Fifty-one animals were confiscated by Salina Animal Shelter workers Thursday from a boarding facility that was believed to be operating without proper permits, according to Capt. Mike Sweeney, of the Salina Police Department.
Most of the animals were owned by the person running the business, but shelter workers were still trying to contact three dog owners Friday.
Vanessa Cowie, animal services supervisor for the shelter, said that anyone boarding a dog at Playful Pets, 330 N. Ninth, should contact the shelter, which is where the dogs are being held. Cowie said six dogs were returned to their owners Thursday.
Sweeney said police searched the facility about 8:45 a.m. Thursday, acting on complaints made to the Salina Animal Shelter.
Officers arrested Stephanie Ann Pankratz (aka Stephanie Woodruff-Pankratz), 50, who was living at that location, on a charge of failure to appear in Municipal Court.
Cowie said that Pankratz had charges pending for not having a permit for an animal boarding facility and for having exotic animals at a facility she operated at 700 N. Ohio Court. She allegedly had pot-bellied pigs at that location.
Day, overnight care
Cowie said Pankratz had advertised Playful Pets as a facility for day care and overnight boarding for all types of animals, but she did not have a permit and the facility had not been inspected.
Cowie said Pankratz had not been charged as of Friday morning, but she could face at least 18 charges of violation of Salina code for operating an animal boarding facility without a license and several counts of care requirements.
While the investigation is ongoing, the animals are being held at the animal shelter, Cowie said.
"We're still processing the evidence," she said. "We haven't filed the charges yet. It is unsure whether she will be able to reclaim any of these animals at this time. We have not reviewed all of the evidence at this point."
Animals seized included seven birds, 18 cats, 14 dogs, four rabbits, five rats and three pigs.
No electricity in building - animals kept in the dark
When police and Cowie arrived, they found the animals in dark rooms, as the building had no electricity.
"Some were caged; some were loose," Cowie said. "There were 18 cats in one room with access to one litter box. Given that there was no electricity, the rooms were pitch black. There were no windows, no ventilation."
Sweeney said there was running water at the facility on Thursday, but there was no water from Sept. 30 to Oct. 22, when the water was turned on. Cowie said Pankratz is believed to have opened Playful Pets in early September.
Cowie said three pot-bellied pigs, one weighing 180 pounds, were found in a bedroom with no windows.
Wouldn't pass inspection
The business is classified as a commercial animal establishment that includes kennels, boarding facilities and day care, Cowie said. A commercial animal license is require to operate that type of facility. An inspection process and a fee are required to obtain such a license.
Cowie said from what she saw at the facility on Thursday, it would not have passed an inspection.
The condition of the animals varied because they were housed in different rooms and cages.
Animals in good condition (but living conditions were not)
"Where they were located in the building had a big impact on their condition," she said. "The body condition of the animals was good. We didn't find any animals underweight. There was no evidence of cruelty."
Cowie found excessive feces, fleas and evidence of intestinal parasites. The facility also was over capacity.
Well over capacity
"She obviously did not have a capacity set by the city and she established her own capacity and from what we saw she was well over that," Cowie said.
While officers searched the facility, customers continued to show up to have their animals boarded.
"We were turning them away," Cowie said. "If there were 51 when we got there, we estimated we turned away another six. There could have been a lot more."
Cowie said Pankratz was not breeding or selling the animals.
(Salina.com - Oct 25, 2014)
No comments:
Post a Comment