Calhoun County Sheriff Department deputies were first alerted to the possibility of a problem at the home in the 5000 block of 11-Mile Road in Burlington Township on Wednesday.
Mike Vanderbilt, the department’s animal control officer, said he was called by a neighbor about the possibility that many dogs were living in the mobile home.
Vanderbilt said went to the home.
“I could hear a lot of dogs and I could smell the odor of feces,” he said.
Vanderbilt obtained a search warrant and he and two deputies and an animal control officer from the City of Battle Creek went to the house Thursday morning.
He said they found 28 small dogs, believed to be Pomeranian-Papillon mix, and one Labrador mix.
Officers said they found unsanitary conditions inside.
The dogs were taken to the Calhoun County Animal Shelter.
“They don’t look too terribly bad,” said Sindy Buford, director of the shelter.
She said they were dirty, most with feces matted in their coats, and had fleas, ear mites and worms. They are all being vaccinated and evaluated by an Albion veterinarian.
Buford said the dogs should be available for adoption by next week.
“That breed can be kind of snippy dogs, and there are a couple that will need behavior modification, but I hope they will be pretty good and healthy. They are going to be adoptable within a week, so people should come down and check some of them out after Tuesday,” she said.
Because of the large number of dogs, Buford said the shelter is seeking donations of food for small breeds.
Meanwhile Lt. Aaron Wiersma said investigators expect to seek charges of animal cruelty because of the conditions.
Vanderbilt said 40 dogs were removed from the woman’s home in 2006 in Homer.
A worker from Adult Protective Services also came to the home to check on the living conditions and on the woman’s welfare.
The woman told deputies she did not wish to speak to a reporter about the incident and asked him to leave her property.
(Battle Creek Enquirer - April 11, 2013)
