News Story: kfohner@newstopicnews.com
Jun 25, 2020 5:00 PM
Caldwell County Animal Control seized a variety of animals from a woman in the Draco community who has been charged with animal cruelty.
Lisa Marie Hendren, 36, who also goes by the name Lisa Lewis, was charged with five counts of animal cruelty. She is accused of failing to feed a 6-month-old Holstein cow named Betty, a mixed-breed dog named Patch, a Husky named Mya, a pitbull named Chloe and a 4-month-old Jersey cow named Oscar, according to court records.
Although Hendren was charged in May, Caldwell County Animal Control went to her property on Sheriffs Road on Wednesday and seized 11 dogs, three cows, two goats and a goose as part of an ongoing investigation, said Paige Counts, the county public information officer.
According to a court affidavit, Animal Control Officer Tracy McGuirt said that six animals have died in Hendren’s care.
Two veterinarians examined the animals and found the cows and dogs to be extremely malnourished and in need of veterinary care, the affidavit said.
Handwritten notes in the court file say that the cows, Oscar and Betty, both had pneumonia.
Animal Control was full at the time Hendren was charged, and because of the pandemic, the animals could not be temporarily placed at another shelter, so they stayed with Hendren, the affidavit said.
However, Animal Control continued to monitor the animals to make sure that they were properly cared for, and in order to keep them, Hendren had to meet certain conditions, Counts said.
“Those conditions weren’t met, is my understanding,” so the animals were taken, Counts said.
Hendren has been convicted twice of obtaining property by false pretenses, a felony. The earliest charge appears to stem from an incident on Jan. 29, 2011, in which she falsely represented herself as the head of a nonprofit organization, Liz and Lizards, in order to obtain nine dogs. An article from Jan. 31, 2011, by WSOC-TV states that the organization that Hendren claimed to be a part of supposedly cared for unwanted animals.
Counts said that Animal Control has been aware of Hendren and has received complaints about her.
Hendren also is charged in an unrelated case with indecent liberties with a child, statutory rape and disseminating obscene materials to a minor under the age of 16, the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office said.