Crime & Safety
86 Dogs Rescued From 'Unlivable' Home In NorCal: Police
The residents of the home included an elderly woman and a young girl, police said.
CERES, CA — Three people have been arrested after 86 dogs, an elderly woman and a young girl were found to be living in squalor at a home in Ceres, near Modesto, according to police.
A man and a woman, both 43, as well as a 22-year-old man, were arrested on suspicion of child and elder abuse and animal cruelty, police said.
Officers responded around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday to an anonymous wellness check request for a resident of a home in the 1900 block of Hollister Street, according to police, who said people, including the elderly woman and child, were residing in "unlivable conditions" with dozens of dogs.
Authorities determined the home’s oxygen levels were a mere 16 percent, mainly due to ammonia from urine, KCRA reported, adding the elderly woman was 76 and the child was 4.
The girl and the elderly woman were both taken to the hospital for evaluation and the child was placed into the custody of protective services, while the woman was given access to resources from Stanislaus County, police said.
The dogs were brought to the Stanislaus County Animal Services shelter for medical treatment, according to police, who noted the shelter is well over capacity.
A video posted on Facebook by animal services shows a floor littered with dogs in crates and the animals shaking and suffering from visible eye damage and matting.
The three people who were arrested were booked into the county public safety center and may face additional charges, police said.
This week’s case is the third instance of hoarding that animal services has handled this month, according to KCRA, which noted the agency recovered dozens of chihuahuas last week.
Anyone looking to adopt or foster is urged to contact animal services.
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