NEW MEXICO -- A Mimbres Valley resident, Dola Arnspiger, 66, was charged with 11 counts of cruelty to animals after the Grant County Sheriff's Office confiscated 18 dogs, including three puppies. Sixteen of the dogs, most of which are mastiffs, were placed with High Desert Humane Society, according to Animal Control Officer Gigi Shoaf. A horse also was seized from the property.
According to a report from the sheriff's department, local residents had complained to the sheriff's office and humane society multiple times about animal cruelty taking place on a 40-acre parcel on Hot Springs Canyon Road in the San Lorenzo area for three months. The property contains one home and multiple trailers, travel trailers, motor homes and outbuildings, the report states. However, Grant County Sheriff's Lt. Fermin Lopez said Arnspiger lived alone on the property.
Neighbors alleged Arnspiger kept her pets in cruel and inhumane conditions, saying the dogs barked constantly, fought with each other and appeared to be malnourished, ungroomed and generally uncared for, according to the report.
Animal control officers from Grant County, Silver City and Santa Clara, as well as sheriff's deputies, High Desert Humane Society staff and a New Mexico Livestock Board inspector arrived at the residence with a search warrant. The deputies removed all of the animals from the property.
According to the report, sheriff's deputies found many of the dogs malnourished, some had visible injuries and the animals were not protected from the elements. Deputies also reported finding the dogs living in filthy pens or runs saturated with feces and urine, and they had little or no water. Water available was stagnant or green, the report states. The deputies also discovered that many of the canines had not been immunized, nor were they licensed, according to the report.
The state Livestock Board Inspector Buddy Edy would not comment on the condition of the horse. But officials with equine rescue said the horse is now living at a horse sanctuary while Arnspiger waits to stand trial.
The deputies found that two of the 18 dogs belonged to another owner and those dogs were released to the owner. Lopez said those dogs appeared to be in normal health. High Desert Humane Society continues to care for the other 16 dogs while Arnspiger awaits trial.
High Desert Humane Society volunteer Ellen Klein said the confiscated mastiffs have "more than doubled" the canine population at the humane society, putting the small shelter under stress. The adult mastiffs weigh between 90 to 130 pounds.
"They're eating us out of house and home," Klein said.
Shoaf declined to comment on the dogs, stating only that they are in protective custody and are not adoptable, not viewable and volunteers are not even allowed to walk the dogs. She did say HDHS will gladly accept donations of food or financial donations, as they are in short supply of large breed dog food and puppy chow because of the hungry — and large — animals being housed at the shelter.
Lopez said Arnspiger could be forced to pay restitution for upkeep of the animals when she faces a judge, but it will be up to the court to make that decision.
(Silver City Sun-News - Dec 18, 2014)
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