Seized dogs cleaned up and cared for

EVERETT — Nearly a dozen of the dogs removed from a suspected Gold Bar puppy mill got a much needed bath and haircut Tuesday.

It’s probably the first time in the animals’ lives they received such special treatment, officials said.

“They looked back at the groomer almost like saying, ‘Thank you,’” said George “Bud” Wessman, director of the Everett Animal Shelter, the dogs’ new home since Saturday.

Acting on a tip, Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies and county animal control officers on Friday raided a Gold Bar home and found 155 dogs, four cats and three parrots.

The smell from feces and urine at the home was so strong it could be detected outside the residence. One man lived there, officials said.

The dogs were found in crates and small pens that were overflowing with waste. The skin on many of the dogs was crawling with fleas. Some dogs had sores. Others had tumors that will require surgical removal.

Several dead puppies were found in a freezer.

The animals were transferred to the Everett shelter and officials there immediately gave all the dogs medical treatment, including a flea bath, vaccinations and inoculations.

A veterinarian Monday night determined that six of the dogs were too sick to be rehabilitated, Wessman said.

Still, considering the conditions where the animals were found, it’s amazing so many survived, he said.

Two homes near Snohomish also were searched on Sunday as part of an animal cruelty case investigation. Officers found 39 more dogs living in better conditions. No additional animals were seized.

It’s one of the biggest suspected illegal animal breeding operations ever investigated in Snohomish county, officials said.

No arrests have been made, but sheriff’s deputies have identified the people they say are responsible for the animals’ care.

Once the investigation is complete, the case will be forwarded to Snohomish County prosecutors.

On Monday, more than a ton of pet food was donated to the shelter and people gave more than $2,100 to help with the animals’ care, Wessman said.

“It’s been tremendously positive to feel the community support,” he said.

More money is needed, however.

Officials expect to care for the animals for at least the next two weeks, likely longer. The grooming effort alone is expected to take all week.

By the time the dogs find new homes, the shelter expects to have spent about $50,000 for veterinary care and medicine.

Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or

Help the dogs

Everett Animal Shelter officials said they are still in need of towels and cash donations to help the 155 dogs rescued Friday from a suspected puppy mill.

Homes also are needed for the animals that were at the shelter before Friday’s raid. That will create more room at the shelter and limit the number of dogs that need to share pens.