The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office has positively identified the suspect in this case as Salvatore Ted Arena, age 42, of Freshwater.
The three dogs, Angel, Becky and Ginger, had belonged to Arena's brother who passed away suddenly in February of this year.
Arena began trying to surrender the dogs to local rescues about one week ago stating that he was moving to the East Coast. Gail Holder of K-9 Angels Rescue had been in frequent contact with Arena and was working to try to get the dogs into foster care. She received a call from him on 08/21/13 just before the dogs were found abandoned in Fairhaven. Arena told her that he had to leave the following morning and that he could not put the dogs in his truck and take them across the country with him.
The Sheriff's Office will be seeking a warrant for Arena's arrest. At this time we have reason to believe that he has already left the area. Anyone having information to the contrary is asked to contact the Sheriff's Animal Control Division, 707 840-9132, or the Crime Tip Line, 707-268-2539.
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Authorities are searching for the owner of three dogs found running alongside a road in Fairhaven, or at least information on the backyard where they may have come from, officials announced Thursday.
According to a Humboldt County Sheriff's Office Animal Control Division release, a California Highway Patrol officer brought three dogs found running near New Navy Base Road at Lincoln Avenue in Fairhaven to the county's animal shelter on Wednesday.
The dogs, all female, are described as a 12-year-old black Labrador retriever mix, a 10-year-old brown German shepherd mix and a 10-year-old brown Airedale terrier mix.
The same day, shelter staff found a Craigslist post dated Aug. 8 from an unidentified person in Freshwater who stated that their neighbor is or was moving to the East Coast and had three dogs that he could not keep.
The release states that the dogs brought to the shelter are the same dogs in photographs posted in the listing, and the backyard of a residence is clearly visible in one of them.
On Thursday, shelter staff found a second Craigslist post from someone who claims to have seen a man abandon the dogs on New Navy Base Road and Bay Street.
It states that a man in his mid-30s with short hair, driving a newer, black 4WD truck, left the dogs and was telling them to “stay” as he drove away, and one of the dogs was nearly struck by a car while chasing the truck down the road.
According to the release, it is not clear if the person responsible for the second post was the person who reported the loose dogs to CHP. Shelter staff has replied to both posts, but have not received a response.
Abandonment of an animal is a crime.
The sheriff's office animal control division is asking for the public's help to identify the owner of these dogs and is asking anyone who recognizes the dogs or the backyard of the residence in the photographs to call Animal Control Officer Andre Hale at 840-9132 or the crime tip line at 268-2539.
(Times-Standard - Aug 23 2013)
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