Spells to Find an Ideal Animal Companion or Connect with Spirit Animals
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 9:17 pm
Here's an article on a Chihuahua puppy mill with a rather odd side-note
about folks placing the dogs on the their tables for good luck while
playing bingo. (!!!)
--cat
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [Semi-OT] `There were piles and piles of dogs'
Date: Sat, 20 Aug 2005 00:15:59 GMT
From: indigoace@seesignature.com (Indigo Ace)
Organization: SBC http://yahoo.sbc.com
Newsgroups: alt.true-crime
From the Chicago Tribune--
`There were piles and piles of dogs'
Constant yapping hounded neighbors-- then police found 71 Chihuahuas
in a raid on a Wheeling home
By Kayce T. Ataiyero, Tribune staff reporter. Tribune staff reporters
Michael Higgins, Richard Wronski and Scott Goldstein and freelance
writer Mark Shuman contributed to this report
Published August 19, 2005
Some of the dogs--very small dogs--peered over the tops of boxes
scattered about the bedroom of the Wheeling town home. Others were
clustered behind the toilet, about 35 pairs of scared little eyes
peeking from behind the porcelain.
In all, 72 dogs--71 Chihuahuas and a lone papillon--were rescued
Wednesday evening from the home that animal shelter officials
described Thursday as an illegal puppy mill.
"There were piles and piles of dogs," said Laura Krauch, manager of
the Heartland Animal Shelter in Northbrook. "I looked behind the
toilet and almost died."
Wheeling police raided the two-story town home in the 800 block of
Chelsea Drive around 6 p.m. Wednesday, making their way up a rotting
wooden staircase and knocking down a bedroom door on the second floor
to confront a woman who had locked herself in with some of the dogs,
authorities said.
All of the animals were in good health, and officials offered a silver
lining to a story that began when neighbors complained about the smell
and constant barking.
Most of the dogs, which range from newborn pups to 8 years old,
probably will be adopted, and calls from Chihuahua lovers were already
pouring in to the shelter.
When asked how popular the pint-size dogs are, Krauch said, "People
love Chihuahuas. You can take them to bingo and put them on the table
for good luck. I've seen . . . that."
No charges were filed Thursday against the occupants of the home,
where a condemnation notice with bright red lettering was posted on
the front door, officials said. It was a family of three people, a
woman and her two adult children, said Cmdr. Jim Kuzynowski of the
Wheeling Police Department, who declined to release their names.
Village ordinance restricts residents to four dogs per household, and
all dogs must be licensed. A charge of cruelty to animals could be
filed, Kuzynowski said.
One of the family members was previously cited for having too many
dogs and pleaded guilty, he said.
Shelter workers said the dogs were for sale, apparently the sole
source of income for the family.
An animal welfare officer from the state Department of Agriculture
said the residents had no license to breed and sell animals or to
kennel them, according to department representative Chris Herbert.
During the tense confrontation, police had to break down the bedroom
door when the woman refused to come out and release the dogs,
authorities said. A man believed to be her son doused himself with
lighter fluid and had to be restrained by police, officials said.
"He says if you take my dogs, I'm going to kill myself," Krauch said.
The house appeared to be well-kept, at least on the outside, with
"nice siding, nice paint," said Hannah Arbizzani, the shelter's
executive director.
But when the workers went inside, a suffocating stench of urine wafted
over them and they had to don face masks, Arbizzani said.
Dogs were everywhere in the two-bedroom home. "They had the run of the
place," she said.
Dragging out dog crates, the workers discovered that one of the
animals had just given birth to some pups.
Another dog, a 10-week-old pup a rescue worker nicknamed Binky,
cowered in the corner, not wanting to socialize with the others.
The tight clusters of Chihuahuas were sprayed with carbon dioxide to
help separate them. They were scooped into cat carriers, counted and
taken to the shelter.
Police said 70 dogs were rescued, but shelter officials put the number
at 72 after counting and recounting the squirming pups.
