Adidas410s
05-23-2006, 10:52 AM
Be forewarned, I found this story quite sad...especially after going through the slideshow of pictures. Here is the link to the slideshow if you want to look through the pictures afterwards. It's nothing of a disgusting, graphic nature...but it still made me sad.
http://texnews.com/documents/slideshow/photogallery/photogallery.cfm?slideshow=puppies051906
Judge rules owner may keep 3 of 87 dogs
By Celinda Emison / emisonc@reporternews.com
May 23, 2006
COMANCHE - Only three of 87 dogs seized Thursday from a breeding operation near Blanket will be returned to the owner.
Comanche County Justice of the Peace Rex Plumlee made the ruling Monday following a daylong hearing on a warrant served on Twylah Simpson alleging animal cruelty.
http://mas.scripps.com/ABIL/2006/05/22/0523PuppyMillShow001_d.jpg
Twylah Simpson holds one of her dogs as she watches the rest of them being loaded into kennels and vans Thursday. 87 dogs were seized Thursday. On Monday, a Comanche County justice of the peace gave animal rescue organizations custody of 84 of the dogs.
''I'm sorry Mrs. Simpson, you had too many dogs to take care of and, as a result, I rule in favor of the Humane Society to take care and custody of the dogs,'' Plumlee said.
Simpson began weeping when Plumlee announced his ruling.
''It is so difficult to do this,'' Simpson said, hurrying out of the courtroom.
Law enforcement, animal rescuers, and volunteers from Austin and Brown County animal shelters seized 87 dogs from Simpson's home on Thursday. A week earlier, Simpson surrendered 30 male dachshunds to rescuers.
Plumlee decided to allow three older dogs to be returned to Simpson for companionship.
Cheryl Campbell, director of the Brown County Humane Society, said the three dogs will be spayed, neutered and given shots before they are returned.
Campbell said that none of the dogs rescued from Simpson's home will be euthanized.
Plumlee said that because Monday's hearing was a civil case, he could not prevent Simpson from resuming to breed dogs.
During the hearing, rescuers testified that dogs seized in Thursday's raid were suffering from various illnesses and were malnourished. According to testimony, the dogs were infested with flees, ticks and other parasites, including hook worm.
''Hook worms can be dangerous for humans,'' said Lisa Starr of the Austin Humane Society.
Comanche County Deputy Chris Pounds, who served the warrant for animal cruelty, said he believed some of the dogs at the home were cruelly treated.
Pounds added that the number of dogs ''would be a huge burden to care for financially.
A video, which was taken when the first 30 male dachshunds were rescued more than a week ago, showed play pens set up inside Simpson's home, which held mother dogs and puppies. The video showed the playpens were dirty.
Campbell testified there were more than 30 dogs inside the home and that all of the dogs were somehow neglected.
''I spoke to several veterinarians in Brown and Comanche counties who refuse to see her dogs because she owes them so much money,'' Campbell said.
Simpson told Plumlee she owes about $3,000 in vet bills and was paying about $150 a month toward the debt.
Simpson testified that she took good care of the dogs and they were well fed. She testified that she tended to their medical needs by dipping them for fleas and ticks and gave the dogs shots herself.
''They are my babies,'' Simpson said. ''They are my kids, and I'm not going to mistreat any of them.''
Dayton House, pastor of Mullin Church of Christ, said Simpson's intentions were good and that the dogs were her life.
''We would like to see her scale back on the number of dogs she has,'' House said. ''We would like to see her get back some of the dogs.''
Campbell said she knew that Simpson was an animal lover, but she just could not care for the animals properly.
On Thursday, All Texas Dachshund Rescue from Austin and Brownwood Animal Control and the Humane Society in Brownwood and Austin rescued the 87 dachshunds, pugs and Chihuahuas, boxers and Boston terriers from Simpson's mobile home between Blanket and Comanche.
The 30 dogs surrendered by Simpson are up for adoption, according to Barbara Lewis, founder of All Texas Dachshund Rescue.
On Thursday, one of the boxers taken to a Brown County veterinary clinic delivered a litter of puppies, Campbell said.
So far, Lewis said she has spent almost $6,000 treating the dogs seized Thursday. The Austin Humane Society officials said they have spent more than $6,000 and the costs will rise once the dogs are spayed, neutered and vaccinated.
''We've already had dozens of applications to adopt the dachshunds,'' Lewis said. ''We just want to make sure all of the dogs go to good homes.''
HOW TO HELP
All Texas Dachshund Rescue Inc.
