LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A woman in Louisville has been arrested on charges of animal cruelty after eight dogs were discovered in a home covered in feces piled “several feet high.” Vallary Amato, 52, was arraigned on eight counts of animal cruelty and violating a Metro Louisville ordinance.
According to the arrest citation, Amato was responsible for caring for the dogs at her son and her son’s boyfriend’s home, but she only stopped by once a week to feed them. The two men lived in the 1400 block of Possibility Way in Eastern Jefferson County, and it is unclear if they will also face charges in this case.
Neighbors reported to Louisville Metro Animal Services (LMAS) that the men had not been living at the home for several months and had appeared to have abandoned both the home and the dogs. LMAS sent animal control officers to the house multiple times, but each time, nobody was home. In mid-November, one of the men agreed to let them remove the dogs from the home.
Court records revealed that the dogs were living in deplorable conditions, with feces piled several feet high in one room, and the dogs were not socialized. Stephanie Jackson, a spokesperson for LMAS, confirmed that the dogs were all placed with foster families after being cleaned and groomed at LMAS.
Amato’s bond was set at $2,500, and she was ordered not to have any contact with animals. She is due back in court on January 8. The fate of the dogs’ owners, Amato’s son and his boyfriend, remains unclear in the criminal investigation.