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Welcome to the Polk County Sheriff's Office News Room, where the Public Information Officers (PIO's) post all of the information that they release to the news media. PIO's act as liaisons between news media organizations and the Sheriff's Office. The PIO's routinely release timely and accurate information and Crime Stoppers bulletins, and respond to routine and "breaking news" media inquiries. News releases and Crime Stoppers information can be found on this page.
PCSO's full-time Public Information Officers are Brian Bruchey, Carrie Horstman, and Alicia Manautou. The Public Information Officers can be reached by sending an e-mail collectively at PIOs@polksheriff.org.
The recent news releases sent out by the PIOs can be found here, and archived releases (older than 2017) can be found here.
On Tuesday, August 9, 2016, PCSO Agricultural Crimes detective obtained arrest warrants for a husband and wife, 65-year-old Darlynn Czerner and 61-year-old Clinton “Butch” Martin, owners of the Darlynn’s Darlins, Inc., animal sanctuary (9830 Evans Road, Polk City), charging both of them with three (3) counts of Felony Animal Cruelty (F-3), and 138 counts of Animal Neglect (M-1).
According to their website (darlynnsdarlins.webs.com) “Darlynn's Darlins Inc., is a not for profit, No Kill, Animal Rescue, Sanctuary, Advocacy and Education organization. The Ranch provides a safe, loving, lifetime home to more than 200 exotic, farm, and domestic animals. We facilitate the adoption of spayed and neutered animals to appropriate and fully screened families. Many animals, due to age, physical issues, or type will remain at Darlynn's Darlins Ranch for life. We offer help and solutions to animal behavior issues hoping to help animals remain in their homes.”
Of the approximately 200 animals at the sanctuary, the following animals suffered from cruelty and neglect:
Czerner and Martin were both taken into custody on August 9, 2016, and booked into the Polk County Jail.
According to their affidavits, on May 31, 2016, two representatives from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), began working as volunteers four hours per day, four days per week at the shelter, after receiving information that there were neglect issues at the facility. While there, the PETA members observed and video-recorded severe neglect of animals housed at the facility.
On August 2, 2016, PETA members contacted PCSO, told them of their findings, and gave detectives copies of their video recordings. The witnesses and the videos describe hogs on the property suffering from tumors, hair loss, overgrown hooves, open sores, and ambulatory issues. Additionally, there were dogs, cats, and a steer suffering from neglect.
“We consider this ‘bogus’ rescue to instead be a hoarding facility that left sick and injured animals to suffer without even basic veterinary care. Animals were found with open wounds, they starved in plain sight, and many went without water to drink in this summer heat. PETA thanks the Polk County Sheriff's Office, which swiftly responded to PETA's evidence of a crime in progress and rescued these long-neglected animals from their living hell.” - Daphna Nachminovitch, Senior Vice President of Cruelty Investigations for PETA
On Thursday, August 4, 2016, PCSO Detectives and Animal Control Officers arrived at the facility in Polk City, and served a search warrant. They seized the aforementioned neglected animals, and additional animals (2 hogs, 43 chickens, 3 dogs, 7 cats, 2 ducks, a rabbit, and a horse), and brought all except the horse to PCSO Animal Control to be examined by Animal Control Veterinarian. The horse was taken to Hope Equine Rescue.
A total of 197 animals were removed from the scene.
The following are excerpts from the affidavit:
Through witness statements, evidence at the scene, and post-Miranda statements from the suspects, it was determined that three counts of felony animal cruelty were committed for the three hogs that died (two were euthanized, and one died in June). It was determined that 138 counts of animal neglect were committed on 133 hogs, 4 dogs, and 1 steer, for failure to feed, water, and provide proper medical care.
PETA has graciously donated feed for the animals. A civil hearing at a later date will determine the custody and disposition of all the animals seized.
Clinton “Butch” Martin’s criminal history includes a prior arrest in 1975 for DUI, and in 1980 for Cultivation and Sale of Marijuana, both of which occurred in California, and an arrest in 2012 by PCSO for Battery Domestic Violence.