Several dead dogs were also found at the 960-square-foot home, which had been the subject of a months-long investigation that resulted in more than 40 citations for city code violations.
Vinzant, 63, was booked into Dallas County jail Wednesday evening and was charged with cruelty to livestock animals, cruelty to non-livestock animals, and is being held on various warrants, police said.
Dallas Animal Services director Jody Jones said her staff had been working on the case since September to try to get the homeowner to comply with the city code.
“At this point there are multiple violations,” she said. “So Dallas police, the code department, animal services and the community prosecutor will be working to determine the full extent of the charges.”
Problems were discovered at the home when a police officer responding to another call noticed a large number of animals.
“That is what piqued his interest to go over and start a conversation with the owner,” said Dr. Catherine McManus, Dallas Animal Services’ operations manager.
Officials released few details about the home.
“The conditions inside the property are pretty deplorable, something we would not consider appropriate for human or animal lives,” McManus said. “That is why it is so important for us to move in and take some action.”
Despite the state of the home, the horses and surviving dogs appeared to be in good condition.
“There was evidence of food around,” McManus said. “So it seems they have been fed routinely.”
Dallas Animal Service will evaluate the dogs to see how many can be offered for adoption.
“Often in situations where there is a large number of dogs living together, they aren’t always socialized towards people,” McManus said. “So there often has to be some behavior modification and some behavior work,”
The Dallas County sheriff’s office, which has a livestock unit, is helping Dallas Animal Services figure out what to do with the horses, which also may be available for adoption later.
According to public records, Vinzant has owned the property since 1996.
The home, which was built in 1950, sits on nearly two acres of land. City code allows only eight dogs in a home on more than a half-acre.
Martin Gomez, who has lived 15 years on the street where the animals were seized, said his neighbor had always seemed normal.
He said that though he didn’t know her well, she was friendly.
But Gomez said the city’s actions were necessary because the area around her home was infested with fleas and stunk of manure and dead animals.
“It’s going to make a big difference; it will be better for our young kids,” he said.
(The Scoop Blog - Jan 14, 2016)
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