Puppy mill - 45 german shepherds living in filth
Belt, MT (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Oct 18, 2007
County: Cascade
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Enrique Tipiani
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
Forty-five German shepherds living in unfit conditions were seized this week from the property of a Belt man, court records indicate.
Enrique Tipiani was charged with felony aggravated animal cruelty and is to appear Oct. 26 in Cascade County District Court.
Authorities said the dogs, which were for sale, were kept outdoors in Tipiani's yard in an area that included a garage. The yard was covered with feces, the walls of the garage were moldy, garbage was strewn about and there was an overpowering stench of urine and feces on the property, court documents state.
Some of the dogs had been fighting continuously, resulting in injury and death, investigators said. Dogs killed in the fights were eaten by the other dogs, according to court records.
"They were fighting pretty brutally in the man's yard," said Cascade County Deputy Attorney Joshua Racki, who added that the animals appeared to have been fed during their confinement to the yard.
"They were not necessarily killing each other for food but maybe for dominance," he said.
Racki said it is too early to tell the exact conditions of the dogs, which are being assessed by veterinarians.
"Some are sick, some are injured and, of course, there are behavioral problems," he said. The dogs are being housed in proper conditions at a Great Falls animal boarding facility pending adoption or euthanization.
An animal control officer from the Sheriff's Office was bitten by one of the German shepherds when deputies removed the dogs from the property Tuesday, said sheriff's Capt. Ray Hitchcock.
The officer suffered minor injuries to the pinkie finger on his right hand, Hitchcock said. A court order was issued Thursday allowing authorities to euthanize the animal that bit the officer so it could be tested for rabies, he added.
Tipiani, a former owner or co-owner of several Great Falls restaurants, was breeding and selling the German shepherds. Racki said prospective buyers called authorities after visiting the property and observing the conditions the dogs were living in.
Case UpdatesMost of the German shepherd dogs recently seized from a Belt area man will be put up for adoption, officials said Monday.
Former Great Falls animal shelter kennel manager Sue Dendy will be meeting prospective new pet owners at the F&L Pet Resort in Black Eagle beginning Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to Jim Donahue, president of the Humane Society of Cascade County board.
Those hours will continue weekdays at the pet resort until the dogs are adopted. Some 27 adult dogs and five puppies are being put up for adoption, according to sheriff's Capt. Ray Hitchcock.
The dogs to be adopted were evaluated by dog trainer Gene Hodges, Donahue said. Hodges determined three of the dogs should be placed in homes where the owners are familiar with the German shepherd breed. The other dogs are suitable to be placed in families.
"These dogs appear absolutely fine," Donahue said Monday.
"They've all been evaluated for socializing," Hitchcock said. "They've all been given the green light."
"Hopefully, we'll get them adopted out as soon as we can," said Deputy Cascade County Attorney Joshua Racki.
Meanwhile, prosecutors entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the owner of the dogs.
The four-year deferred prosecution agreement allows dog owner Enrique Tipiani, of 7259 E. Highway 87, to regain four of his dogs, if he gets them spayed and neutered at his own expense, Racki said.
In an agreement, Tipiani agreed to pay $5,000 to help cover the county's costs of caring for 45 dogs that were seized, and he has already made a $2,000 payment, Racki said. The rest of the money will be paid over three years.
Racki said Tipiani will be under strict conditions that he only be allowed to keep four dogs. His property will be subject to search at any time, and if more dogs are present, they can be seized.
The four dogs Tipiani wants to keep can stay at the pet resort until Oct. 29, when Tipiani will start paying the boarding fees.
Racki said Tipiani's case was not necessarily the typical case of a pet owner hoarding animals.
All were fed well, although conditions in the cramped quarters were filthy because dog feces were not getting picked up, Racki said.
"He was trying, I guess," Racki said. "It just got out of hand. We didn't think it was as egregious as some of them I've seen."
As a result, the county entered into the deferred prosecution arrangement.
Adoptions will be offered locally, and a German shepherd rescue group in Hamilton may also take some of the dogs, he said.
The Humane Society is helping with the adoption process. Animals will be free to adopt, but the animals must be spayed or neutered and have all their shots before they can be taken home. That's the normal procedure, according to Donahue, who said the new owner can pick the vet clinic where the animal would be taken.
Some 45 dogs were seized by the Sheriff's Department. Initial reports said the dogs were kept in cramped conditions, that the dogs sometimes fought, and a few of the dogs that died in the fighting may have been eaten by the other dogs.
One of the dogs bit a sheriff's animal control officer on the pinkie finger, and had to be put down so it could be tested for the rabies virus. Hitchcock said it's not assumed the animal had the virus, but the test is to make sure.
"The animals that are there are in good physical condition," Donahue said. "From everything we can see, these are great dogs." He said people were paying Tipiani $300 each for the dogs.
Not all dogs will be offered for adoption now. Several dogs were sick so they cannot be sent to new homes now, and a couple of the dogs are pregnant, Racki said.
Hitchcock said the Humane Society and others have been "very helpful" in working to find homes for the dogs.
"We're just trying to help them out," Donahue said. | Source: Great Falls Tribune - Oct 23, 2007
Update posted on Oct 23, 2007 - 4:24PM |
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