2 women charged after 7 animals seized from southeast Calgary home

Two Calgary women are facing charges related to animal suffering after several cats and dogs were seized from a home in the city’s southeast.

On Sept. 15, police were called to a residence located in the 0 to 100 block of Erin Meadow Close S.E., after neighbours reported hearing animals inside the home, but had not seen the residents in several days.

Police said officers entered the house to check on the welfare of the residents and found five dogs and two cats inside that were “living in unsuitable conditions.”

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With help from Calgary Community Standards, investigators removed the animals.

Officials said due to the condition of the home, the state of the animals and evidence at the scene, a joint investigation with the Calgary Humane Society was launched.

“This was a sad case of neglect where animals were left in extremely shocking conditions,” Const. Dennis Smithson said in a news release Friday.

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“In these types of situations, we work closely with our partners at the Calgary Humane Society to review the evidence and ensure that the individuals involved are held accountable.”

Police said the investigation resulted in the arrest of two women, 44-year-old Stacey Lynn Hodess and 40-year-old Nicole Dawn Veronelly.

Hodess and Veronelly have both been charged with seven counts each of causing pain and suffering to an animal, and unnecessarily causing animals to suffer.

“The environment that these animals were living in was so detrimental to their welfare that criminal charges were warranted,” senior manager of animal cruelty investigations with Calgary Humane Society, Brad Nichols, said.

“The animals are now safely under treatment. We are grateful to have such a robust multi-agency animal cruelty response in Calgary that allows for joint investigations like this.”

Both women are scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 8.