From
the Beginning
The First Few Days of the Rescue and
Initial Care for the Rescued Dogs
Thanking our Generous Donors and
the People Behind the Scenes
The Dogs and Adoptions and Their New Families
page 1,
page 2,
page 3
A Peek into Foster Care Pups and
Next Steps - "One Dog at a Time"
The First Few Days
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Initial
Intake |
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The rescued dogs were cared for. Our priority was to get them from the house and safely into comfortable living spaces at the shelter. |
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To supplement cage space,
crates were set up with food, water, and soft blankets.
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Many of the dogs were very frightened. It is thought that most of the dogs had never been outside of the house. All received encouraging words and loving attention. |
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It was only a month ago that we received over 50 cats rescued from a house seizure. These too are being cared for and need loving homes along with all our adoptable dogs. |
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News from the City of Dearborn
John B. O’Reilly, Jr., Mayor
Department of Public Information
313-943-2285
Update about rescue of dogs
Dearborn Police Chief Ron Haddad updated the media at 2 p.m. on Friday at 7840 Orchard:
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110 live dogs, all Chihuahuas, have been removed from the house since Wednesday evening. It was thought 3-5 more dogs were still inside as of 2 p.m. Friday.
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The bodies of 151 Chihuahuas were discovered inside several freezers in the house on Friday.
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The case is a criminal investigation, based on animal cruelty laws. The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office has been informed of preliminary findings at the house.
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Potential charges that could result from the criminal investigation include felony counts of animal cruelty. A felony count of animal cruelty carries a penalty of four years imprisonment.
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The Chief commended the Friends for the Dearborn Animal Shelter for its role in the rescue of the dogs and their continued care.
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The Animal Shelter is in need of donations to care for the Chihuahuas as well as all of its other animals. Although the rescued Chihuahuas are not ready for adoption, plenty of other animals are.
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People can donate to the shelter by visiting www.dearbornanimals.org or sending checks to the shelter at 2661 Greenfield Road, Dearborn, MI 48120.
Other observations about the case: some neighbors have described the occupant of the house as a friendly man who took good care of his property.
He evidently took steps to conceal the dogs, feces and floor-to-ceiling piles of trash that were inside his house—tarps covered the windows and doors, and ionizers were found in the house, evidently to address odor issues.
The rescued Chihuahuas were not barking when they were removed from the house and did not appear to interact with one another, evidently the results of the strain of their living conditions.
MEDIA CONTACT: Mary Laundroche or Randy Coble, at (313) 943-2285
Orchard house update July 24
| The Outpouring of Support | |
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You, the community have responded and we are so grateful. The cars began arriving on Thursday and at times were lined up down Greenfield. The online donations have arrived from as far away as Arizona. All and more are needed. Thank you. |
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Our "non-Chihuahua" dogs enjoyed all the extra attention. |
Frankie (the little tan Chihuahua) became our "official" spokesman, along
with our Public Relations Director, Sandy Boulton.
Care and Medical Attention
Each dog has had an initial evaluation and treatment which includes:
- Preliminary examination to identify
and treat any serious medical needs
and to determine gender
- Weight
- Nail trimming (shown at right). The
dogs appeared to have never had
a nail trim.
- Vaccines
- Bordetella
- Worming
- Mouth exams and notations of
approximate age and any
needed dental work
- Ear exam and cleaning if needed
- Flea check
- Extra love
Our thanks to those from the medical veterinarian community and those who have had medical training who came in to help our trained staff those first few days:
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Cindy Sorrell, LVT - Dearborn Family Pet Care
- Emily Lobkovich, student veterinarian, Dearborn
Family Pet Care
- Dr. Kari Nugent, DVM, Unleashed Mobile Vet
- Lisa Phelps, Gentle Pet Protectors
- Karen Cameron, in the LVT program at WCCC
- Nick Beaven, aspiring veterinarian
- Valerie Truax
- Stevie Cote
It is possible that the dogs received minimal handling and although most were very frightened, only a few had to be muzzled for treatment. Amazingly, after handling and treatment, many were more outgoing and were at the cage doors seeking more affection.
The dogs were covered in feces and the bathing began.
All dogs were assigned their own identification collars and ID numbers, however staff and volunteers eagerly began the naming process.
(Our thanks to volunteers Ed Serecky (Petparazzi) and Valerie Truax for these photos.)
