Officers Investigate Hoarding Case in Maricopa and Pick Up Nine Puppies Dumped at Sheriff’s Substation

FLORENCE – Animal Care & Control officers are used to working unusual hours but Pinal’s team worked straight through the weekend.  Animal Care & Control officers responded to an animal hoarding case Friday night in Maricopa, the second hoarding case for the week.  On Sunday, someone dropped off nine mixed-breed puppies at the Sheriff’s Substation in Arizona City.

Friday night’s hoarding case resulted from a call to Maricopa’s Fire Department regarding an 83-year-old male paraplegic who was in distress at a home in the city of Maricopa.  Once firefighters arrived on scene, they noticed the man lying on a floor that was covered with debris and fecal matter.  Numerous animals were present in the home.  A call was immediately placed to the Maricopa Police Department, which immediately notified Animal Care and Control.

A woman at the scene claimed to be a caregiver of the 83-year-old, but then changed her story to say she was the man’s girlfriend.  The man was taken out of the home and taken to the hospital for treatment.  His condition is unknown at this time.

“This seems to be a person who is a hoarder of possessions and animals,” said Animal Care and Control Director Kaye Dickson.  “It was tough to capture the animals due to the amount of debris inside the home.  Because of the conditions, I don’t know if we were able to capture all the animals that were in there.”

Dickson said by night’s end the officers rounded up nine dogs and seven cats.  Some of the animals were being kept in crates.

The owner claims many of the animals are neutered or spayed and she can produce vet records.  So far, she is unwilling to surrender the animals.

“The owner has been told to contact our office on Monday so we can talk about the state of the animals,” Dickson said.  “We simply cannot return her animals to those conditions.  She will have to thoroughly clean her home and apply for a kennel permit in order to keep these animals.”

On Sunday, Animal Care and Control took possession of nine puppies that were dropped off in a box outside of a Pinal County Sheriff’s Office substation in Arizona City.

The mixed-breed puppies are very young and not yet weaned from their mother.

“You have to wonder about someone who would do such a thing to these puppies,” Dickson said.  “One of our officers is keeping them at her home until we can take them to the vet for a check-up.  We are going to need to find a foster situation for these puppies they will need round-the-clock care in the absence of their mother.”

Dickson praised the work of Animal Control officers for their efforts to handle the massive influx of animals with two hoarding cases in one week.

“The dedication of our staff is amazing,” Dickson stated.  “We have over sixty cats from two cases that we are overseeing and our people have worked around the clock making sure these pets receive the care they need.  While it is heartbreaking to see these animals in this condition, the officers and our kennel staff’s professionalism never wanes.”

Dickson said Animal Care & Control will welcome all monetary donations to help offset the costs of caring for the animals from the recent hoarding cases.  Donations can be mailed to:

Pinal County Animal Care & Control

P.O. Box 3061 RS
Casa Grande, AZ 85122

To adopt a cat or dog from the shelter, you can go to the main kennel site located at 1150 South Eleven Mile Corner Road (just south of the Pinal County Fairgrounds) from 8:00 am until 4:30 pm Monday through Friday.