HURRICANE, W.Va. — A Putnam County woman is in jail in connection with a months-long animal cruelty investigation.
Annette Maria Devries, 61, of Hurricane, was arrested last Friday and charged with eight counts of animal cruelty. The investigation dates back to an April incident where police showed up to a residence on Moss Creek Drive in Hurricane.
Officers were called to the home after neighbors say an odor came from the property. Neighbors also told deputies that Devries hadn’t been seen in multiple weeks.
Upon arrival, deputies detected the odor coming from a garage window where dozens of flies were flying around.
Deputies forced into the home, fearful the decomposing smell was Devries. Upon entry, deputies found eight dead dogs that had been decaying for some time.
Devries is being held in the Western Regional Jail on a $53,000 bond.