Puppy mill - 45 german shepherds living in filth Belt, MT (US) Incident Date: Thursday, Oct 18, 2007 County: Cascade Disposition: Alleged Charges: Felony CTA Alleged: Enrique Tipiani

Case ID: 12484 Classification: Neglect / Abandonment Animal: dog (non pit-bull) View more cases in MT (US) Login to Watch this Case

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.

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References

Helena Independent Record - Oct 20, 2007

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