By Loren Drummond
GAMALIEL, Arkansas — At noon, the rain started, coming down on the Ozark mountains in sharp, cold streaks, and onto the heads of the animal rescue and responders who have set up emergency operations here, on the property of Every Dog Needs a Home (EDNAH).
In this sleepy, rural resort community, The HSUS has been leading emergency sheltering operations, overseeing the care of nearly 500 dogs, three goats, and two cats on the property of Tammy Hanson and her husband, William, after the couple was charged last week with one count each of animal cruelty. Hanson was previously charged with animal cruelty in Missouri (but not convicted), and was convicted of impersonating a medical doctor in Illinois in 1993.
The most recent charges against her and her husband came after the Baxter County Sheriff's Department conducted a helicopter flyover of the property on Friday, October 21. The flyover was, in part, prompted by rumors that more than 100 dogs from the Gulf Coast, victims of Hurricane Katrina, were being held at the facility.
What the investigating officers spotted from the air, and witnessed first-hand in a ground inspection later that day, is the kind of stuff that keeps you awake at night. Literally. Several of the officers on scene that day said they did not sleep that night, or the one after, as the scene replayed, again and again, in their minds.
The Stuff of Nightmares
The sheriff's department found an estimated 477 dogs, caged or roaming, living on the property, which had neither permanent shelter nor bathroom facilities. A rising stench rolled off of the grounds. Flies swarmed. At least five dogs lay dead around the property, several in torn garbage bags. More than 50 dogs ran loose. Those dogs in runs—which lacked tarping or any real protection from wind, rain, heat or cold—pressed against the fencing toward their rescuers, barking wildly.
In most cages, five to ten dogs—male and female, injured and aggressive—were penned together. The largest "gang pen," a central compound surrounded on all sides by packed dog runs, held more than 50 dogs, but only two dog houses.
| Hoarding Behavior |
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Kim Staton, an HSUS volunteer with more than 15 years of sheltering experience, is overseeing the sheltering needs of the animals at EDNAH. She says there are many things about the situation which typify hoarding cases.
Chief among them are rampant sanitation problems, countless unaddressed animal needs, fighting among the animals, unsocialized animals, and animals desperate for attention. These conditions, and an unwillingness or inability of the owner to acknowledge any problem, typically define animal hoarding.
Hoarding is a behavior closely linked to mental illness. Because of this link, many hoarders, without help, repeat their behaviors again and again.
The Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium estimates that as many as a quarter million animals a year are victims of hoarding in the United States. |
Because of these deplorable conditions, the Hansons were arrested on charges of animal cruelty—a Class A misdemeanor punishable with fines up to $1,000 and with up to one year in prison—and were banned from the property until November 17 by order of the judge overseeing the case.
Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery immediately called The HSUS and others in the animal welfare community to help meet the animals' needs.
Glaring Neglect
As Rod McLeod, a board member of the Humane Society of North Central Arkansas who has been volunteering on the site for ten days, bent to change the litter for two young, slate-grey cats, he described the conditions they were found in.
"When we originally found them, there was an inch and a half of crud—feces and urine—with maggots in the litter box in the cage," he said.
The amount of waste was not surprising given the apparent neglect here. Desiree Bender, another sheltering volunteer, estimated that at least 12 of the dogs had not been let out of their cages since they were brought to EDNAH by Hanson several weeks before, the result of her trip to the Gulf to "rescue" Katrina pets.
"They were standing in their own filth, feces, urine," Bender said. "Their paws were burning, bleeding. You couldn't get close to them at first. They were so aggressive. They had not been walked or moved, and they were in such pain."
At the time of her arrest and release on bail, Hanson reportedly told a local newspaper that the dogs were being cared for, that cages were being cleaned daily, and that animals were being fed and watered daily.
To the Rescue
As part of The HSUS's response, Tammy Hawley, a program coordinator for the Southwest Regional Office and a veteran of Katrina and Rita, has been installed as incident commander of the emergency sheltering team, which has been deputized by the Baxter County Sheriff's Office to care for the animals for the duration of the case. Hawley's team includes expert responders and volunteers from The HSUS, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the American Humane Association (AHA), the United Animal Nations, and the Humane Society of North Central Arkansas.
In the last ten days alone, workers from these groups have not only built dozens of new dog runs, but have also fed, watered, walked, and provided emergency veterinary care for the hundreds of animals here. At least 20 trained animal handlers and volunteers are required to maintain that level of daily care. Debra Sweeten, an HSUS volunteer from Kansas City, noted the conditions for the animals over the last several days have been "completely transformed."
A mother and pup found huddling under the remains of a dog roof in one of the overcrowded pens—along with the hundreds of other dogs—certainly owe their change of fortune to these trained workers and volunteers. The mama and her pup now live in their own cage in the newly established "maternity ward," home to expectant mothers and a roiling, playful crush of close to 20 puppies. In this new sanctuary, the animals can curl up to nurse on clean blankets, out of the chill air and rain, with fresh food and water. They aren't forced to compete with ten or 30 other dogs for food and water.
The most seriously injured dogs on site have also been moved to their own cages, and have been treated by a veterinarian. Many receive daily antibiotics for persistent infections. Other medical issues that veterinarians are addressing with many of the dogs include internal and external parasites, advanced heartworm, injuries from fighting, and abscessed wounds.
The Next Steps
Nearly half of the dogs have been microchipped and photographed, and many of them have been re-kenneled to prevent aggression and breeding, and to diminish stress. As workers continue to improve the conditions for all of the animals, Hawley said she hopes to post photos of all of the EDNAH animals on Petharbor.com, to give owners a chance to identify their animals. But that decision is not fully in her hands. The Baxter County Sheriff's Office had earlier hammered out a deal with Hanson to give the department custody of the animals for three weeks until both sides could work out the long-term future of the animals. But it's not clear yet whether Hanson will surrender all of her animals, or wait for a trial to decide the fate of the creatures.
One hundred and seven dogs at EDNAH were victims of Hurricane Katrina, given to the Hanson's operation by some rescue groups. Those groups have moved on site immediately to correct the situation and to care for the animals they shipped there. The majority of these Katrina animals have been moved to other approved shelters, where they will also be posted on Petfinder.com or Petharbor.com.
Several of the dogs have already been reunited with their original owners, said Baxter County Sheriff Montgomery, including one Katrina dog whose owner was in Texas, and another dog whose local Arkansas owner said the animal had gone missing.
While the ultimate fate of many of the EDNAH animals remains uncertain as the case continues, one thing is clear: The HSUS, Baxter County, and other organizations and individuals across the country are committed to seeing that each day is better for these animals than the one before.
Loren Drummond is associate editor of www.hsus.org.
