One puppy from the Home Street seizure is up for adoption, and another three pups have already been adopted.
Fifteen dogs were rescued on Jan. 4 when officers noticed a strong smell coming from a house in the 700 block of Home St. while following up on an unrelated matter nearby.
Police said the conditions the dogs were left in were among the worst animal protection officers had ever seen — estimating the 10 puppies and five adult dogs had been abandoned without food or water for between a week and a month when they were discovered.
The dogs’ owner, who rented the house, is charged with animal cruelty.
Three dead dogs were later found in a container in the garage when crews went to clean up the scene — something police say could potentially lead to further charges or could be used to substantiate the existing charges.
But while the state of the house was horrific, according to police, the ten puppies that ended up at the Winnipeg Humane Society were relatively healthy when they arrived.
“Medically, for what I know, they were not in an extreme, dire situation that we have seen in other cases,” Humane Society CEO Javier Schwersensky said. “We have some that have some medical issues that we’re treating, and we’re trying to establish what may be wrong with them — but it’s more about the overall sanitary situation in this case that was the main concern of the police.”
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“I don’t believe that we had — other than some medical concerns — anything out of the norm.”
Three puppies were put up for adoption on Tuesday, and another was added to the list of the Humane Society’s adoptable dogs in the following days. Three of the four puppies have since been adopted.
The six others are still receiving treatment for minor issues. Schwersensky said it’s not uncommon for puppies to have bouts of diarrhea, but his staff want to make sure that’s not a symptom of something more serious.
“We’re trying to rule out anything else and because they’ve been in a hoarding situation, disease can transmit very quickly, so we’re trying to make sure that there is nothing else out of the ordinary,” he said.
“We don’t make them available for adoption until we are 100 per cent certain that they are healthy.”
READ MORE: Three dead dogs discovered in Winnipeg home that housed 15 malnourished pooches
The case came to the public’s attention on Monday, and the puppies have been the subject of numerous calls to the Humane Society since then.
But while the situation has at the public’s heartstrings, cases of neglected animals are on the rise in Winnipeg — with the Humane Society alone responding to 1806 calls in 2018.
“These cases gain notoriety because Winnipeg Police have been involved,” Schwersensky said.
“There are cases every day, like this if not worse.”
On Thursday, four puppies from another situation were sent to the Humane Society, reiterating that the organization has no shortage of pets in need of good homes.
Schwersensky said mutts — which shelters are full of — tend to be healthier in the long term than breed-specific animals.
“Any animal that’s been rescued — from us or any other rescue — if you adopt and don’t shop, you’re doing a great deed and helping an animal in need.”
WATCH: Dead dogs discovered in Winnipeg home that housed malnourished pooches
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