California: Atascadero woman Suzanne Sollenne arrested, 46 dogs seized after being found in ‘unsanitary conditions'. She says she's a 501c3 - I can't find proof of this

CALIFORNIA -- San Luis Obispo County Animal Services Director Eric Anderson said Friday that 46 dogs were taken from the home on the 7400 block of Bella Vista Road in Atascadero on Thursday.

Those dogs are being housed in a temporary shelter set up at the county’s livestock area behind the animal services center’s main kennel due to space constraints.

Suzanne Sollenne was arrested Thursday on suspicion of felony animal cruelty.

Anderson said the dogs’ conditions varied widely, from some that suffered from “relatively routine” conditions to others that were “significantly debilitated.”

Photos of dogs are after their rescue.

About half suffered from some significant medical or physical condition, Anderson said, with the most prevalent injuries being bite wounds.

Many were malnourished and a few were suffered from some sort of neurological disorder, he said.

The animals will all be held for a few weeks as staff works to tend to the dogs in most immediate need of treatment. Staff will work on temperament assessments to determine which can be moved into the main kennel as space becomes available, he said.

Original story:
An Atascadero woman was arrested on suspicion of felony animal cruelty Thursday after officials found more than 40 dogs living in “unsanitary conditions” at her home, authorities said.

In addition to sub-par living conditions, officials discovered the decomposing remains of at least two large dogs in a yard next to her house, according to a news release from San Luis Obispo County Animal Services.

Suzanne Sollenne was arrested at her home on the 7400 block of Bella Vista Road and booked into County Jail after a search warrant was served by SLO County Animal Services, the Atascadero Police Department and the Bakersfield SPCA. Sollenne was no longer in custody as of 10 p.m. Thursday, according to the SLO County Sheriff’s Office.

The warrant was served after authorities learned of “credible information” that Sollenne was housing dogs in unhealthy, overcrowded conditions. Another tip indicated that many of the dogs were in need of medical care, according to the news release.

At the property Thursday morning, officers found six dogs in outdoor yards and 38 dogs inside the home. Many of the dogs inside the home were found in wire crates without food or water, according to the news release.

The dogs seized by Animal Services officers included a wide variety of breeds, though most were medium-to-large-size dogs, the news release states.

Officials had trouble removing some of the dogs from the home. One Animal Services employee was bitten, and officers needed to tranquilize five large dogs in order to examine and transport them, according to the news release.

Roughly half the dogs taken from the home needed treatment for physical or medical ailments, including several dogs that had untreated bite wounds; other dogs had eye injuries, skin infections, dental problems and neurological issues, the news release states.

The dogs were taken to the Animal Services shelter at 885 Oklahoma Ave. in San Luis Obispo, where they will remain for now.

(San Luis Obispo - Aug 18 2016)

Sollenne sells items on custommade.com, telling buyers that she's raising money for poor animals. I think the IRS should begin an investigation to find out where the donated money went: 

About Suzanne Sollenne
Member since: 11/26/12
Background

I've been making handmade, and handpainted tiles for nearly 30 yrs. My custom designs are in homes and commercial installations throughout my hometown of Santa Barbara, California.

I expanded my designs to include heavy relief tiles that are marketed on the internet, and have been sold throughout the world. These are tiles have been used in both indoor, and outdoor applications.

Custom work is always welcomed, and an adventure to create.
The garden art I subsequently created, TreeSpirits, were marketed throughout California, the USA, and internationally.

All proceeds from the sale of my artwork go to support my dog rescue. I have been rescuing and rehoming deathrow dogs since 1993. Every rescue is spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped when adopted. Applicants are interviewed, and screened to find the best match possible for a foster dog. It is a labor of love, and unfortunately, neccessity, since nearly 7 million shelter animals are put to death every year. 

I look forward to a world where this is not an acceptable practice. Where every pet born will have a wonderful home and life. It is a good dream.

She also sells on etsy.com and again gets shoppers to believe that she is selling items for the good of rescued animals:

suzanne sollenne's Profile

Like many of the other ceramic artists, I've been working in clay since I was a child. My first ceramic piece was made at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History when I was about 8 yrs old. I was hooked, and have been playing with clay ever since.

All sales of my tile work go directly to support my non-profit, No-Kill dog rescue operation. I started rescuing and re-homing deathrow dogs in 1997, and to date have saved over 700+ dogs. All the dogs live at my house until I am able to find them a great, forever home. Working from home allows me to do this. 

What better thing can you do in this life than to save another life?  Please come back an visit often as I will be adding new designs when they are ready!

Female. Born on May 24. Joined March 27, 2011