[News] 800 Small Dogs Seized from Filthy Home

[Lou]

TUCSON, Ariz. - About 800 small dogs, including Chihuahuas, terriers and Pomeranians, were seized from a triple-wide mobile home whose occupants were overwhelmed trying to care for the animals, authorities said Wednesday.
Pima County sheriff's deputies and animal welfare officials who removed the dogs also found 82 caged parrots in the home in a rural area northwest of Tucson.
Some dogs were pregnant and giving birth as they were taken to shelters in Tucson, said Jenny Rose, a spokeswoman for the Humane Society of Southern Arizona. Ninety-six dogs were taken from the house Monday and 700 more on Wednesday, she said.
"The home was definitely in very bad condition, urine and feces all over the home, in the kitchen and bedroom, with a very strong odor," she said. "Obviously, 800 dogs in a triple-wide mobile home, they were packed in there. That being said, they were in pretty good shape."
The elderly owners, who have not been identified, were apparently overwhelmed but have cooperated with authorities, sheriff's Sgt. James Ogden said. No charges have been filed, but authorities continue to investigate.
The animals appeared to have had enough food, but a few were missing paws — some from having been attacked by other animals, others apparently having caught their feet in fencing outside, Rose said.
The breeds included Chinese cresteds and Lhasa apsos. The owners were breeding and offering the dogs for sale, Rose said, but she described it as a hoarding case, in which elderly people sometimes feel no one else can give their animals a good home and won't part with them.
Deputies were alerted this month after a woman who bought a Chihuahua at the home reported the conditions, Ogden said.

The dogs living inside the house apparently had free run of the premises, Ogden said. Others were found in other structures on the property.
Ogden described the living conditions as "horrible, filth everywhere ... probably one of the worst (situations) I've ever seen."
The animals will be offered for adoption soon, Rose said, adding that a rescue group from Phoenix had taken 100 of the dogs.

[MorkieAZ]

So sad.
They also found about 80 parrot cages in the home.

[ARCHIE]

800 dogs That story was very sad for both the elderly and the dogs.
I can't imagine why they did not realize they were over whelmed when
they had only 50 to care for! Thank heavens it was reported.
That's an awful lot of dogs to re-home God willing most will make
it into new homes. Very sad.

[suzie]

I live in Tucson where this horrible thing has happened. Today the Humane Society and a local news station are holding a Telethon to help raise some money to take care of all these poor little dogs. Go to their website at www.hssaz.org or www.kold.com or phone them at 520-327-6088 for more info about donating. Many of these dogs are Yorkies and I plan to adopt when and if they become available. Thanks !

[LullaBelle]

That is just so sad!

[I Love Bailey]

So heartbreaking....there has to be a sensible way to stop illegal & abusive breeding practices.
Licensing to breed? Tax incentives for spaying/neutering?
I know it is a touchy subject but someone I know is considering breeding his yorkie. He thinks he can make a lot of money off her puppies.
I told him to educate himself on YT.....so sickening that people see dollar signs instead of what is in the best interest of their pets!

[FL Tink]

That is incredible. I had just read the story too! Wow. What were they thinking?

[nvnvgirl]

It really is shocking and sad, and certainly, I'm not condoning or making excuses for them. I think sometimes though, you get in over your head and by then, you are afraid to tell anyone b/c you're afraid of exactly what happened to them, happening. Does that make sense? You could only hope/wish that anyone who knew them and the situation would have turned them in long before it got to such exponential proportions. When you've got that many dogs (and I imagine they somehow believed that living there with them was better than going to a shelter), it would be difficult (esp. if you're elderly and on a fixed income) to even start to have them neutered. A very sad situation for everyone. I hope all the dogs will find nice homes.

[littlewhip]

OMG..I just now seen it on our news..How awful

[cariblonde]

poor babies

[Shadow]

Great Post! I can't imagine living in a house with 800 dogs. Did they say the ages of the couple?

Originally Posted by nvnvgirl

It really is shocking and sad, and certainly, I'm not condoning or making excuses for them. I think sometimes though, you get in over your head and by then, you are afraid to tell anyone b/c you're afraid of exactly what happened to them, happening. Does that make sense? You could only hope/wish that anyone who knew them and the situation would have turned them in long before it got to such exponential proportions. When you've got that many dogs (and I imagine they somehow believed that living there with them was better than going to a shelter), it would be difficult (esp. if you're elderly and on a fixed income) to even start to have them neutered. A very sad situation for everyone. I hope all the dogs will find nice homes.

[xxmxaxrxyxx]

wow so sad.....i feel bad for both the elderly couple and the dogs...

[I Love Bailey]

Nancy Grace had a special report on this last night.
The "elderly couple" were in their 60's and were a puppy mill breeding for profit.
They showed footage and it was not a pretty site. All those puppies
The shelter said they are putting them up on their website as fast as they can after getting them checked out. The spokesperson for the shelter also said they had a lot of people coming down to adopt these dogs.

So sad!

[addicted]

[Jennieliz14]

www.hssaz.com says all the dogs have been adopted