18 DOGS SEIZED FROM STENCH-FILLED HOME.Byline: Yvette Cabrera and Amy Collins Daily News Staff Writers Animal Regulation officers seized 18 dogs Wednesday from a stench-filled home and are investigating whether the animals were illegally bred. ``Some of them appear to have been in fights,'' said Peter Persic, spokesman for the city's Department of Animal Regulation. ``We don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. what the circumstances are or how they sustained the scratches and cuts.'' Three people, whom animal regulations officials would not identify during the on-going investigation, stepped forward Wednesday to claim the dogs and denied any wrongdoing wrong·do·er n. One who does wrong, especially morally or ethically. wrong  do , said Persic. Authorities described the dogs as 15 pit bulls - one pregnant and another with a cast on its right front leg - a Rottweiler Rottweiler (rŏt`wīlər), breed of sturdy working dog developed from a Roman cattle dog introduced into S Germany more than 1,900 years ago. It stands from 21 3-4 to 27 in. (55.3–68. , a boxer and a German shepherd German shepherd, breed of large, muscular working dog perfected in Germany at the turn of the 20th cent. It stands about 25 in. (64 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 60 to 85 lb (27.2–38.5 kg). , with none neutered neu·ter adj. 1. Grammar a. Neither masculine nor feminine in gender. b. Neither active nor passive; intransitive. Used of verbs. 2. a. or spayed spay tr.v. spayed, spay·ing, spays To remove surgically the ovaries of (an animal). [Middle English spaien, from Anglo-Norman espeier, to cut with a sword . Authorities were tipped to the situation by someone concerned about the dogs. When investigators arrived Friday, they discovered a dead dog, with its throat crushed, lying in the front yard of the single-story rented home on Hayvenhurst Avenue, said Persic. After checking the condition of the other animals, investigators got a search warrant, said Persic. Animal Regulation officials earlier issued the residents a warning because of the overcrowding overcrowding overcrowding of animal accommodation. Many countries now publish codes of practice which define what the appropriate volumetric allowances should be for each species of animal when they are housed indoors. Breaches of these codes is overcrowding. , but they did not remedy the problem, said Persic. Initially, officials suspected the animals were being bred for dog fights, but Persic said the investigation is now focused on the house residents' lack of a kennel permit. They are also suspected of violating the city's licensing ordinance, which requires proof a dog has been vaccinated for rabies rabies (rā`bēz, ră`–) or hydrophobia (hī'drəfō`bēə), acute viral infection of the central nervous system in dogs, foxes, raccoons, skunks, bats, and other animals, and in , he said. ``They did not have any accessories associated with dog fighting,'' said Persic. ``It seems as if either this operation was an illegal kennel or perhaps illegally breeding the dogs. . . . It's not a situation that an average pet owner would maintain.'' According to Persic, the house residents told investigators they were training the animals to become security dogs and denied intentionally breeding them or using them in fights. The house residents also indicated they were maintaining the dogs for other people, said Persic. On Wednesday, a foul smell emanated from the backyard, half filled with metal cages and plastic dog carriers. Violation of the city's kennel permit law is a misdemeanor and carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail and-or a $1000 fine. The dogs are being held at West Valley Animal Service Center in Chatsworth. |
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