Arbizzani said she believed the residents were raising the dogs for
sale, probably getting customers over the Internet or through
advertisements, for $300 a dog.
"They were breeders," she said. "They weren't hoarding."
Maurice Lazama, 37, a neighbor, said his wife called police, the
Wheeling Health Department and the homeowners association several
times over the last few months to complain about the noise and smell
coming from the home. But when authorities went to the door, no one
would answer, he said.
During the standoff Wednesday, police evacuated the adjoining
townhouses after the man stood by an upstairs window with lighter
fluid, he said.
When Lazama returned to his home, the dogs were lined up in cardboard
boxes and crates outside the townhouse, he said. Some boxes had three
to five dogs, including some puppies.
The people who lived in the town home "were just reclusive," another
neighbor said. "We see them walking in with cases and cases of dog
food."
Al Carver, who runs a Chihuahua rescue service in Palos Heights, said
he thought the dogs would be adopted quickly.
At any given time, he has a waiting list of 30 to 40 people who want
to give one of the small dogs a good home, he said.
"It is a loving dog," Carver said of the Mexican breed. "I have three
of them myself."
Thursday afternoon, the dogs were being fed at the Heartland shelter,
where they were getting a little chill time to adjust to their new
surroundings and recover from the trauma.
Aside from a minor skin condition, the dogs are in general good
health, said Lauren Olsberg, manager of Preiser Animal Hospital next
to the shelter. All of them will need shots and nail trims, she said.
"Just basic care," Olsberg said. "They are very sweet."
Despite the number of dogs, Olsberg said the shelter is optimistic
that homes could be found.
"Small dogs go very fast," she said.
Not fast enough, perhaps.
Wednesday night, a new litter of three pups was born.
The Heartland Animal Shelter can be reached at 847-296-6400.
----------
Copyright © 2005, Chicago Tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-
0508190086aug19,1,2440659.story?coll=chi-news-hed
--
Anne
indigoace at goodsol period com
http://www.goodsol.com/cats/
about folks placing the dogs on the their tables for good luck while
playing bingo. (!!!)
--cat
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [Semi-OT] `There were piles and piles of dogs'
Date: Sat, 20 Aug 2005 00:15:59 GMT
From: indigoace@seesignature.com (Indigo Ace)
Organization: SBC http://yahoo.sbc.com
Newsgroups: alt.true-crime
From the Chicago Tribune--
`There were piles and piles of dogs'
Constant yapping hounded neighbors-- then police found 71 Chihuahuas
in a raid on a Wheeling home
By Kayce T. Ataiyero, Tribune staff reporter. Tribune staff reporters
Michael Higgins, Richard Wronski and Scott Goldstein and freelance
writer Mark Shuman contributed to this report
Published August 19, 2005
Some of the dogs--very small dogs--peered over the tops of boxes
scattered about the bedroom of the Wheeling town home. Others were
clustered behind the toilet, about 35 pairs of scared little eyes
peeking from behind the porcelain.
In all, 72 dogs--71 Chihuahuas and a lone papillon--were rescued
Wednesday evening from the home that animal shelter officials
described Thursday as an illegal puppy mill.
"There were piles and piles of dogs," said Laura Krauch, manager of
the Heartland Animal Shelter in Northbrook. "I looked behind the
toilet and almost died."
Wheeling police raided the two-story town home in the 800 block of
Chelsea Drive around 6 p.m. Wednesday, making their way up a rotting
wooden staircase and knocking down a bedroom door on the second floor
to confront a woman who had locked herself in with some of the dogs,
authorities said.
All of the animals were in good health, and officials offered a silver
lining to a story that began when neighbors complained about the smell
and constant barking.
Most of the dogs, which range from newborn pups to 8 years old,
probably will be adopted, and calls from Chihuahua lovers were already
pouring in to the shelter.
