47 dogs seized in Llano animal hoarding case
These dogs are just two of the 47 that were seized from an extreme animal hoarding case in Llano in late October. Llano Animal Rescue photo
The Llano Police Department seized 47 dogs from an “inexcusable” animal hoarding case on Oct. 23. In the aftermath of the seizure, a municipal judge awarded ownership of the canines to the city and many have already found new homes, but the massive operation zapped the resources of the local animal rescue and more still needs to be done.
“I’ve been doing this a long time and (this dog hoarding situation) was the worst I’ve ever seen,” Llano Police Chief John Bauer told DailyTrib.com following the seizure. “It’s not just physical abuse, it’s mental abuse. The shelter they were in was in excusable. There are different types of cruelty.”
Criminal charges against the former owner of the dogs had not been filed as of Thursday, Nov. 6, but Bauer said that a thorough animal cruelty investigation is underway. The identity of the former owner of the dogs will not be released unless these criminal charges are filed and entered into the public record.
According to the chief, he and Llano Animal Control Officer Cathryn Ray coordinated with volunteers from Llano Animal Rescue to seize and take custody of the 47 dogs from a Llano residence following complaints from neighbors about the noises and smells coming from the property.
Officers obtained a warrant from the Llano Municipal Court and took all 47 dogs on Oct. 23. The animals were reportedly living in thick layers of filth, unsupervised, and suffering from various diseases, ailments, and infestations due to their poor living conditions.
“When you imagine the worst thing, of how bad it could get, it was about 100 times worse,” Llano Animal Rescue Executive Director Robin Chisea said.
The house was in such poor condition that the owners had it demolished following the LPD intervention. Officers had to wear biohazard masks to enter the building, and as the structure was torn down maggots were said to be pouring from the walls.
Bauer explained that the dog hoarder was a family member of the owners of the property, who he said were unaware of the hoarding situation. Nobody was actually living at the home full time, but the dog hoarder was stopping by to feed them regularly.
“Hardly any of the dogs had been socialized with human contact,” Chisea said. “None of them had ever been bathed. They had fleas, skin disorders, eye injuries, nails too long, matted fur, dental issues. Zero care.”
With the dogs seized, the case was brought before Llano Municipal Court on Oct. 30 and Judge Bian Alexander ruled in favor of officially transferring ownership of the animals to the city.
LPD officers and at least 20 volunteers spent nearly two weeks processing all 47 dogs, giving them medical treatment, identifying their weights, ages, and temperaments, and preparing them for potential adoption. Chisea said that the rescue spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours getting the dogs into adoptable condition.
“Most of them we have gotten to the point where we can handle them,” she said. “Most of them are adoptable now.”
As of Thursday, Nov. 6, all but 11 of the dogs have either been adopted or transferred to other care facilities across the country. Llano Animal Rescue is taking applications for adoptions and still seeking donations to help recoup the resources expended in the case. Contact the rescue at rescuellano@gmail.com, call 325–247-4963, or visit its website to learn more about how to adopt or give.
