County official denies return of dog breeder’s license
Published 10:48 pm Friday, March 27, 2009
SNOHOMISH — A Snohomish dog breeder suspected of being at the middle of a multimillion-dollar puppy mill cannot get her kennel license back, a Snohomish County hearing examiner ruled Friday.
Renee Roske, the owner of Wags ‘n’ Wiggles, has been trying since Feb. 3 to persuade the examiner to allow her to continue raising and selling dogs.
Roske, 44, has been linked in court papers to a Gold Bar-area home where officials on Jan. 16 rescued more than 150 dogs living in squalor. The people believed to be responsible for watching the Gold Bar dogs face first-degree animal cruelty charges.
Roske has not been charged. Sheriff’s detectives continue to investigate her.
Roske has said the Gold Bar dogs weren’t hers.
The day after the Gold Bar raid, sheriff’s officials obtained a search warrant for Roske’s home. Detectives collected financial documents and suspected illegal drugs.
Officials did find 44 dogs, nearly twice the legal number allowed under county laws. None of those dogs were taken.
Roske appealed the license revocation on Feb. 17. That effort was dismissed.
On March 13, Roske filed an 11-page handwritten petition for reconsideration in which she wrote she did nothing wrong, broke no laws and has been harassed by county animal control officers.
The hearing examiner said Roske failed to follow the appeals process properly and provided no information to refute the county’s claims.
“She stated no grounds that would entitle her to relief,” the hearing examiner wrote.
Roske has 21 days to appeal the ruling in Superior Court.
Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437, jholtz@heraldnet.com.
