Pineville Woman Charged With Animal Cruelty

From The Bell County, KY. Sheriff's Department -

Jessica Belcher - BCDC

On Tuesday, July 15, 2025, at approximately 3:49 am, Bell County Deputy Samson Churchwell received a message on Facebook from a woman about cats being left on the side of Belcher Road in the Arjay community inside a box.

Pictures of the kittens had been posted on Facebook by a man who lives in the area who found the box the cats were left in. He stated that he was on his way to a meeting on Monday evening the 14^th and discovered the kittens, attempting to catch them after they got out of the box, but was unsuccessful.

The woman who sent the message told Deputy Churchwell she went to the area and recovered six of the kittens based on the social media post. Found on the box was a label with the name and address of 43-year-old Jessica Belcher of Pineville, who lives on the same road.

At approximately 2:50 pm, Deputy Churchwell went to the residence listed on the box that the kittens were found in and located Jessica Belcher. After speaking to her, the deputy arrested Belcher, lodging her in the Bell County Detention Center. She was charged with cruelty to animals – 2^nd degree.