Animal group, sheriff’s office rescue nearly 200 animals

Published 8:37 am Friday, August 12, 2016

Sheriff Brad Lance said his department, along with Animal Rescue Corps and the county’s animal control division rescued more than 170 animals found at an overgrown property in the Looxahoma community.

“ARC initially received the information and after they conducted a preliminary investigation, they contacted us and we began working with them,” Lance said. “We’ve been looking into this over the last several weeks and it culminated today.”

ARC, in a news release, said about 100 dogs, including litters of puppies and pregnant dogs, 50 chickens, 12 cats and kittens, six rabbits, three parrots, two turkeys and a donkey were found at the home.

All of the animals were infested with fleas, ticks and worms, Lance said. Some also had upper respiratory and eye infections and most were emaciated.

“These animals have endured extreme suffering for a very, very long time,” said ARC President Scotlund Haisley. “These animals didn’t have a minute to spare. They were not surviving here, they were dying here. But all of that ends today and we won’t leave this place without taking every animal with us to our emergency shelter.”

ARC transported all of the rescued animals to an emergency shelter. For people wishing to foster or adopt, Haisley said ARC will publish a list of shelter and rescue placement partners on its Facebook page once the animals are transferred to those groups.

“ARC brought in an assessment team and veterinarians to examine the animals,” Lance said. “Once that’s done, they’ll give us a breakdown on all the problems and we will review that to determine the appropriate charges against the owner.”