Iowa City Residents Charged with 30 Counts of Animal Torture and Neglect After Seizure of 32 Dogs
Rhoda Gorvin, 34, and Antonio Polland, 32, both of Iowa City, have been charged with 30 counts each of animal torture and animal neglect. These charges stem from an investigation by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office into animal welfare concerns at a property on the 4400 block of Taft Avenue in Southeast Iowa City. Authorities executed a search warrant on July 2, seizing 32 live and dead dogs from a mobile home and shed. Criminal complaints detail that the dogs were kept in unsanitary conditions, with kennels throughout the property reeking of urine and feces. The animals reportedly had no access to food or water and were found to be severely underweight, with some suffering from fleas, other health conditions, sores, or broken teeth. Several dogs had to be euthanized due to extreme malnourishment and prolonged lack of care. Gorvin and Polland admitted to selling the dogs without a proper license. Their property was searched shortly after Iowa enacted legislation making animal torture a felony offense. 
