AR-News: (IN - US) Officials take 20 pit bulls from house & child-welfare case

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Officials take 20 pit bulls from house
Police investigating child-welfare case find Westside home filled with animal wastes.
  
By Tom Spalding
tom.spalding at indystar.com
October 22, 2003
 
Twenty pit bulls were removed from a feces-covered Westside rental home they shared with two families and three children, including a 2-week-old girl.

Police went to the house in the 300 block of North Belleview Place around 3 p.m. Monday because a 10-year-old boy who lived there told officials at his elementary school that the reason he smelled so bad was because he lived with so many dogs.

When investigators went to the residence, they were met with an overwhelming stench of animal urine, swarms of flies and dog waste crushed into the carpet throughout the house, according to a report.

The boy had puncture wounds on the left side of his face, which he said were from a dog bite, the report said.

Candy M. Asher, 26, and Georgia Braden, 30, who share the house, were each charged with preliminary counts of neglect of a dependent and animal cruelty. Two other adults who lived in the house were wanted for questioning.

The 20 pit bulls and a Peking-ese apparently were being kept for breeding. They were in various stages of health, and Animal Care and Control Sgt. Jerry Bippus said few of the dogs had ever had their toenails trimmed.

"The toenails were so long, they were crisscrossing in," Bippus said.

The dogs suffered from several other problems, including malnutrition, he said.

"The condition they were in, (the pit bulls) are probably better off being euthanized," he said.

City laws don't limit the number of dogs a person may have as long as there are suitable living quarters, said City Prosecutor Teri Kendrick.

The dogs were taken from the home. Pit bulls are rarely adopted, officials said.

Child Protection Services had custody of the children as of Monday night.

The two women were released and are due back in Marion Superior Court at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

Attempts to reach anyone at the house were unsuccessful.

Call Star reporter Tom Spalding at 1-317-444-2761.