Grand Saline Texas

SPCA of Texas receives custody of 41 cruelly confined animals

(WILLS POINT, TX/McKINNEY, TX); July 7, 2011 -- Before a hearing today at the Van Zandt County Courthouse, Justice of the Peace, Pct. 1 in Grand Saline, TX, an agreement was reached between the Van Zandt County District Attorney, the animal owner, judge Don Kirkpatrick and the SPCA of Texas. The owner signed an agreement with the SPCA of Texas to relinquish ownership of the 38 dogs and puppies, two turtles and one bird.

The animals, seized under the authority of the Van Zandt County Sheriff's Department on June 28, 2011 from a property in Wills Point, TX, were being forced to live in feces-filled, urine-soaked conditions, and many of the animals did not have access to an appropriate water source. The heat wave in North Texas put the animals' health at greater risk. 

To view photos and video taken at the property, visit www.spca.org/vanzandt062811 .

Nineteen puppies and six dogs, mostly Chow Chows, as well as two turtles and one bird, a cockatiel, were living inside a trailer house on the property.

Conditions inside the trailer home were extremely poor, and included urine-soaked carpet, feces throughout, a severe flea infestation and high ammonia levels. The ammonia level inside one bedroom in the residence was 18 parts per million. As a point of reference, short term exposure to any ammonia level over 20 ppm or long term exposure to any level over 12 ppm can cause health problems in humans. Although many bowls were visible throughout the house, no water was found in any of the bowls. The bird did not have access to food.

Twelve more dogs were being housed in a 15 foot by 20 foot pen, which was filled with feces, outside the residence. These dogs did not have food in their enclosure, and their water bowls were contaminated by algae.

One additional dog, who was being kept inside a filthy, feces-filled horse trailer, had water but the only food available to this dog was mixed in with the feces on the bottom of the horse trailer. The Van Zandt County Sheriff's Department contacted the SPCA of Texas requesting assistance in seizing the animals. The SPCA of Texas concurred with the Sheriff's department that it was in the animals' best interest to obtain a seizure warrant and remove the animals immediately.

The SPCA of Texas transported the animals to the Perry Animal Care Center in McKinney, TX on June 28th, where they were examined by medical staff and cared for until the custody hearing.

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