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Case ID: 13358

Classification: Hoarding, Neglect / Abandonment

Animal: dog (non pit-bull), bird (pet)

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Puppy mill, hoarding - 800 dogs
Avra Valley, AZ (US)

Incident Date: Wednesday, Mar 12, 2008
County: Pima

Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 4 files available

Alleged:
» Wanda Jones
» Bill Jones
» Bobby Jones

Case Updates: 3 update(s) available

About 800 small dogs found in filthy conditions at a rural Avra Valley home, from Chihuahuas to terriers and Pomeranians, were seized from an elderly couple, authorities said Wednesday.

Pima County sheriff's deputies and animal welfare officials who removed the dogs also found 82 parrots caged inside the manufactured house northwest of Tucson.

Jenny Rose, a spokeswoman for the Humane Society of Southern Arizona, said 96 dogs were removed from the house on Monday and about another 700 were taken out Wednesday. "This is twice the numbers that we've ever seen before, twice as big as our previous record-breaker," Rose said.

"The home was definitely in very bad condition, urine and feces all over the home, in the kitchen and bedroom, with a very strong odor," she said.

"Obviously, 800 dogs in a triple-wide mobile home, they were packed in there. That being said, they were in pretty good shape."

Rose said that the animals appeared to have had enough food. But she said a few were missing paws - some from having been attacked by other animals, others apparently having caught their feet in fencing outside.

Some dogs were pregnant and giving birth as they were transported to shelters in Tucson, Rose added.

The breeds found included Chinese Cresteds and Lhasa apsos. All the dogs will need vaccinations and will be examined by veterinarians, she said.

Rose said the owners were breeding and offering the dogs for sale, but she described it as a hoarding case, in which elderly people sometimes feel that no one else can give their animals a good enough home and won't part with them.

Pima County Sheriff's Sgt. James Ogden said deputies were alerted to a possible animal cruelty case earlier this month after a woman who bought a Chihuahua at the home learned from her veterinarian that her new pet was ill.

When the woman told him about the conditions she saw at the time of the purchase, he advised her to call county authorities, Ogden said.

The owners, who have not been identified, have been cooperative with sheriff's, humane society and Pima County Animal Care Center officials, but apparently they were overwhelmed in trying to care for the animals, the deputy said.

No charges have been filed, but authorities continue an investigation, he added.

The dogs living inside the house apparently had free run of the premises. Others were found in other structures on the property, Ogden said.

Ogden described the living conditions as "horrible, filth everywhere ... probably one of the worst (situations) I've ever seen."

Rose said the animals would be offered for adoption as soon as possible, and noted that a rescue group from Phoenix had taken 100 of the dogs.

Donations will be accepted eagerly to help offset the costs of spaying, neutering and caring for so many animals, she said.

County records show Billy and Wanda Jones own the house, but Parish did not identify the couple, and it was not clear if the property owners also own the animals.

Case Updates

The Pima County Attorney has indicted three Northwest residents on felony animal cruelty charges.

The indictment stems from the arrests of Billy R. Jones, Wanda L. Jones and Robert Allen Jones.

On March 10, Pima County Sheriff's deputies responded to a check welfare call on the 12000 block of West Manville Road in Avra Valley.

While there, deputies found hundreds of caged dogs living in the house. With help from Pima Animal Care and Humane Society of Southern Arizona workers, 851 dogs and 36 birds were removed from the house.

The county attorney charged the three suspects with 37 counts of cruel mistreatment of an animal, three counts of cruelty to animals and one count of fraudulent schemes or practices.

Source: The Explorer - Aug 6, 2008
Update posted on Aug 6, 2008 - 11:48PM

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Three people now face charges in connection with Arizona's largest-ever animal hoarding case. Tuesday, the owners and breeders of the dogs -- Bill and Wanda Jones were indicted on felony charges. Their son was also arrested.

KOLD News 13 has learned Bobby Jones worked as a vet technician at Valley Animal Hospital. According to investigators, he had been treating his parents' dogs there for sometime.

