From Deseret News archives:
Humane Society gets 30 poodles from Duchesne County
They were among 77 rescued from cabin after their owner died
Thirty of the 77 poodles rescued last week from an isolated one-room cabin in Tabiona were transported Thursday to the Humane Society of Utah, in hopes they will find homes much better than the feces-ridden one they came from.
The poodles were found living in almost a foot of excrement at the home of Lloyd Weaver, 65, after his death last week. His family called police to remove the dogs, and since then, animal shelters have answered the call for help, as have concerned community members.
The Utah Animal Adoption Center took in 16 poodles Monday and had placed all of them in homes by Wednesday. As soon as word got out that the Humane Society was taking in poodles, employees estimate they've gotten as many as 40 calls a day inquiring about the pooches.
"People are offering to adopt, to foster," said Mary Rancipher, a Humane Society adoption employee. "They're asking what color, size and sex they are and how much they cost."
Rancipher said the animals most likely will cost between $75 and $180, depending on what is involved in preparing them for adoption. When Pet Samaritans of Roosevelt brought the dogs in kennels bungeed to the bed of a pickup truck, the poodles still had the long dreadlocks full of feces and wire that they had been found with.
"They are completely ungroomed at this point," Pet Samaritan volunteer Darlene Koener said. "They are really nice. Once they get done being terrified, they are really smart and really nice."
This group of poodles was the last to be placed in animal shelters, which are better equipped than Roosevelt animal control to provide them with the care they need. Humane Society director Gene Baierschmidt said they will be groomed and spayed or neutered before they are ready to adopt.
"We plan on evaluating these dogs and getting them ready by next week, hopefully," he said. "We hope that the public will respond and give them the life they deserve."
Carrie Glavin, volunteer coordinator at the Humane Society, said the dogs that appear to need more than medical and physical care will be placed in foster homes until they are better.
"Some of them may be timid and may need to learn how to trust people again," Glavin said. "We may have to place some in foster homes until they're ready."
E-mail: emorgan@desnews.com
