A dog rests on the grass in Loveland on Friday and receives a pet from Scott Wendelberger of the NoCo Humane Society. The dog is one of many rescued from unlicensed pet facilities in Lyon, eight of which are being cared for by the NoCo Humane Society. (Jenny Sparks/Loveland Herald reporter)
NoCo Humane is in the early stages of preparing to rehome eight dogs rescued from an unlicensed animal facility in Lyon on Wednesday.
On January 31st, NoCo Humane, along with Pet Animal Control Facility Act personnel, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office, and the Boulder County Sheriff's Office, visited the unlicensed facility and recovered 78 dogs, primarily Husky mixes and other cold-weather dogs. I took over. Variety.
A tenant at the property was given an eviction notice in December for “knowingly operating an unlicensed pet facility under Colorado law” for more than a year, according to a previous release.
Humane Society CEO Judy Calhoun was one of many people on the premises during the operation. She said it was the first time she had come to the scene of such an event with such a large pack of dogs.
Calhoun said while he was honored to help such a great team, he felt sorry for so many of the dogs.
“When you see pictures of dogs running loose on properties like that, it seems like a great situation,” she said. “What we don't think about is the stress levels of dogs living in such large packs. Yes, dogs are pack animals, and many dogs like to be with other dogs. But just as humans are social animals, we don't necessarily want to be in such large groups all the time.”
NoCo Humane's Larimer campus in north Loveland initially adopted out six of the approximately 80 dogs, but two more were rescued from the property Thursday morning, bringing NoCo Humane's total to eight. Ta.
The remaining dogs were donated to Fort Collins-based Animal Friends Alliance, Cheyenne Animal Shelter, Dumb Friends League, Foothills Animal Shelter, Boulder Valley Humane Society, and Pike Peak Area Humane. It was sent to 11 different animal welfare organizations, including the Society. , Mattersville, Max Fund, National Mill Dog Rescue, and Riverdale Animal Shelter.
Calhoun said that in situations like this, the humane society allows the dogs a few days to calm down before testing begins. However, she added that the dogs are already calm in their new location, as they do not wander around, bark or howl, and many spend a lot of time sleeping.
“This to me shows that they are in a much more relaxed and less stressful situation now,” she said.
She added that veterinary staff still needed to perform tests, but the dogs appeared to be in good health, although some were overweight and “unclean.”
However, Calhoun said the dogs will soon be ready for adoption. She said veterinary staff will not only examine the dogs for health concerns, but they will also undergo behavioral tests and possibly grooming. We also have enrichment activities for all the dogs at the shelter, including a stuffed Kong toy.
She expects some dogs may be available for adoption as early as this week, adding that some dogs may not be ready for adoption due to dental issues. She can't say for sure if this is the case, but she says she wouldn't be surprised if some people needed dental work.
One of those dogs, who hasn't been named yet, enjoyed spending time outside Friday wandering slowly and lying on the grass basking in the sun.
“I'm very proud of our team, (and) it's an honor to do this job,” she said. “We are honored to help create new families or add to existing families.”
For more information about NoCo Humane and the pets available for adoption, visit nocohumane.org.
