Nearly a dozen pit bulls were removed from a Springfield Township home after a deputy saw the caged dogs through a window and called Oakland County Animal Control.
The deputy, who was responding to an April 15 complaint alleging the homeowner dumped 20 bags of garbage into a neighbor’s driveway for collection two weeks in a row, said he heard numerous large dogs barking when he knocked on the door.
When knocking went unanswered, the deputy looked through a window and saw the dogs inside.
According to police reports, the homeowner arrived on the scene in the 11800 block of Scott Road, and told police and animal control workers she would not allow them inside for a welfare check on the animals without a warrant.
The woman, who doesn’t actually live in the home, also said she was keeping the dogs temporarily while her sister moved to a new home.
Animal control workers, however, told police they had numerous contacts with the woman.
Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Springfield Township substation commander Sgt. Joe Scarpelli said he was on the property a large part of the day while animal control workers waited for a warrant to arrive.
When officials finally gained entrance, 11 dogs and one of two cats were removed from the home. The second cat was unwilling to be captured.
Scarpelli said conditions inside the house were ‘deplorable? and noted rat and mouse feces were visible throughout the home, as were dirty cat boxes and scattered litter.
Although the home was built several years ago, and the structure had never been completed or certified for occupancy.
Scarpelli said the homeowner told him a tenant recently vacated the home.
It was unknown exactly how long the dogs had been at the house.
‘They looked OK,? Scarpelli said, noting he was on scene to help execute the warrant and had no training in determining whether an animal was sick. ‘Animal Control took all the dogs out one by one on leashes’none had to be carried out, or anything like that.?
Scarpelli said the case had been turned over to Animal Control investigators.
Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, Larry Obrecht, division manager of the Oakland County Animal Control unit, declined comment other than to say the health of the animals was ‘OK? and all would remain ‘on hold? at the county facility while charges were pending.
Meanwhile, the neighbor who filed the original complaint about the extra garbage in her driveway told police her husband returned the bags to the home from which they originated.
Later, she said, the woman who was discovered housing the pit bulls called and left a phone message stating she would ‘get out her gun if they come on her property again.?
She did, however, admit to dumping garbage in her neighbor’s driveway for trash collection, and was cited for violation of the Springfield Township dumping ordinance.