DCSO animal neglect investigation leads to seizure of 37 dogs, La Pine woman facing 45 charges
La PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) – Numerous issues involving dogs on a La Pine property have led to an investigation, the seizure of 37 dogs, many in "very poor condition," and 45 animal neglect, abandonment and other charges against a 48-year-old La Pine woman, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said Wednesday.
The sheriff’s office had responded to numerous animal complaints at a property in the 52000 block of Wayside Loop, Sergeant Jason Wall said. Calls for service have ranged from dogs at large to noise complaints, dogs living in unsafe conditions and several dog bites, he said. One of the people bitten was a sheriff’s deputy trying to arrest someone at the property.
As a result of the complaints, the dog owner was issued county code violations on nine occasions related to her dogs, Wall said.
On Dec. 21, deputies went to a residence on the property due to a complaint of dogs at large. An elderly homeowner was found living with 14 dogs at his residence, after the dogs were abandoned. The dogs ranged in age from adults 1-3 years old to puppies 8 to 20 weeks old, Wall said.
“The dogs were left with no food, no clean water, living mostly outdoors in inclement weather,” Wall said in a news release. “Many of the dogs were highly aggressive and had not been vaccinated or licensed in the county. The elderly male homeowner was not able to care for them and had not agreed to do so.”
During that call for service, deputies seized 11 dogs and took them to the Humane Society of Central Oregon in Bend.
Wall said an investigation then began regarding the crimes of animal neglect and abandonment.
“During the investigation, deputies responded to more dog-at-large calls and seized several other dogs,” he said.
Last Friday, a 48-year-old woman was contacted in La Pine “and was found to have 20 additional dogs still living at the property in very poor condition,” Wall said. She surrendered the dogs willingly to law enforcement and they were taken to BrightSide Animal Center in Redmond.
A total of 37 dogs were found in her possession, he said, and all have been taken to area animal shelters.
The woman was cited and released on three counts of felony second-degree animal neglect, 29 counts of animal abandonment and 13 counts of having an unlicensed dog. (NewsChannel 21 is not naming the suspect at this time, as is our company's policy when formal charges have not been filed.)
