Bismarck Tribune - North Dakota News - Former Humane Society exec gets probation for animal mistreatment

Former Humane Society exec gets probation for animal mistreatment

Nov 15, 2007 - 04:04:20 CST

FARGO (AP) - A former executive director of the Fargo-Moorhead Humane Society is on probation for a year after pleading guilty to animal mistreatment.

Gail Ann Widmer, 29, of Fargo, entered the plea Tuesday in East Central District Court. She headed the Fargo-Moorhead Humane Society from August 2003 to August 2004.

Under the sentence handed down by Judge Wade Webb, Widmer's guilty plea may be withdrawn and the case dismissed if she successful completes her probation.

West Fargo police said Widmer was keeping animals locked in a back bedroom of an apartment. In August, they got a report that the strong smell of urine and feces was preventing maintenance workers from fixing an air conditioning unit.

"In 14 years of law enforcement, I have never in my life smelled anything so bad as what I encountered when we opened the door," Police Officer Stacy Dawkins wrote in court documents.

"I could not even enter the residence. I was standing on the balcony actually gagging, almost throwing up," Dawkins said.

The building manager told Dawkins that during an earlier visit to the apartment, she had opened the bedroom door and a number of cats had rushed out to the bathroom for water. Dawkins' report said she saw no animals in the apartment before she had to leave on an emergency call.

The officer said she returned the next day and found a small dog in the apartment and a much larger dog locked in a kennel in the back bedroom. She said she found food in the bedroom but no water.

Dawkins said Tuesday that Widmer moved out of the apartment unit before she could be questioned. She could not be reached for comment.

The current executive director of the Humane Society, Nukhet Hendricks, said Widmer has had no connection to the organization since she left it. Hendricks said law enforcement officers check out complaints about animal mistreatment, but she said they are hampered by vague laws that do not clearly define abuse.

A group called the Animal Legal Defense Fund rates North Dakota among the worst states when it comes to animal protection laws because it lacks a felony animal cruelty provision, provisions for the forfeiture of abused animals and restrictions on the future ownership of animals by people convicted of mistreatment.

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Comments

Country kid wrote on Nov 20, 2007 4:36 PM:

" Rescurer---What do you mean as long as the legislature is Ag based? If a farmer does not take care of an animal he loses money. What do you expect? Carpeting in a barn and blankets to cover up with. Get real! "

Rescuer wrote on Nov 19, 2007 2:21 AM:

" Our next session needs to implement stiffer penalties for animal abuse. It seems that a new story of abuse pops up every week from Grenora to Cogswell. Unfortunately, most of these crimes are a misdomeaner & not a felony. Food, water, & shelter are the law's only requirement in ND (as usual, a little behind the times). However, as long as the state legislature is dominated by those tied to agriculture, these laws won't change. "

Pets Need Better Representation! wrote on Nov 17, 2007 12:53 PM:

" Much stiffer penalties and fines must be legislated when our (illustrious?) 2009 Legislature convenes. This is a travesty to let this woman off with such a minor infraction. Our beloved pets and animals deserve so much better treatment than what was offered by Gail Ann Widmer. She represented everything that would have been wrong with the Humane Society. "

NoDak John wrote on Nov 17, 2007 8:59 AM:

" Beesh, Surely makes an excellent defining by example of the word hypocrisy doesn’t it. I have dealt with everything including snakes, horses, cattle dogs and even pet rats. In all cases we made sure that the animals were taken care of in a manner that kept them healthy and clean, and yes, we even played soothing music for the cows. The humane society opposed the keeping of livestock because they considered it “inhumane” One of the representatives asked their representative to accompany him on a trip of the rural area and he said that she could point to any farm and ask to inspect it. He assured her that he was sure that if he asked the farmer, they would be more than happy to show her any and all facilities. She got big eyed and said “We couldn’t do THAT! We might kill a few insects as we drove around”. Can you spell the word ISH! Even the legislators from the metro areas looked at her in disbelief. End of hearing. "

Beesh wrote on Nov 16, 2007 9:09 AM:

" This is so ironic. If a regular home owner had treated an animal this way the Humane Society would be screaming for their head. But the very person who is suppose to be the executive director for that very organization is treating her dogs like she has and she gets A YEAR'S PROBATION? The hypocricy is overwhelming. "

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