BURLESON COUNTY, Texas (KRHD) — The Burleson County Sheriff's Office is investigating a resident in possession of over 100 dogs and cats found in "deplorable" conditions.
- About 76 dogs and over 40 cats were found on July 4 living in small cages with no shade, food or water and in their own waste, according to local veterinarians at the Brazos Valley Mobile Vet Clinic.
- The District Attorney's Office is requiring the resident to improve conditions with random visits from the Burleson County Sheriff's Office to check on conditions.
- But local advocates are calling for the removal of the animals and accountability.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
When local animal rescuer Tracy Kellar reached out to a local resident for help —
"This person actually was a, I thought, a rescuer when I started my rescue… she asked to take some of my dogs," Kellar, the director of non-profit the Haven Animal Rescue of Texas said.
She sensed something wasn't right.
"I asked to go to her property and take a look around. She adamantly refused," she said.
Three years later, an investigation confirmed her hunch.
"It was brought to our attention July 4. Deputy Welch was dispatched out there, went out there and found numerous animals, cats and dogs and pretty much deplorable conditions," Chief Deputy Bill Rios with the Burleson County Sheriff's Office said.
The Burleson County Sheriff's Office found about 76 dogs and over 40 cats.
Veterinary Technician Julie Kauvar says it's like nothing she's ever seen.
"There's large dogs and little bitty crates, and they are stacked on top of each other with no shelter, no shade, and like I said, no water or no food in sight. They are standing in their own urine and feces," she said.
The District Attorney's Office is just requiring the resident to improve conditions.
"They're not in small kennels," Rios said. "They all had food. They all had water. They all had shelter from from the elements from the sun."
Part of the reason, there's no shelter in the county.
"I'm just afraid that if we let those animals go right now to another organization, they're going to be destined for what they were destined, what their fate was prior to her getting them and that's euthanization," Rios said.
But for Kellar and Kouvar...
"Too little, too late," Kellar said. "These animals deserve some justice for the past years that they've been neglected, and they don't deserve the rest of their lives to live out there because it is my belief that it will continue."
"Those animals are trapped out there. They have been sentenced to a life in a crate," Kauvar said.
