Police seize serval, other exotics from TN home

October 6, 2006

By ADAM LONGO
6 News Reporter

LAFOLLETTE (WATE) — LaFollette police arrested a man on animal cruelty charges Friday after discovering nearly a hundred pets in his yard. Officials describe the animals living conditions as deplorable.

The animals were confiscated from 40-year-old Jerome Love of LaFollette. He was arrested and released on bail.

Eighty-seven animals have been brought into the Campbell County Animal Shelter since Thursday, including some 55 dogs and 25 exotic birds, including canaries, parrots and cockatiels.

An African serval was also confiscated. The cat is often called a mini cheetah and looks like a mix between a leopard and a bobcat.

A baby wallabee is being cared for at a nearby animal rescue. The wallabee is in the kangaroo family. County officials had to look on the Internet to find out what to feed it.

“The feces the animals were standing in, the stagnated water, they were drinking. Some had food, some didn’t, it was a terrible sight,” says Stan Foust, a LaFollette animal control officer.

The exotics are in better shape than two basset hound puppies, which had to be put to sleep early Friday evening.

“What’s happened here, he’s loved them and he’s got too many and it got out of control and he didn’t know how to handle them.” says Foust.

Jerome Love will appear in court October 13 to face 87 counts of animal cruelty. With each count could potentially come a $500 fine and one year in jail.

http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=5508986&nav=0RYv