Neglected Dogs Rescued
Mike Ross, KTUU-TV
April
25 , 2007
ANCHORAGE,
Alaska -- Investigators call it a clear case of animal neglect.
The
Mat-Su Animal Care & Regulation Shelter in Palmer is caring
for several dogs tonight that officials say were starved by their
owner.
The
dogs were rescued today during a raid at a home near Point MacKenzie.
Animal
abuse investigators said they will ask the courts to make sure the
dogs' owner never gets them back.
Mat-Su
Animal Care Inspector Mark Whisenhunt said 21 of the dogs were found
alive, one was dead and all of them were badly neglected.
 The
dogs were brought in to be treated by a veterinarian and Animal
Care saidtheir winter coats were hiding their sorry condition. Several
of the dogs were down to skin and bones, officials said.
"Typically,
if you have thin dogs, it could be a number of things that make
them that way.
No
food, the obvious one, but parasites or other medical issues could
make a dog thin or underweight," Whisenhunt said.
 One
of the dogs had an open wound around its middle, caused by a chain
that had cut into its flesh.
Some
of the dogs had claws that were so long they had curled back and
were growing into their paws.
Mat-Su
Animal Care Chief Dave Allison said the dog were in poor condition."Some
of them have sores and just their overall health, their overall
condition. Some of these dogs should be twice what they weigh now,"
Allison said.
An
anonymous tip lead Animal Care to where the dogs were being kept
chained to posts near a ramshackle house along South Lewis Loop,
off Point MacKenzie Road.
While
Animal Care officers are glad the dogs are now getting proper care,
their presence is creating a problem; they're taking up so much
space at the shelter. Other dogs may have to be put to sleep early
because there's not enough room.
"Now
we have to make very crucial decisions about what animals stays,
what animal goes, i.e. it's time is up," Allison said.
A
judge will decide if the dogs seized today will be permanently taken
from their owner and put up for adoption.
The
dogs' owner, George Bergevin, would not speak with us tonight, but
his roommate told us Bergevin is unemployed and did not have the
money to care for the dogs.
Animal
neglect charges are pending against him, but he was arrested today
by Alaska State Troopers for an unrelated probation violation.
Contact
Mike Ross at mross@ktuu.com
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