La Pine-area woman facing 69 animal neglect charges; 18 of the surrendered dogs brought to HSCO in Bend

(Update: Adding video, details that four dogs will be up for adoption on Saturday)

La PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) – A woman was cited on 69 counts of first-degree animal neglect after surrendering dozens of dogs from her property south of La Pine, Klamath County sheriff’s deputies said. Eighteen of the seized dogs were taken to the Humane Society of Central Oregon in Bend for care and eventual adoption.

The Humane Society told KTVZ News, 4 of the dogs seized will be available for adoption. If you are not able to adopt, you can help out by volunteering, fostering, or donating.

Deputies said the 65-year-old woman's arrest by citation and release followed an investigation into reports of animal neglect involving numerous dogs on her 10-acre property.

Klamath County deputies were assisted by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and the Humane Society of Central Oregon, which provided medical evaluations and care for the animals.

The HSCO said Friday they received 18 of the animals, not the 30 initially reported Thursday evening - the rest went to a Klamath County shelter.

HSCO Executive Director Amber Kostoff told KTVZ News: "Our staff has been working basically around the clock to work out the logistics of receiving that number of animals. It might seem like a relatively small number of animals, 18, but our shelter was already at capacity. And so we had to do a lot to move existing animals from our shelter. We were working really hard on getting stray animals back to their owners. We put a lot of our adoptable animals in wonderful foster homes. "

The sheriff's office said the woman "was cooperative throughout the investigation and voluntarily surrendered her dogs to authorities."

KTVZ News policy is not to name arrested individuals until and unless formal charges are filed.

Deputies said the majority of the seized dogs included pit bulls, Neapolitan mastiffs, German shepherds, shepherd/pit bull mixes, shepherd/Rottweiler mixes, and one Cane Corso.

While most of the dogs were successfully removed from the property, one dog was found deceased at the scene, and four dogs remained at large as of Thursday evening. Efforts were underway to humanely capture them using live traps, the sheriff's office said.

"The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office extends its gratitude to DCSO and the Humane Society of Central Oregon for their invaluable assistance in ensuring the welfare of these animals," the news release stated.

This investigation remains ongoing, deputies said, and anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office at (541) 883-5130 or by email: info@klamathsheriff.org.

News release from the Humane Society of Central Oregon:

Humane Society of Central Oregon Responds to Urgent Dog Surrender

Bend, OR – In a major coordinated effort with the Klamath County Sheriff’s Department and Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control, the Humane Society of Central Oregon (HSCO) is currently addressing the surrender of over 30 dogs (later reduced to 18) from a property south of La Pine.

The dogs, ranging from young puppies to senior dogs, are suffering from various health issues, including malnourishment, significant injuries, and chronic disease. This urgent circumstance has put a strain on the resources of the shelter, which is at full capacity for dogs.

With an ongoing effort to care for and manage this large intake of dogs, HSCO is calling for community support:

• Adoptions: Visit the shelter to adopt one of our currently available dogs, helping free up resources for incoming animals. All available animals are listed at hsco.org/adopt.

• Fostering: We are in need of short-term foster care for young and senior dogs.
• Donations: Many of the animals will need ongoing medical treatment and long-term care requiring significant funding. Secure donations can be made directly at hsco.org/donate.

Executive Director’s Statement:
Amber Kostoff, Executive Director of HSCO, says, "Right now, our top priority is giving these animals the medical care they urgently need. We’re calling on our community for help: adopt, foster, or donate. Your support will help ensure these animals get the care they need.”

About the Dogs and Care Efforts:
The surrendered animals are receiving comprehensive medical assessments and treatments from HSCO’s veterinary team. The dogs will become available as they are medically cleared and have been spayed or neutered. When the dogs become available for adoption, they will be listed on HSCO’s website: hsco.org.