EVERETT — Snohomish County officials have been investigating the kennel Wags ‘n’ Wiggles for more than a decade.
Time and again since 1996, officials found dozens more dogs living at Renee Roske’s Snohomish-area home than allowed under county rules.
On one visit, officials found dogs being kept in a dug out subterranean room, the entrance hidden at the back of a closet, according to county documents released Thursday to The Herald.
County officials this week moved again to shut Roske down.
Roske’s dogs weren’t seized until Jan. 16, when Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies and animal control officers raided a home near Gold Bar and found nearly 160 dogs living in deplorable conditions. Many of the dogs found near Gold Bar were covered with fleas, urine and feces. Several dead dogs were found in a freezer.
One of the seized Gold Bar dogs had a microchip showing Roske as the owner, Snohomish County Animal Control manager Vicki Lubrin said.
When sheriff’s officials visited Roske’s home the day after the Gold Bar raid, they found 44 dogs, nearly double the 25 maximum allowed under county law. None was seized.
Sheriff’s officials have said Roske is the center of an expanding investigation into a suspected multimillion-dollar puppy mill organization operating in Snohomish and Skagit counties.
The couple that lived in the home near Gold Bar, Jason D. Larsen and Serrena L. Larsen, both 37, were charged Tuesday with six counts of first-degree animal cruelty, a felony.
Roske’s sister, Mary Ann Holleman, is the registered owner of the Gold Bar-area home where the dogs were found.
Larsen told deputies he paid Holleman cash rent at a Everett restaurant.
Roske’s mother, Marjorie Sundberg, and her husband, Richard Sundberg, were charged last week in Skagit County with four counts of animal cruelty. Officials seized around 450 dog from the kennel Sundberg operated near Mount Vernon.
Snohomish County on Monday took civil action against Roske, Holleman and the Larsens, Lubrin said. They’ve been ordered to cease keeping dogs in ways that appear to violate animal control laws.
Roske has “consistently demonstrated deliberate and repeated violations of the provisions of her private and commercial licenses,” county officials said in documents mailed Monday.
The notice details Roske’s history of violations, including at least eight separate visits by officials. One report, filed on Nov. 7, 2003, described how sheriff’s deputies responding to a domestic violence complaint found more than 40 dogs at Roske’s home, some living in the secret room.
In the back of a coat closet officials found a door that led down a few steps to the small room, dug in the dirt and hidden beneath the split-level entryway, Lubrin said.
In November 2003, the county issued an order demanding Roske cease kennel operations at her home. She appealed.
In 2004, a county hearing examiner gave Roske “one last chance” but warned any further violations would be grounds for “automatic revocation” of her kennel license, county records show.
The county again has given Roske notice they are pulling her kennel license. That means she’ll be allowed to legally keep no more than three dogs.
As part of this week’s actions, county animal control officers fined Roske $100. They also issued a written warning that she is subject to criminal charges and additional fees if she fails to comply.
Roske can appeal. She didn’t return a phone call on Thursday.
Similar civil actions were taken against Holleman and the Larsens, Lubrin said.
Meanwhile, a criminal investigation continues, officials said.
Roske and Larsen have until today to post at least $72,450 in bonds if they want their seized dogs back. They would be required to petition a judge and also come up with enough cash to prove they are capable of providing each seized animal with at least $15 worth of care for 30 days, Lubrin said. Otherwise, the dogs will be forfeited to the county. Then the process of putting the animals up for adoption can begin.
Before any of the dogs can become pets, they must undergo extensive veterinary screening.
“It’s not going to be the very next day that they’re ready to go,” Everett city spokeswoman Kate Reardon said.
Each animal will be assessed to determine the next steps, she said. All the dogs will be microchipped and either spayed or neutered prior to adoption.
Some dogs may require surgery, others rehabilitation in foster care, Reardon said.
“There’s a number of things you’re going to want to look at from an adoptability standpoint,” Dr. Kevin Wilson said. He’s a veterinarian at the Pilchuck Veterinary Hospital in Snohomish.
The most important thing is the dog’s temperament, but a thorough health screening also will be necessary.
“In most cases like this, the vast majority are ultimately going to be adoptable,” he said. “They may just take some extra special care.”
Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or jholtz@heraldnet.com
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