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BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio – The leader of a Belmont County animal welfare group whose organization is now under investigation by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost was investigated once before for mishandling funds when she operated a different animal group in the same Belmont County location.
Julie Larish is the leader and treasurer of Belmont County Hoof and Paw in Jacobsburg. According to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, Larish has two current complaints against her alleging animal neglect and mishandling funds. Dogs vomiting worms and not receiving veterinary care and a $20,000 donation from a church that allegedly is missing are some of the recent allegations against Larish.
Belmont County Hoof and Paw is located at 49586 Key Road in Jacobsburg and was formed March 1, 2019 as a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization according to the Ohio Attorney General’s office.
Larish also operated another animal welfare and rescue organization at the same Jacobsburg address, which was also where she lived, according to the Ohio Attorney General. That organization was called RJ Ranch, Inc. and in 2016, then-Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine filed a lawsuit in Franklin County court against Larish and the ranch following a complaint and subsequent investigation into finances and solicitations.
Larish and RJ Ranch, Inc. entered into an “assurance of discontinuance” with the Ohio AG after the AG determined that they had “reason to believe that Defendants are in violation of the Ohio Charitable Organizations Act, the Ohio Charitable Trust Act and common law…”
DeWine found that Larish and RJ Ranch breached their fiduciary duties, failed to maintain true records of their solicitation activities, and provided false or misleading information in response to requests from the Attorney General.
With the “assurance of discontinuance,” the AG ordered RJ Ranch board members to open a new checking account for donations that Larish would not have access to and not use funds to pay for living expenses or support of homeless or at-risk teens.
The agreement was signed August 29, 2016 by Larish and Marissa Eickleberry, President of RJ Ranch. RJ Ranch was ordered to cease operations at 49586 Key Road in Jacobsburg within 30 days or “enter into a written lease agreement with Julie Larish for partial use of this property.” Larish was also ordered to provide board members with a copy of the Land Installment Contract between herself and Dustin and Diane Tomich.
The Ohio AG also ordered two RJ Ranch board members, other than Larish, to attend a board governance training program presented by the Ohio AG’s Charitable Law Section.
According to the Ohio Attorney General, RJ Ranch was incorporated as an Idaho nonprofit corporation on or about June 15, 2009, and in 2013, RJ Ranch’s principal place of operations moved from Idaho to Jacobsburg, Ohio.
According to the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office, Larish is the county humane agent and investigates animal abuse cases. Belmont County Commissioner Josh Meyer confirmed that Larish is paid approximately $200 per month for this work from general funds and that the state mandates that counties fund humane agents.
In a 2024 complaint to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Harrison County Dog Warden Cindi Yanez says the conditions on Larish’s property are “deplorable” and that the conditions the animals live in there are equal or worse than the environments they were rescued from.
Larish denies that she does not care for the animals in her care.