ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / September 9, 2000

LAPLACE – St. John the Baptist Parish’s recently hired animal control officerhas been arrested by the St. John Sheriff’s Office and charged with 55counts of cruelty to animals.

Kenneth E. Hicks III, 36, 1732 Carrollwood Drive, LaPlace, was arrestedThursday. He was also charged with two counts of contempt of court for notshowing up to court on two previous charges of possession of cocaine andpossession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

The charges of animal cruelty were brought through a local justice of thepeace by former animal shelter employee Bambi Richards.

Richards said that on Sept. 6 she witnessed Hicks ball up his fist and punch adog. On another count, she alleges Hicks did not take care of a dog that wassupposedly poisoned.

Richards said Hicks responded to a poisoned dog call and brought the dogback to the shelter. But she alleges Hicks but did not give the dog food,water or take it to the veterinarian. The dog died the next morning.

Richards said the remaining 53 cruelty charges stem from Hicks not feedingor watering the 30 dogs and 23 cats housed at the shelter. Hicks, who has been working for the animal shelter for the past month, wasat the center of the resignation of kennel master Melissa Vial last week.

According to Vial, Hicks was verbally abusive to her and would not follow herorders. She claims she never got any support from parish administrators onthe matter, and she finally resigned.

Henry DiFranco, director of Public Works and in charge of the animal shelter,said earlier the parish was aware of Hicks’ criminal record.

“He put his arrest record on the application,” said DiFranco. “He was veryhonest about it.”

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