When asked how popular the pint-size dogs are, Krauch said, "People
love Chihuahuas. You can take them to bingo and put them on the table
for good luck. I've seen . . . that."
No charges were filed Thursday against the occupants of the home,
where a condemnation notice with bright red lettering was posted on
the front door, officials said. It was a family of three people, a
woman and her two adult children, said Cmdr. Jim Kuzynowski of the
Wheeling Police Department, who declined to release their names.
Village ordinance restricts residents to four dogs per household, and
all dogs must be licensed. A charge of cruelty to animals could be
filed, Kuzynowski said.
One of the family members was previously cited for having too many
dogs and pleaded guilty, he said.
Shelter workers said the dogs were for sale, apparently the sole
source of income for the family.
An animal welfare officer from the state Department of Agriculture
said the residents had no license to breed and sell animals or to
kennel them, according to department representative Chris Herbert.
During the tense confrontation, police had to break down the bedroom
door when the woman refused to come out and release the dogs,
authorities said. A man believed to be her son doused himself with
lighter fluid and had to be restrained by police, officials said.
"He says if you take my dogs, I'm going to kill myself," Krauch said.
The house appeared to be well-kept, at least on the outside, with
"nice siding, nice paint," said Hannah Arbizzani, the shelter's
executive director.
But when the workers went inside, a suffocating stench of urine wafted
over them and they had to don face masks, Arbizzani said.
Dogs were everywhere in the two-bedroom home. "They had the run of the
place," she said.
Dragging out dog crates, the workers discovered that one of the
animals had just given birth to some pups.
Another dog, a 10-week-old pup a rescue worker nicknamed Binky,
cowered in the corner, not wanting to socialize with the others.
The tight clusters of Chihuahuas were sprayed with carbon dioxide to
help separate them. They were scooped into cat carriers, counted and
taken to the shelter.
Police said 70 dogs were rescued, but shelter officials put the number
at 72 after counting and recounting the squirming pups.
Arbizzani said she believed the residents were raising the dogs for
sale, probably getting customers over the Internet or through
advertisements, for $300 a dog.
"They were breeders," she said. "They weren't hoarding."
Maurice Lazama, 37, a neighbor, said his wife called police, the
Wheeling Health Department and the homeowners association several
times over the last few months to complain about the noise and smell
coming from the home. But when authorities went to the door, no one
would answer, he said.
During the standoff Wednesday, police evacuated the adjoining
townhouses after the man stood by an upstairs window with lighter
fluid, he said.
When Lazama returned to his home, the dogs were lined up in cardboard
boxes and crates outside the townhouse, he said. Some boxes had three
to five dogs, including some puppies.
The people who lived in the town home "were just reclusive," another
neighbor said. "We see them walking in with cases and cases of dog
food."
Al Carver, who runs a Chihuahua rescue service in Palos Heights, said
he thought the dogs would be adopted quickly.
At any given time, he has a waiting list of 30 to 40 people who want
to give one of the small dogs a good home, he said.
"It is a loving dog," Carver said of the Mexican breed. "I have three
of them myself."
Thursday afternoon, the dogs were being fed at the Heartland shelter,
where they were getting a little chill time to adjust to their new
surroundings and recover from the trauma.
Aside from a minor skin condition, the dogs are in general good
health, said Lauren Olsberg, manager of Preiser Animal Hospital next
to the shelter. All of them will need shots and nail trims, she said.
"Just basic care," Olsberg said. "They are very sweet."
Despite the number of dogs, Olsberg said the shelter is optimistic
that homes could be found.
"Small dogs go very fast," she said.
Not fast enough, perhaps.
Wednesday night, a new litter of three pups was born.
The Heartland Animal Shelter can be reached at 847-296-6400.
----------
Copyright © 2005, Chicago Tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-
0508190086aug19,1,2440659.story?coll=chi-news-hed
--
Anne
indigoace at goodsol period com
http://www.goodsol.com/cats/
