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Worst case of dog neglect in Pasado's Safe
Haven's history
Haz mat teams, the Department of Health, King County Animal Control, the Fire Department, Department of Public Health and the Mental Health Department - with Pasado's Safe Haven's rescuers converged; six dogs, matted beyond recognition, were saved.
We had never heard Pasado's Safe Haven's cruelty
investigator, Angel Ray, cry. She has seen
everything. And she's tough. But this time, it
was too much. After hours of climbing through
garbage in gut-retching stench, she wept. "I
couldn't even tell what I was saving. I couldn't
tell they were dogs. I didn't know which end was
which."
This morning capped off over a week of wrangling
to make this rescue happen. In fact, it actually
started years ago. But recent reports, first
made to local authorities, and then to Pasado's
Safe Haven, started an effort that ended up
requiring a task force to take control. For
neighbors who had worried about the dogs they
could hear inside the house, and for Pasado's,
there was no time to wait for a "task force;"
the dogs needed help faster than government
bureaucracy would allow.
After talking with King County Animal Control, the owner agreed to surrender the dogs. The first dog to be handed off
to authorities was the hardest. "I couldn't even tell it was a dog.
It was moving, but there were no legs. No paws.
No pads. I have never seen anything like this."
Five more dogs were then to follow, all in
terrible shape.
HOUSE OF HORRORS
After the six dogs were removed,
Pasado's cruelty investigator along with a
haz-mat team and Sergeant Morris from King
County Animal Control struggled to make their way
through the house and could barely tolerate the
stench. Rat and animal feces covered what you
could see of the floor. Piles of boxes were stacked
all throughout the house. "I suspected I'd find
more animals dead or dying. I didn't want to
miss a thing. I climbed and searched through everything
I could,"
Angel reported. Hours later, the six animals
would be all that she could find.
THE TRUE HEROES
Special thanks to the neighbors who wouldn't be
silenced. It is because of you that these sweet
innocent souls, who suffered in silence, were
given a voice. And now they can begin their
journey to recovery.
Apart from the efforts of King County Animal Control and supportive agencies, and Angel, Pasado's Safe Haven's
staff and volunteers made this heroic day happen. According to Vicki G., a PasadoRescuer, "The feces was so matted
on the dogs that they smelled like they were rotting. We tried to give them water and the first dog tried to find the
water through her mats, which fell into the water. When the dog lifted her head, the water was
filthy."
TIP COMES IN
It started with a call that came into Pasado's Safe Haven on Sunday evening, August 2nd. Stacey, Pasado's astute Admin Assistant, promptly found Angel. Within 24 hours, Angel secured a signed cruelty report by the reporting party and was on her way to the scene just outside
of Seattle.
The house was typical of any suburban neighborhood; at first glance, no one would suspect what a house of horrors lurked behind
those closed doors. But Angel had learned that in 2001-02, dead cats had been allegedly found and other
cats had been rescued. Neighbors who Angel interviewed had reported that the woman who owned the house had
allegedly been a hoarder. One neighbor allowed Angel to use their backyard, which was next door to the house in question.
Angel climbed a ladder and viewed the backyard
which was so neglected that she couldn't get a
good view of it. The smells, sounds and sight of
the house raised several red flags. A photo a neighbor supplied showed what appeared to be a rat walking on a windowsill inside.
Every week, Pasado’s Safe Haven receives reports
from citizens regarding alleged animal neglect
or abuse. They call our organization when little
or no action is taken by the law enforcement
entities responsible for responding to these
cases; or when delays may endanger the lives of
animals.
We take great care to vet the reports and
require reporting parties to sign statements of
fact that can be used in a court of law. We do
not act on rumors. Angel, Pasado’s Safe Haven’s
cruelty investigator and a former animal control
officer, personally investigates credible
cases.
In this case,
the reporting party had called local authorities
on July 30th, but feared actions would not occur
in a timely manner. That's when they called
Pasado's to follow-up.
Despite daily
prompting by Angel, a search warrant still
hadn't been served after eight days. Yesterday,
frustrated and worried about the dogs, Pasado's
Safe Haven asked the media to push the issue. It
is Pasado's position to only rely on media
coverage when action, in our opinion, is not
taking place quickly enough and may endanger the
lives of animals involved.
Pasado's - the only Northwest animal
org that provides rescue and cruelty
investigations
As you've read for nearly two years on
this website, Pasado's was involved in a
sheriff's seizure of animals from Jake
Rider, a man who was finally convicted of 11
counts of felony animal cruelty. As in this
case, Pasado's Safe Haven assumed
responsibility for all of the animals.
Read Jake Rider Story
Here
PLEASE
DONATE TO HELP
These dogs suffered for years and we fully
expect to have to treat the effects of long-term
neglect. Whether it is a cat or a cow, or six
dogs who had no voice until today, we need you
to support what we do. Please make a generous
donation today. And thank you, so very much.
NEWS COVERAGE
CBS Network Affiliate KIRO 7 |
ABC Network Affiliate KOMO 4 |
NBC Network Affiliate KING5
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Seattle Times
MyNorthwest.com
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Care2 News Blog
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King5 Pet Dish Blog
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Seattle Examiner
(don't forget
to ask your employer
to match your donation)
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