Dozens of Dead, Dying Dogs Found at Home
Aztec, NM (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Mar 2, 2004
County: San Juan
Disposition: Alleged
Abuser names unreleased
Animal control officers have discovered about 30 dead dogs and more than a dozen starving dogs at a San Juan County home.
About 23 of the dead animals were found in plastic containers and seven others were being stored in a refrigeration unit, San Juan County sheriff's Detective Levi Countryman said. "It's a mess, a real mess," he said.
According to officials executing a search warrant Tuesday afternoon, the inside of the home was covered in dog feces.
Countryman did not release the name of the occupant or exact location of the home because the investigation is ongoing and charges had not been filed Tuesday night.
In addition to the dead dogs, animal control officers also found 14 dogs tied outside of the home and four dogs inside.
Countryman said no food or water was in sight for the dogs that were outside.
Animal control visited the man's home as a result of an alleged animal neglect reported there in June 2003. At the time, an estimated 19 dogs were living at the residence.
The man was charged on several counts, but the outcome of those charges was not immediately known Tuesday.
Countryman said the owner of the dogs could face misdemeanor charges of cruelty to animals or felony charges of extreme cruelty to animals. References
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