AVON, Ohio — The city and the Friendship Animal Protective League (APL) have rescued 37 animals owned by Avon homeowner Haydar Bektas on Kinzel Road.
The animals, which were at the center of a dispute among neighbors, are now receiving much needed medical care.
Over the past few weeks, news reports have detailed the situation, in which Bektas was ultimately arrested by Avon police for obstruction while the APL was serving him a search warrant to examine the state of the animals.
According to police reports, Bektas became increasingly animated and agitated as the APL was looking at the animals in question.
His statements to police and APL case workers were increasingly violent and menacing, with Bektas at one point telling police to “go ahead and kill him,” and that they needed to bring in the entire Army because no one was taking his animals.
He called the animals “my family.”
After his arrest, Bektas was processed and released on bond.
But his arrest for obstruction may be the least of his worries, as the APL seized 37 animals — 15 sheep, eight goats, 13 dogs and a cat — who were observed to be in various states of distress.
The animals were found to lack water and food and were not receiving proper general care.
The poor state of the animals could result in criminal charges for animal neglect and cruelty, according to the APL.
During the search and seizure, Bektas asked for the business card of the APL caseworker so he “knows who to sue.”
Her name is Victoria McDonald.
“We served the search warrant at the property on June 25 and I had attempted to make contact and examine the animals a couple times before then, but was told by the homeowner I was not welcome,” McDonald said.
“The call had come in concerning the welfare of the animals, so when we receive a concern the first step is to just simply go out try and make contact with the animals and take a look at them.
“At that point, nothing criminal — it’s just like any other investigating agency just to check on the welfare,” she continued.
“The first time I went out, no one was home. There was no answer at the door. So a few days later, I went out again and I got — let’s just say a lack of compliance.
“There was no intention for me to be able to see those animals or even have a conversation with this person,” she said.
“But upon leaving the residence and when I got thrown off the property, I did have the chance to see a couple concerning things in plain sight from the road.”
What she initially observed was heartbreaking, she said — animals in a dry lot with no grass, baking in the hot sun, with no shade and no water.
She could easily observe sheep and goats that were not walking in a natural fashion and were limping heavily because they had gone lame from neglect.
She saw multiple goats whose legs were dangling because they could no longer put weight on them, and hooves that were wildly overgrown and untrimmed.
She knew immediately that it was time to get the court and the police involved.
The court issued the search warrant. It is standard procedure for local law enforcement to assist in both serving the warrant and protecting the APL from a possible incident.
“I did observe animals competing for shade, as well as evidence of overheating, with lying down and heavily panting,” McDonald explained.
“Not every animal, but several did not have adequate water and couldn’t access the small volume left in their buckets.
“None of the sheep and goats had access to any food, so not the same violation with every single animal, but in general there were food and water violations, and the space lacked sanitation and shelter.”
The animals were then seized. Bektas will continue to maintain ownership provided that he pays the bond and reimburses the APL for the animals’ care.
McDonald said she believes it’s unlikely that Bektas will do so.
While in the care of the APL, the animals will be housed either at the Friendship APL or adjacent approved temporary foster homes.
They also cannot be euthanized unless a veterinarian says it’s medically necessary to do so.
The animals will also now receive all their necessary medical treatment and general maintenance to put them on the road to recovery, including shots, cleaning and trimming, food, water — and lots of love.
“When we see an animal, it’s not about if someone isn’t loving them; it’s if the animal is the subject of an offense, and that can be intentional, unintentional or even a financial issue,” McDonald said.
“Not all neglect is deliberate.
“I do think that this man cares about his pets very much, and some of the images I’ve seen actually makes it seem like he humanizes them.”
McDonald pleads with everyone in the community to call the APL if they see something that doesn’t seem right.
A welfare check that turns out to be nothing is better than an animal being mistreated or suffering, she said.
McDonald explained that in this case, there was a civil proceeding where a judge heard whether seizing the animals was indeed justified.
That was found to be the case on July 7.
At that point, the animal owner does have the chance to relinquish any or all of the animals and can sign them over to the APL while the case is reviewed for criminal charges.
There is a care bond placed on the animals. In this case, there are 37 animals, so the care bond was set at more than $16,000.
That bond would have to be paid monthly during the criminal investigation to maintain ownership, although the animals will remain in the care and custody of the APL.
McDonald said she believes it’s highly unlikely that Bektas will get the animals back.
Bektas pushes back on the accusations, saying he believes racism is the reason for the animal abuse report.
He also said he believes his rights have been violated.
Signs he recently erected on his property that disparage neighbors, police and animal care workers are perfectly within his First Amendment rights, according to Avon police.
The City of Avon is looking at the entire incident and is going to review its zoning laws. The city is also looking at the legality of ownership of this many or these types of animals in Avon.
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