Two Selma residents have been charged with multiple felony counts of animal abuse and theft, multiple misdemeanor counts of animal neglect and abandonment, and several marijuana-related crimes. While one of the individuals in question has emerged to face these charges, the other is nowhere to be found.
On Sept. 21, the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office obtained and served a search warrant for Pawsitive K9 Solutions, a canine training and boarding facility located at 783 SE 6th Street in Grants Pass. Local animal control offices worked diligently with deputies to recover 13 dogs that displayed various levels of malnourishment, several of which required immediate emergency veterinary care.
The owners of the business – Joseph LaRue and Danielle R. Brown, also known as Danielle LaRue -were subsequently identified, but law enforcement was unable to locate them by the time the search warrant had been issued. A second search warrant was then issued for the LaRue residence at 195 Turnagain Drive in Selma Sept. 26.
At the LaRue residence, deputies found a deceased horse and deceased rabbit. Sixteen other animals, including a second horse and multiple dogs, cats, and chickens, were also discovered on the property lacking adequate food, water, and living conditions. The animals were seized by law enforcement and given medical attention on an as-needed basis. Law enforcement also found an illegal small-scale marijuana grow site, and collected evidence that included hundreds of pounds of processed marijuana and grow-related supplies.
Next, Sept. 28, nationwide warrants were issued for the arrests of Joseph LaRue and Danielle Brown, who the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office believed had fled the area. These warrants cite 26 counts of second-degree animal neglect, a class C felony, three counts of misdemeanor animal abandonment, three counts of first-degree theft and one count of first-degree aggravated theft. Also included are one count for unlawful manufacturing of a marijuana product, two counts of felony marijuana possession, and one count of unlawful groundwater appropriation.
The first hearing was held Oct. 3 regarding these charges, but because the defendants had still not been located it was moved to Oct. 5. On the date of the second hearing, Joseph LaRue finally made an appearance at the Josephine County Courthouse in Grants Pass, where he was subsequently taken into police custody by the sheriff’s department and booked on the aforementioned charges. Within hours, his $25,000 bond was posted and he was released. LaRue’s next court appearance is scheduled to take place Wednesday, Oct. 12.
As of press deadline, Danielle Brown-LaRue is still at large, and the warrant for her arrest is still active. If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Danielle R. Brown-LaRue, please contact the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office at 541-474-5123.
