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Dogs seized from East Side home
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
Humane agents seized five dogs from an East Side home late Friday afternoon.
The dogs, pit/terriers, were taken from a home in the 1800 block of North Gray Street.
Six additional dogs were inside a home next door, said Humane Agent Chris Flak of the Mahoning County Humane Society. Flak said those dogs were dehydrated, but their condition was not so bad that agents had to take them as well.
Flak said the dogs’ owner is required to get them to a veterinarian as soon as possible. He said humane agents will follow up next week. “We will be back out again,” Flak said.
Flak did not release the owner’s name pending the possible filing of criminal charges. The man declined to comment to a reporter.
Agents were acting on a complaint when they came to the home about 4:30 p.m. and found the dogs, which were in the backyard. Although they had houses, they were extremely emaciated, Flak said. He said because of the wet ground, their paws also were soaked. They had large sores on their backs from the large collars and large chains they constantly wore.
Those dogs were taken back to the Humane Society on Market Street, where they will be examined. He said he could not tell how old the dogs are.
Flak said it appeared the owner was breeding the dogs, and one of the dogs seized looked as if she recently had given birth.
The owner also will be investigated by the Mahoning County Dog Warden’s office to make sure all the dogs had proper licenses and to see if kennel regulations were followed, Flak said.
Humane agents were assisted by the after-hours dog warden for the county dog warden’s office.