Tonopah woman facing animal torture charges

A Tonopah woman facing felony animal abuse charges is free on $10,000 bail and scheduled to appear in the town’s Justice Court on March 19, at 10 a.m.

Bette Lynne Fuchsel, 69, was arrested Feb. 24 after Nye County Animal Control and Sheriff’s deputies and responded to her home at 24 Cody St. rescuing 67 Whippet dogs and two cats on the property.

Fuchsel was charged with alleged torture and failing to provide adequate shelter for the 69 animals seized from her property. The Whippet is a medium-sized dog related to the Greyhound breed.

Nye County Animal Control Supervisor Tim McCarty organized the roundup of the animals. He described the condition of the interior of the home as unlivable.

“It was very dirty and there was animal feces throughout the home,” he said. “There were a number of dogs outside and quite a few inside. The sheriff’s department charged a felony on the case.”

Fuchsel was cited by county Animal Control in January for a series of Tonopah town ordinance violations including failure to license the dogs, failure to vaccinate and failure to dispose of waste and odors, all misdemeanors.

The animals were transported to Pahrump’s Tails End Animal Shelter, which tripled its maximum capacity with the additional 69 confiscated animals. Officials will now have to wait for the wheels of justice to turn before the future of the animals can be determined. The dogs cannot be adopted until the case is settled in Tonopah Justice Court.

McCarty noted that all of the dogs are in protective custody at present, as they are now considered evidence for prosecutors.

“My experience has shown that things can move along a little quicker up here rather down in Pahrump,” he said. “Due to the simple number of court cases between the two jurisdictions, we are pretty different. It’s possible to see something happening within 60 days or so but it’s all up to the judge.”

He also said due to the size of Tonopah’s animal shelter, the dogs were transported to Pahrump. The Tonopah facility is holding roughly six animals with a capacity of 10. Even if there was room for all 67 animals, McCarty said the shelter does not have the resources to properly care for the animals.

“We are near capacity right now,” he said. “I am one person up here and I really have no community service participation because there’s not much available. It’s just a small facility and we keep it half-way full. We do have a lot of turnover but there was just not room for the dogs we received on Tuesday. That’s why they were taken down to Pahrump because I don’t have the staff.”

The condition of the animals ranged from okay to poor according to the county’s Director of Emergency Management, Vance Payne.

“Most were poorly fed and many have medical problems,” he said. “The animals were evaluated by a veterinarian and given necessary treatment. They are expected to rebound quickly with proper nutrition and a clean living environment.

With the arrival of the 67 dogs, Pahrump’s Tails End Shelter is now in crisis mode. Prior to Tuesday’s seizure, the shelter housed roughly 11 animals in protective custody along with 25 ready for adoption.

The maximum capacity of the shelter is 31 animals.

Director Susan Cronin has since renewed her focus to locate a larger facility. It’s an effort she began when Nye County privatized the local animal shelter last April.

County officials thought a private organization would be able to provide better services to the animals and residents of southern Nye County by using grants and other private funding.

“It just goes to show the need for a new shelter so badly,” she said on Tuesday.

The shelter will accept any supplies and donations the community can provide to help with the situation. Shelter officials need monetary donations, specialty items, and equipment for long-term care of the animals.

Dog carriers, holding cages and other pet-related supplies are also being sought from the community.

Over the years, animal control officials have addressed issues related to the number of animals residents can own on their property within the county.

According to Nye County Ordinance 430, animal owners with more than five dogs or cats over the age of six months on any property must obtain a residential kennel permit, while anyone with more than 10 dogs or cats over the age of six months are required to obtain a commercial kennel permit.