100 sick dogs seized from greyhound kennel - Tucson, AZ

Monday, Jul 11, 2005

Pima County animal welfare workers say they've had problems before with the owner of a south side greyhound kennel where about 100 sick dogs were removed the night of July 11, 2005. They call it one of the worst cases of cruelty they've seen.

Authorities with the county's Animal Cruelty Task Force spent much of the evening in biohazard suits removing dogs from Rippetoe Kennels, a privately owned facility near Alvernon and Benson Highway. Some dogs are believed to be racing dogs, others are thought to be retired dogs from Tucson Greyhound Park. The dogs are in the custody of Pima Animal Care, which is trying to locate their owners.

The owner of the kennel, John Rippetoe, told KOLD News 13, "I'm not liable, I don't have to turn those dogs out." He says the incident is being "greatly exaggerated."

Rippetoe has a house on the property and has connections with Tucson Greyhound Park.
Two other Park employees are said to be cooperating with the investigation. Rippetoe could be facing felony charges, authorities said. "We had an investigator come out and evaluate the situation," says Mark Soto of Pima County Animal Control. "Based on his information, we decided the best option at this point would be to impound the majority of the dogs."

The dogs were set to be photographed and documented for malnutrition, dehydration, skin disorders and massive amounts of fleas. Soto said fleas were also visible on the suits of animal workers who were walking through the facility. An exterminator had been called in to deal with the fleas.

References

• « AZ State Animal Cruelty Map
  « More cases in Pima County, AZ

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