The administrator of the hospital confirmed that Jones worked there and that the hospital had treated the dogs. However, the administrator says the hospital fired the Jones as clients.

The Jones and their son face 40 counts of animal cruelty and neglect.

The dogs were treated for multiple health problems, including deformities from in-breeding. All of the adoptable animals are in new homes now. If Bill, Wanda and Bobby Jones are convicted each felony count comes with the potential of one to three years in prison.

Source: KOLD - July 30, 2008
Update posted on Jul 30, 2008 - 12:07PM

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In the days since local law enforcement and Humane Society of Southern Arizona officials rounded up 752 dogs from an Avra Valley breeder, scores of people have inundated the shelter seeking to adopt the animals.

As of Monday, March 17, 460 dogs and cats taken from the property on the 12200 block of West Manville Road had found new homes, according to Humane Society spokeswoman Jenny Rose.

"We've never done this many before," Rose added. "It's been an overwhelming response from the community."

Investigators went to the property on Wednesday, March 20, and found the dogs, many of them Chihuahuas and other toy breeds, living in deplorable conditions, according to Sgt. Terry Parish, of the Pima County Sheriff's Department's Community Problems Unit.

"The carpet was so bad that it would stick to your shoes," Parish said of the conditions at what authorities described as a "puppy mill."

An elderly couple living there bred the animals, Parish added. But, at some point, investigators say, the couple began selling fewer and fewer animals. Instead, they began "hoarding" the dogs.

"They became less and less willing to sell" for whatever reason, Parish explained.

In most cases, law enforcement and Humane Society investigators found the animals "all running around together," Rose said.

In typical breeding operations, female dogs and male dogs remain separate. At the Avra Valley property, however, it appeared that "uncontrolled breeding" had begun to take place, Rose added.

The case marks the second high-profile animal seizure in the Northwest in the last two months. In February, authorities raided four properties - two of them in the Northwest - where dog breeders allegedly raised pit bulls and trained them to fight. The raids netted 150 pit bulls.

The Humane Society assisted with the initial investigation of those incidents. And, in recent days, the group has taken custody of all of the animals involved in the Avra Valley hoarding case.

Mental health professionals consider animal hoarding a type of disorder.

An April 1, 2000, article in the Psychiatric Times refers to a study of animal hoarders, offering this definition: "� someone who accumulates a large number of animals; fails to provide minimal standards of nutrition, sanitation and veterinary care; and fails to act on the deteriorating condition of the animals �"

An estimated 700 to 2,000 new cases of animal hoarding occur every year in the United States, according to the article.

In a typical hoarding case, the Humane Society's Rose explained, pet owners come to believe that "they're the only people who can care for the animals."

By far, last week's confiscation of 752 dogs represents the largest hoarding case ever handled by the Humane Society of Southern Arizona, Rose said.

The group sent about 300 animals to rescue groups throughout the nation. Hordes of people swamped the group's shelter last week and weekend to adopt the remaining animals, Rose said.

On Friday and Saturday, more than 200 dogs went home with new families. On a "good, steady" Saturday, Rose noted, the Humane Society will adopt out 30 animals.

The group has found new homes for all the affected animals. The magnitude of the case has cost the Humane Society an estimated $400,000, Rose said.

The group relies solely on donations to operate.

Investigators have not revealed the identity of the couple involved in the case, nor have they filed charges against them.

But, Sgt. Parish anticipates that the couple will face various felony and misdemeanor charges of neglect and cruelty once veterinary reports on the animals' health problems are completed.

Source: Explorer - March 19, 2008
Update posted on Mar 20, 2008 - 2:03AM

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References

KPHO - March 13, 2008
AZCentral - March 13, 2008
LA Times - March 13, 2008
East Valley Tribune - March 13, 2008
Tucson Citizen - March 14, 2008
Tucson Citizen - March 14, 2008
KOLD - March 14, 2008

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Puppy mill, hoarding - 800 dogsAvra Valley, AZ (US)

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Puppy mill, hoarding - 800 dogs
Avra Valley, AZ (US)