Wednesday, February 21, 2007

"Two dozen dogs seized from Southeast Side home"

We've seen too many cats. We've seen too many people. And now, there are too many dogs in one local home, as KENS-TV reports:

"We had information that there were too many dogs at this location. We thought there was gonna be 15, but when we got out here, turned out to be 24," animal cruelty investigator Eddie Wright said.

All of the two dozen dogs were Pit Bull mixes, and 10 of them were puppies.


Just what we need, more pit bulls.

UPDATE: It looks like the initial report was wrong. The dogs weren't in the house, and they were being cared for and loved. ("ACS returns 24 pit bulls to owner")

Animal Care Services had seized the dog, along with 13 other adult dogs and 10 puppies of the same breed, from a vast backyard on the East Side where Gilbert Lopez, 22, has raised the dogs for years. ...

Animal control officers suspected Lopez's animals were being used for dogfights. But when they arrived at his home in the 200 block of Roesler, they encountered animals living in exemplary conditions within a subculture that rejects the pit bull's nasty reputation.

The well-fed, muscular canines sat in spacious cages on 1.4 acres outfitted with a septic tank to eliminate bad odors. The property is equipped with outdoor lighting and a portable toilet for those who attend dog shows on-site.

"The dogs appear to be show dogs more than anything else," said Eddie Wright, animal cruelty investigator for the city. ...

In their brief time at the pound, the 24 seized pit bulls were conspicuously calm — a sign they were well cared for and not a threat, [spokeswoman for Animal Care Services Lisa] Norwood said. Only one dog seemed to rebel against its temporary captors, urinating on a mud flap of the truck used to haul it away.

Looks like these particular pit bulls aren't a danger. I wish I could say the same about the rest of them in this town.

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