County Animal Services removed nearly four dozen dogs from a Jamul home after a series of complaints about the number of dogs on the property.
When animal control officials investigated complaints, they found 53 dogs at the home in east Jamul - including two litters of puppies.
Current County regulations only allow for six adult dogs on a property in an unincorporated area, unless the property is zoned otherwise or has a special permit. In this case, County regulations applied.
The dogs were healthy and cared for, animal control officers said, and the property owner cooperated and was grateful for the help. The owner said several of her dogs had puppies and she could not find homes for them.
“This was a case where the owner let the animal situation get away from her,” said County Animal Services Director Dawn Danielson in a statement. “She had dogs that weren’t spayed and neutered. Within a short time, they bred and the population ballooned to more than 50 dogs.”
When animal control officers met with the homeowner on Jan. 4, she relinquished ten dogs - all border collie blends aged five months to one year old.
When officers returned several days later, they took 12 more dogs, two litters of puppies and their mothers. One litter of five Chihuahua blend puppies was just two weeks old. A second litter of five Shih Tzu puppies was only four weeks old.
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Saturday, the owner relinquished 25 more dogs: all adults that included border collies, border collie blends, toy and miniature poodles, and more. The homeowner kept six dogs.
All animals were taken to the County's facility in Bonita and checked by a veterinarian. Some were transfered to local rescue groups and some were made available for adoption. The San Diego Humane Society took in nine dogs.
Additionally, the homeowner had five goats, two horses and several pigs on her land. Animal Services put her in touch with a rescue group that may be able to take in some of those animals.
Some of the dogs are still available for adoption. Visit the County of San Diego's website to look for available animals.
