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Dog abuser gets probation By CHRIS BRISTOL Ten years ago, Jackson County animal control officers found upwards of 100 dogs at the Sams Valley home of Boneta Jones. A few of the dogs were in bad shape and had to be euthanized. Some were taken to the county animal shelter for adoption. But the situation apparently was not so serious that Animal Control officials felt it necessary to take further action. She said she loved her dogs. In a Medford courtroom Wednesday, Jones pleaded no contest to two counts of second-degree animal neglect and was placed on five years of supervised probation. In exchange, prosecutors dropped three more counts, but it could have just as easily been 50 or 60. Jones, 53, was prosecuted after Animal Control in February seized 70 dogs from a crowded and filthy kennel outside her rural home. Neighbors had complained about the smell and the garbage. All told, the county shelter had to euthanize 57 of the dogs. Many suffered from a variety of physical and behavioral problems. Some had fur so thickly matted with feces and mud that it was difficult to tell one end from the other. Thirteen of the 70 dogs were adopted by local families. Jones still has 10 dogs, all neutered. As a condition of her probation, Judge Ray White ordered Animal Control to inspect her property occasionally and report back to him every 90 days for five years. She blamed her husband's recent death for the lack of care. However, Animal Control staff testified the neglect was so pronounced that it must have started more than a year earlier. As another condition of probation, she will have to undergo any counseling deemed necessary by her probation officer. Deputy District Attorney Michael Thornicroft said Jones appears to suffer from a psychological problem known as animal collecting or hoarding. He said between 1,400 and 1,600 new cases are documented every year nationwide. Many involve the same people, who move from place to place to avoid outside interference. About 75 percent of so-called collectors are single or widowed women, he said. They usually collect cats and dogs. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA