Update: More than 80 dogs rescued from Ceres home. 3 people arrested, 2 sent to hospitals
An anonymous call seeking a wellness check for a Ceres resident led police Tuesday to a home where an elderly woman, a little girl and more than 80 dogs were found in “unlivable” conditions, according to Ceres police. Three other residents were arrested.
Stanislaus Animal Services Agency, in a press release, said the situation at the Hollister Street home was “deplorable.”
The child in the home was to a local hospital for medical evaluation and placed into the custody of Child Protective Servoces, police said. The older woman also was taken to a local hospital for medical evaluation and care from Adult Protective Services. KCRA reported that their ages are 76 and 4.
Ceres officers placed Lissette St Denis, 43, Seth Badal, 43, and Freddy Vasquez, 22, under arrest on suspicion of child abuse, elder abuse and animal cruelty, according to a Police Department news release. All three were booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be filed.
Animal Services reported that its personnel faced “dire circumstances” and were unable to enter the home. Oxygen levels were measured at 16% by the Fire Department, attributed to the high levels of ammonia from “extensive urine” throughout the property.
The Fire Department initiated the rescue and safely evacuated the dogs. The conditions the dogs lived in were described by Animal Services as “dark and unsanitary,” the results of which took “a severe toll on their health and well-being.”
“While we are relieved to have rescued these innocent animals from such dire circumstances, it is heart-wrenching to witness the suffering they have endured,” read a statement from Vaughn Maurice, executive director of Stanislaus Animal Services, included in the release. “Our priority now is to provide them with the necessary medical attention, rehabilitation, and, ultimately, find them loving forever homes.”
Two people, reportedly residents of the home, were arrested by Ceres police in connection with the incident, according to a Fire Department summary. The Ceres Police Department was not immediately reached Wednesday morning to confirm the charges on which they were arrested.
There is a discrepancy as to how many dogs were rescued. Animal Services reported 81 dogs rescued, the Fire Department reported 88, and police said “approximately 86.”
Tuesday’s incident came in the same months Animal Services officers rescued more than 50 dogs from other alleged hoarders. The rescue further exasperates the current overcrowding situation at the county animal shelter on Cornucopia Way.
The shelter hit a peak of 327 dogs — over 180% of its capacity — on Monday, which prompted increased efforts to encourage adoption, The Modesto Bee reported.
The dogs rescued Tuesday will first see a vet before being made available for adoption, according to Animal Services.
