Hearts for Hounds not registered as an animal rescue

By: Aaron Martin | WSLS
Published: January 20, 2012
Updated: January 20, 2012 - 6:05 PM

6:02 p.m.

This Huddleston home is where Hearts for Hounds was supposed to have its adoption event Saturday.

But while the event was advertised on the group's website, we discovered it wasn’t even legal.

In order to run an animal rescue in the Commonwealth several licenses are required.

10 On Your Side contacted the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, who said Hearts for Hounds never registered as an animal shelter or a pet adoption agency.

There also were no records of Bonnie Sheehan or Pamela King-McCracken registering for the licenses.

Next we went to Bedford County and the City of Roanoke, where Sheehan and King-McCracken are believed to own property.

But we got the same story.

In Bedford County, Hearts for Hounds never registered as a pet adoption agency which the county requires.

We also learned that no kennel licenses were distributed to Hearts for Hounds, Sheehan, or King-McCracken.

Same goes for the City of Roanoke where a business license and zoning permit is required, neither of which were obtained.

Sheehan and King-McCracken are being held in the Fayette County, Tennessee jail on $100,000 bond. The two are expected to appear in court in Tennessee on Tuesday.

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10 On Your Side has learned new information about the Hearts for Hounds organization.

According to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Hearts for Hounds never registered as an animal shelter or animal adoption agency.

By law the organization would have to register with the Commonwealth before it could begin adopting out animals.

Bedford County also requires animal rescue organizations to have a permit in order to operate.

10 On Your Side has learned that no permit was requested or given to Hearts for Hounds or the Huddleston address that was listed on the organization’s website.

Based on Roanoke GIS records, two properties in the City of Roanoke are registered to a Bonnie Sheehan and a Pamela King-McCracken.

In order to run an animal rescue in the city a business license is required and the property must be zoned properly.

According to the City of Roanoke neither property believed to be owned by Sheehan or King-McCracken is eligible to run a rescue and no business permit was ever obtained.