Hoarding 70 animals
Dickinson, TX (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Mar 6, 2003
County: Galveston
Disposition: Not Charged
Abuser names unreleased
Galveston County authorities removed more than 70 animals from a home Thursday after discovering they were left abandoned in their pens. The animal rescue operation began Wednesday at the home, located in the 5000 block of Farm-to-Market Road 517 East in Dickinson.
Investigators told News2Houston that they received calls from neighbors complaining of a foul odor coming from the home, and then discovered the abandoned animals, which included ostriches, peacocks, pigs, boars, raccoons, geese and doves.
One of the animals was discovered dead, but many were malnourished, sick and stuck in 1 foot of mud and manure, authorities said.
"I've never seen a thin pig before," said Kim Hogstrom, a spokeswoman for the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "There's a pig out there that is virtually skin and bone. There's no telling how long these animals have gone without food and water and certainly shelter.
"The ostriches are nearly bald from what appears to be parasitic involvement and they're all starving."
Investigators said that the owners of the home are an older couple who left the home and are now living in Liberty County and either abandoned the animals or were just unfit to care for them.
The couple have been charged with municipal sanitary violations, authorities said. References« TX State Animal Cruelty Map
« More cases in Galveston County, TX
|
