Hoarding 14 dogs, 2 puppies - bodies of dead puppies found in trash
Houston, TX (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, Jun 4, 2003
County: Harris
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Geraldine Grant
More than a dozen dogs were rescued from a southwest Harris County Houston home Wednesday morning due to deplorable conditions, according to the Houston Humane Society. Neighbors complained about unsanitary conditions at the home, located in the 3600 block of Agnes near the South Loop.
When Houston police officers arrived at 9:45 a.m., they had to wear masks to enter the house because of the stench, according to authorities.
They found 14 dogs and two puppies inside the home. The animals were malnourished and neglected, officers said. Some had serious infections.
"The living conditions in the house are deplorable. The dogs themselves are defecating throughout the house," said Sgt. Mark Timmers with the Houston Humane Society.
The bodies of dead puppies were also found in trash bins in the home.
"When you enter this home, it is overwhelming -- the feces, the urine that is all over," said Stacey Wilbanks with the Houston Humane Society.
Houston police asked the Humane Society to help gather the animals after monitoring the home for more than a year.
According to Wilbanks, the owner, Geraldine Grant, as well as her daughter and grandson, were in danger from the home's filth too.
"This is not only deplorable conditions, it's a real health risk for this family," Wilbanks said.
Timmers said that the dogs have gotten so aggressive that one rescuer was bitten. "We have reports over the last couple of years of (the dogs) chasing people down the street, getting them in corners and everything, so it is a dangerous situation," Timmers said.
Since the dogs have not been vaccinated, the rescuer will need rabies shots, officials said. One officer said that he has not seen anything that bad in all of his life. The owner strongly denied that her dogs were neglected or starved.
"There's (no one) in there sick and (no one) has (any) disease," Grant said. "My dogs (don't have) disease either."
Grant said that the smell in the home never bothered her or her relatives.
She said that she would fight to get her dogs back. The Houston Humane Society hopes to get custody of the animals, give them medical attention, and then put them up for adoption. References« TX State Animal Cruelty Map
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