Washougal woman pleads not guilty in animal-cruelty case

A Washougal woman entered not-guilty pleas Feb. 11 to nearly two dozen animal-cruelty charges after authorities say they found dying horses and cats living in squalor on her property.

Noreen Roth, 72, made a first appearance in Clark County Superior Court on four counts of first-degree animal cruelty and 15 counts of second-degree animal cruelty.

Judge Christine Hayes granted Roth supervised release. Roth is prohibited from owning, possessing or residing with any animals. Roth told the court that she works as an “international auditor” and needed to have the ability to leave the country. Hayes said Roth would need her approval for any international travel.

Roth’s trial is set for May 11.

The charges stem from a welfare check conducted Nov. 13 at Roth’s residence near Southeast Sixth Street and 345th Avenue. According to court records, Clark County Animal Control had received multiple reports from neighbors about horses in distress at the 5-acre property.

When Animal Control officers and a veterinarian arrived, they found three horses — identified in court records as Chi Chi, Root Beer and Leslie — suffering from severe medical conditions.

Dr. Rachael Lencioni, the veterinarian on the scene, determined that the horses had “no hopeful quality of life.” Two of the horses were suffering from severe laminitis and were reportedly lying down for roughly 23 hours a day, resulting in bedsores. The third horse was described in court records as suffering from end-stage arthritis.

According to court records, Roth refused to allow the horses to be euthanized, telling investigators she “didn’t believe there was anything wrong with them.”

Investigators also discovered a cat, named Bookend Boy, suffering from a severe facial infection. Court records state the cat appeared to have half a face due to an abscess. Animal Control officers noted that a veterinarian had seen the cat the previous week and advised Roth to euthanize it, but she allegedly disregarded the advice.

Following the initial check, Clark County sheriff’s deputies obtained a search warrant for the property.

A deputy wrote in court records that upon entering Roth’s home, he was hit with the overwhelming odor of ammonia, common with cat urine. The home was described as being in disarray, with exposed floorboards and large amounts of cat feces on the floor. Investigators also noted a rat infestation in the pantry.

Outside the home, deputies observed garbage and containers of kitty litter that appeared to be filled with rainwater and feces.

“It was very apparent that Noreen was unable to care not only for herself but for the animals under her care,” the deputy wrote in court records.

During the search, Dr. Melanie Moore of Ridgefield Equine Clinic examined the animals and determined that the three horses and the cat with the facial injury were beyond help; they were subsequently euthanized, according to court records. Ten other cats were seized from the property.

The second-degree animal-cruelty charges brought against Roth involve five other horses — Cosmo, Hot Chocolate, Spritzer, Water and King Squirt — and 10 cats found on the property, which authorities allege were subjected to unnecessary suffering or lack of proper care.