237 dogs removed from Texas woman's home

by Rob Peters | December 20, 2007 at 01:00 pm | 731 views | 10 comments

Who let the dogs out? Animal control officers. It appears this woman saw 101 Dalmations and decided to put that number to shame.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Animal control officers removed 237 dogs from the home of a 70-year-old woman who said she had been breeding the animals, officials said.

Kelli Copeland, manager of the city's Animal Care Services department, said it took about six hours Tuesday to gather up all the dogs, which were taken to a city kennel.

Most of the dogs were Pomeranians, but there were also Yorkshire terriers, two standard poodles and several other breeds. Copeland said they appeared to be suffering from the close quarters.

"They had plenty of food and plenty of water but were not living in healthy conditions," Copeland said. "Many were covered in feces and urine. I think she slowly accumulated them to where they were more than she could handle."

A workman who made a service call to the home notified the city about the dog situation. Copeland said the woman will likely face several citations from the city.

One of the dogs was euthanized because of its poor condition. The woman claimed that dog had recently wandered to the house.

Copeland said the city will seek custody of the dogs so they can be given to animal rescue groups.

"The homeowner is a very nice lady; I think she loved her dogs," Copeland said.

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ChancenMissie

at 14:52 on December 20th, 2007

"Backyard" breeders not only harm the breed, but they help contribute to the overpopulation of unwanted animals.

I don't care what this woman's intentions were or how nice she is. At the end of the day, those animals will more than likely take the place of 70 other dogs (at crowded and underfunded shelters) some of whom will be euthanized as a direct result of her irresponsibility.

galgo666

at 17:39 on December 20th, 2007

This is Max, rescued from the streets by a local charity and the dogs home. He's only about two years old but he's a wonderful dog and he gets on great with the other 2 rescued dogs I have, which are Spanish Galgos

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matthew_moore_blvu

at 19:25 on December 20th, 2007

This husky dog was found as a stray in Bellevue, WA, was held by the animal control agency for about 2 weeks, and was adopted by a family that already had two huskies and is knowledgeable about the breed.

We have seen animal hoarding cases in our area also - about one per year in a population of 1,000,000 people. Animal hoarding is a mental illness, a form of obcessive-compulsive disorder. It is sad for the hoarders and much sadder for the animals.

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Tiffany Jovel

at 20:16 on December 20th, 2007

Duncan

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madhorse5

at 10:20 on December 21st, 2007

www.flickr.com/photos/madhorse5/
www.madhorse5.deviantart.com

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Shuttering2Think

at 10:57 on December 21st, 2007

Zoe was a sick little girl from the South Durango pound in Phoenix. There are so many animals in need. She is now healthy and has become that special sole in my life; Mutts are the best. Lance

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SeekingTreasures

at 03:21 on December 22nd, 2007

'Luvy' was literally rescued off the streets, malnorished and pregnant. At St. Louis' "Stray Rescue" she now has her own apartment, healing and raising her puppies in safety and affection, all open for adoption at this "no kill" organization. Working with these dogs, there is a sure link amongst human and animal behavior. The unmet needs of both humans and animals must both be addressed to resolve the extreme attempts made to "meet" needs of attention or care. The reporting was well done in noting the reponsibility of the dogs' owner, yet indicating that although inappropriate, the hope was for love for the dogs. Why were there not any family nor friends that knew of this circumstance, that anyone was caring for her own well being in that environment? Rehabilitation with rescued dogs maybe like personal and social healings needed by people that have been vicitimized by crime or perstonally traumtized, trust is difficult to regain, time and human care for people and animals perhaps the only lasting healing to such ills. Might many agree that intuitively we know, with the animals, that we truly are linked?

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EVilMom1

at 13:25 on December 23rd, 2007

One year ago today we put Callie to rest. Callie was my heart dog and I still grieve for her. No longer a daily grief but rather a punch in the stomach kind of pain; sudden, powerful and unexpected, set off by finding an old photo of her, seeing her blanket in the attic.
Callie was probably the happiest dog I had ever known and for 11.5 years she lived each day in joyful bliss.
In January of this year we adopted a rescue dog, another rottweiler. And so it continues.......

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SojournerImages

at 12:12 on December 24th, 2007

This is "Su". She is a rescue dog from Brooklyn, NY. In early October '07, she was picked up as a stray and placed in a "high-kill" shelter. Now she is being fostered, awaiting adoption. She's incredibly sweet, defying all negative stereotypes associated with Pitbulls.

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fiber_deviant

at 11:16 on January 3rd, 2008

This is Gabriel. He was rescued from Hugs for Hounds Rescue Shelter in Mauldin, SC.

Quite literally, he was saved from the gallows... We adopted him on a Saturday and he was scheduled to be "put down" on the following Tuesday!

He (and our other "furry baby", Jubal, who was adopted from the Greenville, SC Humane Society) have brought much joy to our family!

Please spay & neuter your pets! Consider adoption from a shelter!
And remember, Pets are NOT disposable!

Here is one of my favorite quotes from Ghandi: " The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. "

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