thursday night for investigation of animal abuse and neglect.

Olofson is being held in the Weld County jail on 74 counts of failure to provide treatment in a humane manner, 62 counts of failing to inoculate dogs and cats and 62 counts of failing to license a dog or cat. All of the charges are unclassified misdemeanors. Each charge carries a
penalty of up to a $1,000 fine and/or one year in jail.

His bond was set at $5,000.

Greely police seized the 102 animals from Olofson's home, located at 403 26th Avenue Court, last Friday. Living in squalor were 52 cats, 10 dogs, two guinea pigs, eight rats and two rabbits. In his freezer were 28 dead animals, police said.

Several of the animals were taken to the Weld County Humane Society. Executive Director Elaine Hicks said most of the animals were in good health, except for a few cats with respiratory problems, an eye infection and one dog that looked emaciated..." More


GREELEY - Police removed more than 100 animals from a Greeley home Friday, even though they knew about the illegal situation on July 7.

Dallas Staley, a real estate agent in Fort Collins, was trying to sell the house in question.

Early last month, she says her son went inside and discovered the deplorable conditions.

"The poop and everything was caked all over the carpets," Staley said.

Staley called Greeley police, but she says the officer came up with every reason not to take action.

"It didn't matter," she said. "He wasn't going to do anything."

Three weeks later, an appraiser saw the same conditions at the same house and did the same thing Staley did: He called police.

But this time, they acted.

They removed 52 cats, two rabbits, eight rats and two guinea pigs. They also found 28 dead cats in a freezer in the home.

Staley now questions what happened to both her tip and the animals.

"I wonder how many died in between there ... How many suffered between there, that's my concern," she said.

Greeley police acknowledge something might have gone wrong.

"We had the initial call on the 7th and it was apparently not followed up on as we would have preferred, given what's been said and we're still investigating that," Sgt. Joe Tymkowych said..." More & Video

Greeley Police Find 102 Live, Dead Animals In Home

"...There were 28 dead animals in a freezer and 57 live cats. Police also found rabbits, rats, 10 dogs and two guinea pigs..."