A municipal court judge ruled Thursday that 24 dogs Animal Care Services seized from a pet owner will be kept in the shelter’s custody for rehabilitation and future adoption.
Judge Lisa M. Gonzales divested Karen Ortman of ownership of the Yorkshire terriers, ruling that the dogs had been cruelly confined and treated. Gonzales also ordered Ortman to pay reimbursement fees that included an impoundment fee and medical care costs totaling $3,360.
Ortman was not present at the hearing. ACS officials said with her absence, the appeal process would be extended to 30 days, rather than the standard 10-day period.
“I do feel that the verdict made was correct,” ACS animal cruelty investigation specialist Kateri Miller said.
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Prosecutor Barrett McKinney asked for a default judgment before showing photographs and documented conditions of each dog.
ACS officers served an animal cruelty warrant to Ortman on Jan. 10, after several visits from investigators and notices of violation being issued. ACS field supervisor Joel Skidmore said that in addition to the warrant, a family member called 311, concerned for the welfare of the animals and Ortman.
Skidmore said ACS officers found the floors and some curtains of the home in the 9300 block of Fallworth soaked with urine when they seized the dogs, which had clumps of feces caked into their fur.
Miller said the team felt the warrant was justified.
According to the warrant, ACS officers first visited the home on Dec. 7 to check on a complaint of a puppy mill operation. They said Ortman admitted to breeding dogs, raising multiple litters and selling them.
The officers said they weren’t permitted to inspect the house at that time, but when the door was open, they noticed a foul odor coming from the animals’ fur. They issued a notice of violation and gave her an application for a litter/excess permit.
On two follow-up visits, the odor was again present outside as they approached the home and when Ortman opened the door. Then communication between the agency and Ortman ended from Dec. 20 to Jan. 9, with the owner not responding to investigators’ visits or answering their telephone calls .
On Jan. 10, ACS officers requested a warrant after being unable to verify the living conditions at the home and out of concern for the dogs’ welfare, including the possibility that it was a puppy mill operation. They served it later that day and seized the dogs.
In October, the City Council approved revisions to Chapter 5 of the City Code that included authorizing ACS officers to take in pets sold at illegal sites such as roadside stops or unauthorized sites where owners violate permit requirements.
A report by the Humane Society of the United States said puppy mills began during the post-World War II era when Midwestern farmers were looking for an alternative crop and began filling a demand for purebred puppies.
Katie Jarl, HSUS Texas state director, said the city-funded shelter takes great lengths to adopt out as many animals as humanly possible, but these types of breeders still exist within the city of San Antonio.
“I’m the first to admit that a little Yorkie sure is cute, but the cruelty behind that cuteness is reason enough to avoid the breeders,” Jarl said. She advised people to “head to the shelters when you’re looking for a dog or a cat.”
ACS spokeswoman Lisa Norwood said the investigators and prosecution team presented strong evidence that led to the judge’s decision.
“This is good news, not just for ACS and our cruelty investigators, but most of all for these animals,” she said. “These animals now have a chance to find a home and a family. At the end of the day, that’s what our cruelty investigators do, they give second chances to animals that never had a chance to begin with.”
Norwood said the dogs would not be available for any placement until the end of the appeals process.
Vincent T. Davis is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | mailto:vtdavis@express-news.net| @vincentdavis