Prosecutor's office charges Olalla couple with animal cruelty

The Kitsap County Prosecutor's Office has charged an Olalla couple who kept 180 animals in allegedly unsuitable conditions with second-degree animal cruelty.

Simon and Rosalind Bailey, whose animals were seized by the Kitsap Humane Society in November, are scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 13.

Chief Deputy Prosecutor Claire Bradley said the decision to charge the couple was made after reviewing documents submitted by Kitsap Humane Society animal welfare officers. The couple received repeated warnings from the Humane Society, Bradley said, but failed to improve the living conditions of the animals.

"Generally, there has been a lot of background (by the Humane Society) to get them to comply," she said.

Second-degree animal cruelty is a gross misdemeanor, with a maximum sentence of a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail.

Bradley said the case is similar to most animal cruelty cases that come through the prosecutor's office, with the only difference being the large number of animals seized from the Olalla property.

In an interview with the Port Orchard Independent in November, Simon Bailey denied that any of his animals were in imminent danger from the conditions they were housed in. Though the couple's 5-acre property was cluttered with junk, he maintained that none of the 180 animals kept on their property was neglected.

State law allows for the Baileys to petition District Court to have the animals returned, but Bradley did not know of any petition submitted by the couple. She said they could be awaiting the outcome of the case before they try to get the animals back.

 

Contact Port Orchard Independent Staff Writer Brett Cihon at bcihon@portorchardindependent.com or 360-876-4414.

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