Hundreds Seek to Adopt Chihuahuas Rescued from Dearborn Home

Santiago Esparza / The Detroit News

Dearborn — So many people have come forward looking to adopt Chihuahuas found in horrid living conditions in a Dearborn house this week that city animal shelter staffers used walkie-talkies Saturday to direct traffic.

Shelter volunteers were so swamped that they would only take contact information from prospective owners.

More than 400 people have signed up to take one of the dogs home, and the shelter on Greenfield Road was packed with would-be owners — as well as concerned residents — who dropped off donations of money and dog food for the animals.

The dogs cannot yet be adopted because they are undergoing assessments for health and temperament, according to shelter spokeswoman Sandy Boulton.

“They are being carefully cared for. We certainly hope to adopt them out. In the meantime, we are in a holding pattern,” Boulton said.

Boulton added that the legal issues with the dogs further complicate the adoption process.

Police say Kenneth Lang had 151 bodies of dead dogs in his freezers and 110 Chihuahuas roamed his house amid piles of trash and feces. The dogs were found Wednesday. His attorney, James G. Schmier, said Lang had a serious mental condition and thought he was doing the right thing by keeping the dogs away from the pound. Hazmat crews continued their work Friday and are expected to be at the house next week as well. Cleanup could finish on Tuesday, a city spokesman said.

Prospective owners stood outside the shelter Saturday as they waited to write their names on sheets of paper denoting their willingness to adopt the animals.

Volunteer Debbie Stewart said she cried when she saw news reports about the animals but became joyful on Saturday when she saw the outpouring of community support for the dogs.

“It is absolutely amazing. We are going to have such good things come from this,” Stewart said.

Muna Abdulrahim of Dearborn came to the shelter on Saturday with her daughters to donate money and to sign up as volunteers after hearing about the dogs’ plight.

“It’s a disaster. I didn’t think a human could do this. I feel sad, but I’m trying to help,” Abdulrahim said, as she petted Frankie, a 4-month-old light brown Chihuahua rescued from the house.

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HomeFur-ever Animal Rescue is very pleased that the citizens of the Detroit community have shown such strong support to the Dearborn Animal Shelter and the rescued animals.  Like our organization, the staff and volunteers at the Dearborn facility work very hard every day to help animals in need and we’re certain they are grateful for the support.

We would also like to mention to those who have applied to adopt the rescued animals, if your application is not one of those selected to receive one of the rescued chihuahuas, we would encourage you to contact us at Home Fur-ever as we also have a large number of wonderful animals in need of a loving ‘forever’ home!  We can be reached via comments on this blog or via our email address at homefurever@comcast.net .  We would love to introduce you to the many loving and deserving animals we are currently caring for!

MI Legislators Plan to Weaken Bill Designed at Making Animal Euthanasia More Humane

This article was recently found in the Detroit News / Free Press.  If you believe as we do that the current intention of these lawmakers is irresponsible, we urge you to contact your representatives in the state legislature and strongly voice your opinion of what their actions should be as your elected representatives.  We believe these bills must maintain their strong stance against gassing animals; and certainly should not change because of cost-related issues or lack of training in administering euthanasia injections.  It should be a state requirement that shelter staff are properly trained in this technique – which actually costs less to administer than gassing.  We hope you will join us in this belief and take action with your elected representatives.

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Gassing of dogs, cats may continue; Bill on euthanasia at shelters weakened

State legislators, including two from metro Detroit, plan this month to revise – and essentially weaken – three bills aimed at making euthanasia of stray dogs and cats more humane.

The original versions would have outlawed the use of gas chambers in animal shelters, instead requiring lethal injections.

But after some officials, particularly some state veterinary officials, voiced opposition to the bills at a June 25 meeting, the legislative sponsors – state Reps. Eileen Kowall, R-White Lake; Fed Miller, D-Mt. Clemens; and Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge – now plan to allow some leeway.

“We’ll say whenever possible you should do injections because that’s the most humane,” Miller said last week. “But if you have the training and you’ve invested in the equipment to use gas properly, that’s allowed.”

Poison gas is no longer used at animal shelters in most of Michigan, including metro Detroit.  But at least 10 counties in north and west Michigan still use it according to the Michigan Department of Agriculture.

State officials said Michigan shelters euthanized 118,365 dogs and cats in 2008 – 53% of the animals brought in – but figures weren’t available on how many were gassed.

Animal advocates are upset about the revisions to the bills.

“In a gas chamber, the larger dogs survive for four to five minutes – terrified and choking,” said Joe Sowerby, founder of the adoption event Pet-a-Palooza, set for August 1st at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Those injected with sodium pentobarbital lose consciousness in seconds and die in two minutes, Sowerby said.  And studies show the average cost of injections is less than gassing, Sowerby said.

But Assistant State Veterinarian Dr. Nancy Frank said she wouldn’t limit shelters’ options because not all facilities have the training for injections.