Barbara Lewis, founder
http://atdr.org/
Austin Humane Society
124 West Anderson Lane
Austin, TX
(512) 837-7985
www.austinhumanesociety.org
Brown County Humane Society
3016 Milam Drive
Brownwood
(325) 646-0617
Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday
http://texnews.com/documents/slideshow/photogallery/photogallery.cfm?slideshow=puppies051906
Judge rules owner may keep 3 of 87 dogs
By Celinda Emison / emisonc@reporternews.com
May 23, 2006
COMANCHE - Only three of 87 dogs seized Thursday from a breeding operation near Blanket will be returned to the owner.
Comanche County Justice of the Peace Rex Plumlee made the ruling Monday following a daylong hearing on a warrant served on Twylah Simpson alleging animal cruelty.
http://mas.scripps.com/ABIL/2006/05/22/0523PuppyMillShow001_d.jpg
Twylah Simpson holds one of her dogs as she watches the rest of them being loaded into kennels and vans Thursday. 87 dogs were seized Thursday. On Monday, a Comanche County justice of the peace gave animal rescue organizations custody of 84 of the dogs.
''I'm sorry Mrs. Simpson, you had too many dogs to take care of and, as a result, I rule in favor of the Humane Society to take care and custody of the dogs,'' Plumlee said.
Simpson began weeping when Plumlee announced his ruling.
''It is so difficult to do this,'' Simpson said, hurrying out of the courtroom.
Law enforcement, animal rescuers, and volunteers from Austin and Brown County animal shelters seized 87 dogs from Simpson's home on Thursday. A week earlier, Simpson surrendered 30 male dachshunds to rescuers.
Plumlee decided to allow three older dogs to be returned to Simpson for companionship.
Cheryl Campbell, director of the Brown County Humane Society, said the three dogs will be spayed, neutered and given shots before they are returned.
Campbell said that none of the dogs rescued from Simpson's home will be euthanized.
Plumlee said that because Monday's hearing was a civil case, he could not prevent Simpson from resuming to breed dogs.
During the hearing, rescuers testified that dogs seized in Thursday's raid were suffering from various illnesses and were malnourished. According to testimony, the dogs were infested with flees, ticks and other parasites, including hook worm.
''Hook worms can be dangerous for humans,'' said Lisa Starr of the Austin Humane Society.
Comanche County Deputy Chris Pounds, who served the warrant for animal cruelty, said he believed some of the dogs at the home were cruelly treated.
Pounds added that the number of dogs ''would be a huge burden to care for financially.
A video, which was taken when the first 30 male dachshunds were rescued more than a week ago, showed play pens set up inside Simpson's home, which held mother dogs and puppies. The video showed the playpens were dirty.
Campbell testified there were more than 30 dogs inside the home and that all of the dogs were somehow neglected.
''I spoke to several veterinarians in Brown and Comanche counties who refuse to see her dogs because she owes them so much money,'' Campbell said.
Simpson told Plumlee she owes about $3,000 in vet bills and was paying about $150 a month toward the debt.
Simpson testified that she took good care of the dogs and they were well fed. She testified that she tended to their medical needs by dipping them for fleas and ticks and gave the dogs shots herself.
''They are my babies,'' Simpson said. ''They are my kids, and I'm not going to mistreat any of them.''
Dayton House, pastor of Mullin Church of Christ, said Simpson's intentions were good and that the dogs were her life.
''We would like to see her scale back on the number of dogs she has,'' House said. ''We would like to see her get back some of the dogs.''
Campbell said she knew that Simpson was an animal lover, but she just could not care for the animals properly.
On Thursday, All Texas Dachshund Rescue from Austin and Brownwood Animal Control and the Humane Society in Brownwood and Austin rescued the 87 dachshunds, pugs and Chihuahuas, boxers and Boston terriers from Simpson's mobile home between Blanket and Comanche.
The 30 dogs surrendered by Simpson are up for adoption, according to Barbara Lewis, founder of All Texas Dachshund Rescue.
On Thursday, one of the boxers taken to a Brown County veterinary clinic delivered a litter of puppies, Campbell said.
So far, Lewis said she has spent almost $6,000 treating the dogs seized Thursday. The Austin Humane Society officials said they have spent more than $6,000 and the costs will rise once the dogs are spayed, neutered and vaccinated.
''We've already had dozens of applications to adopt the dachshunds,'' Lewis said. ''We just want to make sure all of the dogs go to good homes.''
HOW TO HELP
All Texas Dachshund Rescue Inc.
Barbara Lewis, founder
http://atdr.org/
Austin Humane Society
124 West Anderson Lane
Austin, TX
(512) 837-7985
www.austinhumanesociety.org
Brown County Humane Society
3016 Milam Drive
Brownwood
(325) 646-0617
Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday