Woman to surrender animals from trailer

7/7/2011

BLADE STAFF

A woman suspected of harboring 22 dogs, a cat, and a bird inside a cramped, dirty trailer in West Toledo agreed Wednesday to surrender the animals to the Toledo Area Humane Society, the organization’s executive director, John Dinon, said.

Humane Society cruelty investigators seized the creatures Tuesday morning from the trailer inside the Twinwall Village Mobile Home Park on Tremainsville Road. One of the dogs was dead when they arrived. The owner, Sheila Ortmann, was not there at the time and the park manager, Vickie Wisniewski, said she used the trailer as a kennel and didn’t live there.

Residents at the trailer park reportedly broke into Ms. Ortmann’s trailer early Tuesday to rescue the animals.

A cruelty investigator met with Ms. Ortmann Wednesday and she agreed to surrender the animals, Mr. Dinon said. “She basically said she had gotten in over her head and realized she couldn’t care for the dogs and was OK with giving them up.”

The Humane Society plans to press animal cruelty charges against Ms. Ortmann Thursday.