800 Dogs Removed from Tucson, AZ Home

In a case of animal loving gone awry, an elderly couple in Tucson, Arizona were found to be holding 800 small dogs and 82 caged birds. The couple allegedly did not feel that they could give the dogs up and would keep them when they could not find a home for them that met their criteria. No charges have been brought up against the couple, who say they were trying their best, but were overwhelmed.. The dogs are said to be in mostly good condition, although the home and area surrounding was quite filthy. However, three dogs were found dead and a number were pregnant or missing paws. The couple's triple-wide trailer was overrun with, according to The Arizona Republic mostly Chihuahuas and Pomeranians.

Animal lovers may find themselves absolutely overrun with the pets they love, to the point that the conditions may become detrimental. For a number of years, I worked in pet stores, and we were often called upon to take on animals who could no longer be cared for. The reasons for this were numerous (divorce, moving, change in family situation, etc.), but one common finding among those who owned smaller pets was that people had added to their collections to the point that they could no longer care for all of their animals. This was particularly the case with small mammals and reptiles.

In one particular situation, we were called upon to "rescue" a pair of iguanas from an apartment home. The iguana's owner had decided, upon reaching the mark of 100 reptiles, that he simply wasn't doing any of them any justice. The pets that he had collected because someone had passed them along to him were not getting any better care than they had been at their old homes. Those that he had collected because he enjoyed them were no longer enjoyable. The time consumed with merely feeding the animals was simply too much, let alone trying to develop any sort of repertoire with those that would enjoy that sort of thing.

Iguanas in particular can become quite hostile if improperly treated. Even properly treated iguanas who are not given enough hands-on attention from an early age throughout their lifetime can become hostile. This was the case with the two iguanas given to us by this individual. In his home, he had at least 50 cages, most far too small for the animals they were housing. The apartment was sufficient size for this man and his girlfriend, but certainly not large enough for the large number of cages. Bearded dragons, usually docile creatures, lived three to a twenty-gallon tank, even though they were full grown. They had heat lamps, but no ultraviolet lamp, which is necessary for their survival. They obviously sparred often, which is not uncommon, but the wounds were fairly severe and obviously untreated.

This man also housed some other less docile animals, including a Caiman crocodile. These animals can grow up to 6-8 feet, though they were briefly touted as the "every man's crocodile" by the pet trade, with rumors placing their expected size range at "less than 4 feet." Even at 4 feet, which is not correct, they have the same strong teeth and jaws as their larger relatives. This Caiman was kept in a 20 gallon tank, though he was already nearly 2 feet long.

The iguanas themselves were kept in 55 gallon tanks. Each had one log on which to sit, no ultraviolet light, and one heat lamp placed between the two, which had melted the plastic. Neither was friendly, naturally, and both were missing a good portion of their tails. Tail loss in small iguanas is not uncommon, but it was clear that these had not been properly cared for.

As this man was getting rid of his collection, and had obviously already made strides, we did not contact the authorities. Some people get involved in "rescue" and take on more than they can chew. Others become collectors, gathering animals as if they were books or CDs, and only realizing later that the amount of care required by these animals is more than the now-owner is willing or able to handle. Much like the dog owners seem to have been doing in Tucson, this man was trying his best to take on as many as he could. Rather than handing the animals off to people who may not have met his criteria in the beginning, he chose to keep the animals himself, only realizing later that he could not handle that many animals. Fortunately, in both cases, the owners realized that they were over-burdened and most of the animals survived safely. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.