A group of pet wolfdogs apparently ate the body of a missing western Kentucky woman who had been hoarding the dogs for years.
Police said they believe Patricia Ritz, a woman in her 60s, lived on the property in Fordsville, Ky. with more than 50 wolfdogs, according to a report in WFIE-TV. A neighbor told police on Saturday that Ritz hadn’t been seen for about a week, Sheriff David Thompson told WFIE.
Authorities went to Ritz’s home for a welfare check and found what they believe to be Ritz’s skull and jawbone. No other remains were recovered. They also found numerous malnourished wolf-dogs roaming the property, police said.
Ritz had a history of dog hoarding and animal cruelty convictions, according to a report in gawker.com. The website quoted animal rescue group Adopt-a-Husky that said 184 dogs were found at Ritz’s home in 1999. Most of them had to be euthanized, the resuce group told Gawker.
“I think it was just one lady that really wanted to save them all,” Tracey Ward told WFIE. “When you don’t spay and neuter, they’re going to breed. It’s not going to be just one or two puppies, it’s going to be seven, nine, twelve.”
About the Author
