SPCA of Texas and Dallas County Constable Seize 386 Animals
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
By: Maura Davies

SPCA of Texas vehicles transported the last of the animals seized from 3602 N. Belt Line Rd. in Sunnyvale, TX to the SPCA of Texas' Perry Animal Care Center at 8411 Stacy Rd. in McKinney, TX. The number of animals seized totalled 386. The SPCA of Texas will care for the animals until the custody hearing.

To download photos of today's seizure, please visit www.spca.org/livestockrescue.

The custody hearing will be held on Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 9:30 a.m. at the Dallas County Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 Courthouse, Justice of the Peace Cooper presiding. If the SPCA of Texas is awarded custody of the animals, they would be individually evaluated for placement or adoption on a case by case basis.

105 chickens, 79 pigeons, 41 rabbits, 35 horses (34 miniature horses and one paint), 33 goats, 27 doves, 22 sheep, 16 turkeys, nine ducks, six cattle, four potbellied pigs, four guineas, two geese, 2 mules and one donkey were seized.

The animals' conditions range from good to extremely poor. Many ponies are foundered. Many chickens have severe feather loss and most of the birds are emaciated. One calf was found in need of immediate veterinary care. In addition to one deceased guinea being housed with live birds, there were also multiple sheep and goat carcasses found on the property.

Under the authority of the Dallas County Constable, the SPCA of Texas seized hundreds of animals, most of which are fowl and livestock, from 3602 N. Belt Line Rd. in Sunnyvale, TX. A majority of the animals were cruelly confined.

The animals' conditions varied. The living conditions of the majority of the animals were deplorable and was considered cruel confinement. Certain types of animals are regulated by state and federal law, which mandates that each type of animal requires clean living conditions of suitable size.

Acting on several anonymous complaints, the SPCA of Texas has worked with the animals' owner to help them comply with Texas State Health and Safety Code regarding these animals many times. After several attempts to help the animals' owner come into compliance with code, the SPCA of Texas agreed with the Dallas County Constable that immediate action was needed to remove these animals from conditions including cruel confinement, lack of appropriate shelter and lack of/contamination of food and water.

The SPCA of Texas encourages the public to consider adopting livestock animals currently available for adoption if now is the right time to add a large new family member. To view all livestock (and other pets) currently up for adoption at the SPCA of Texas, visit www.spca.org/findapet.

Those who are interested in livestock adoptions through the SPCA of Texas may visit www.spca.org/livestock at their convenience to complete an application to begin the adoption process. It is not necessary to have already picked out a livestock animal to adopt to begin the process.

To help the SPCA of Texas fund future rescues like this and to support the SPCA of Texas' other programs and services, please visit www.spca.org/helptheanimals. To learn more about the SPCA of Texas, please visit our website at www.spca.org/.

The SPCA of Texas is the leading animal welfare agency in North Texas with two shelters and two spay/neuter clinics located inDallas and McKinney,and serves as an active resource center providing an array of programs and services that bring people and animals together to enrich each others' lives. A comprehensive animal welfare agency, the SPCA of Texas is not affiliated with any other entity and does not receive general operating funds from the City of Dallas, State of Texas, federal government or any other humane organization.