More than 50 dogs rescued in Stanislaus County from ‘hoarders.’ Shelter overwhelmed
Animal Service officers rescued more than 50 dogs from alleged hoarders, but it also served to worsen overcrowding at the Stanislaus Animal Services Agency shelter.
The shelter hit a peak of 327 dogs Monday, which is 180% of capacity, said Vaughn Maurice, executive director of the agency.
The shelter, at 3647 Cornucopia Way in south Modesto, held 289 canines Thursday morning and was offering discounted adoption fees of $7.77 through Sunday in hopes of finding good homes for the animals.
Animal Services confiscated 38 Chihuahuas from a home Monday on Moffett Road, south of Ceres. Maurice said a bunch of Chihuahuas broke out of a backyard, prompting a call that the dogs might harm children living nearby.
The director said the animals were living in atrocious conditions. The owner is cooperating with an investigation, he said.
“Many of the dogs were in petty good shape and we were able to put them up for adoption right away,” Maurice said.
The owners in hoarding cases are typically cited for being way over the county maximum of four dogs per home and not having breeder permits and licenses. The charges are usually misdemeanors, unless serious neglect or maltreatment is determined.
A week ago, the agency received a complaint of dogs that were being bred and kept in a truck in the southwest Modesto area.
Maurice said 14 dogs were rescued from the truck and taken to the shelter. The animals were mixed breeds such as shepherd and Husky mixes.
Many of the dogs taken to the shelter were in poor health and needed antibiotics. Some were suitable for adoption, while others required additional care, Maurice said.
The dogs had constantly barked inside the truck, resulting in complaints. “The owner was not living in the truck. He just thought it was a suitable place for the dogs,” Maurice said.
Animal Service officials issued a citation and the case is under investigation.
Another effort to make adoption easy
The animal shelter is on a mission to change the luck of dogs housed at the facility, which is bursting at the seams. In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day (Sunday), people can adopt a fury friend for only $7.77. The dog and cat adoptions include vaccinations, microchips and spaying or neutering.
The shelter has held free or discounted adoption events since last year and the prolonged capacity issues were a reason for recently adding Sunday hours, from noon to 4 p.m.
Maurice said there are no plans to expand the shelter at 3647 Cornucopia Way. Construction costs are expensive and the agency doesn’t have enough staff to care for more animals.
Stanislaus Animal Services has made arrangements to transport 20 dogs to a shelter in Wisconsin that has some capacity.
Since last year, an employee has found space for sending animals to other shelters in California, Oregon, Washington, Montana and Nevada, as well as Alberta, Canada.
More information about Stanislaus Animal Services Agency is found at www.stanislausanimalservices.com.
