Lawsuit: Broken boiler left 'ice puppies' in cold at county animal shelter

CALIFORNIA -- A county veterinarian said dogs at a local shelter were forced to sit in wet, chilly kennels, and his bosses declined to make a permanent fix.

"Unfortunately, the dogs became known as 'pupsicles' and 'ice puppies,'" said Bruce Cauble.

In a retaliation lawsuit filed against San Diego County, Cauble said when he complained about this and other concerns he was punished with a transfer and a much longer commute.

 

Cauble showed 10News dozens of photos that he said made it hard to go to work. The photos appear to show dogs -- some of them wet -- in wet kennels.

"Uncomfortable and heartbreaking; we should be keeping them healthy, not adding to their suffering," said Cauble.

Because the shelter is overcrowded and understaffed, he said workers are forced to hose down the waste while the dogs are still inside in order to save time.

Cauble said what can't be seen is how cold the concrete is. In some photos he showed 10News, the boiler that heated the pipes under the concrete was broken.

Cauble said five years ago he started complaining about the boiler to his bosses, but they refused to get a new one, instead making repairs. He said the boiler broke down about five times every year, leaving animals in the cold for at least a week.

"The dogs would get hypothermic. We would wrap them in towels, but the towel would get wet. The dryer was sometimes broken, so we'd run out of towels," said Cauble. "The conditions left them susceptible to more problems, like kennel cough, pneumonia and distemper."

Cauble's lawsuit also alleges problems with supplies that left the shelter short on the most effective painkillers.

"The end result is more suffering," said Cauble. "We'd have to use less effective painkillers with more side effects."

Cauble also submitted formal complaints, including one to the Veterinary Medical Board in 2013, that X-ray machines in many of the shelters hadn't been properly licensed.

That same year, he said he was transferred to another shelter, which led to a much longer commute. He said it aggravated a back condition and forced him to go on disability.

"This is a veterinarian who spoke out for the welfare of his animals and his staff and he was punished for that," said Cauble's attorney, Dan Gilleon.

Cauble said he's filed suit hoping for changes.

"I can't continue to see what's happening in this shelter," said Cauble.

Cauble said a new boiler was finally put in place last year, but he learned that during the recent rains it broke down again.

A spokesperson for the County of San Diego issued this statement:

"The Department of Animal Services' number one priority is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the animals in its care. The County is reviewing the claim that has been filed and isn't able to comment on pending litigation but will continue to provide the best care possible for all of the animals in our shelters."

(10News - May 27, 2015)