Upstate Couple Arrested for Leaving Animals in Horrific Conditions

This is extremely disturbing. A number of animals were rescued from a Fulton County home after a police investigation into reports of animals being kept in inhumane conditions. Judging by some of the photos released by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, it may have been much worse than anticipated.

When police got to the property in the town of Ephratah, they found a number of abandoned animals including 10 Shih Tsu dogs, 3 goats, and an unknown number of cats. Two dead goats were also found.

Police say the animals belonged to 47 year old Harvey Martz and 52 year old Laurie Murray.

The couple apparently used to live on the property, but left sometime in 2021. The dogs apparently got the worst of it, as police say they were left in a small room in a camper. They were all covered in excrement.

Martz and Laurie are facing a number of charges including Overdriving, Torturing & Injuring Animals and Failure to Provide Proper Sustenance. They were picked up by Fulton County Investigators in the town of Herkimer on Monday. The charges are currently all misdemeanors, they were issued an appearance ticket and are due back in court.

The recovered animals are now being cared for by a number of organizations including Blue Line Farm, Glove City Veterinary Hospital, The Brennan Humane Society, and the Fulton County Regional SPCA. About two dozen cats remain on the property and are expected to be trapped and cared for in the coming days.

Anyone interested in fostering or adopting the animals should reach out to the Fulton County Regional SPCA.

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS ARE DISTURBING