DOGS NEED GOOD HOMES MISTREATED ANIMALS GET RESCUE HELP.

Byline: Nicholas Grudin Staff Writer

GORMAN - About 130 dogs found in squalid conditions last week were being cared for Monday, as several animal rescuers helped save the poorly kept, abandoned animals, many of which are puppies.

The dogs - mainly Australian shepherd or boxer mixes - were found along with goats, pigs and cats.

A number of dead animals also were discovered on the dry, dusty, cage- laden property in an alcove just off the Golden State Freeway.

``This appeared to be a case of somebody collecting animals and the numbers indicate that it got out of hand,'' said Kaye Michelson, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control. ``There were some animals that were in overcrowded conditions. Some of the facilities had doghouses, but a lot of them did not have any type of shelter.''

The man who had kept the dogs on the Gorman property - Ivan Callais - was arrested in Kern County on April 15, according to FBI spokeswoman Karen Ernst. He was wanted on a warrant out of Florida, and by Monday he had already been extradited, according to Kern County sheriff's officials.

Callais had left a caretaker to attend to his dogs, however, the property's water main had broken and the dogs were being neglected, Michelson said.

After giving the caretaker an opportunity to fix the situation, county animal control officials impounded 72 dogs, three pot-bellied pigs and two hogs. Those animals are all being held at the county's Baldwin Park Animal Rescue Shelter and will be held there for 14 days, at which point they will be put up for adoption.

Other animal rescue organizations - including the Animal Rescue Rehabilitation Retirement Foundation - also helped save some of the animals.

``We've got dogs stashed all over the place right now,'' said Steven Colten, president of A.R.R.R.F.

According to Colten, some dogs were found dead, including some that had been stored in a broken refrigerator.

``He just had cages sitting out in the sun ... I contacted all of my friends in the rescue community,'' Colten said. ``Some of the dogs were so aggressive that animal control had to do what was necessary.''

At Valley Animal Hospital in Van Nuys, where about 30 of the dogs were taken before the rest were impounded, officials were shocked by the animals' conditions.

``The dogs were in poor health condition, very dirty with feces all over them,'' said the hospital's head receptionist, Linda Carranza.

Those interested in adopting any of the abandoned dogs can visit the Baldwin Park shelter from noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday or 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The shelter is at 4275 N. Elton Ave. in Baldwin Park.

Nicholas Grudin, [phone]

nicholas.grudin(at)dailynews.com