412 McBride, Como, TX
Hopkins County Sheriff’s officers and investigators assisted by the SPCA of Texas (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) seized 12 dogs, five of which were puppies, and two horses from 412 McBride St in Como,TX Tuesday afternoon. The animals were seized after an investigation by the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office following a number of complaints from neighbors of the residence. Deputy Sheriff and County Animal Cruelty Investigator Kody Hume launched his investigation regarding the situation. After noting the condition, Hume obtained the warrant for the seizure and contacted the SPCA for their assistance in housing the animals after they were removed from the Como location.
Hume said that Hopkins County has no place to house animals that are removed from cruel confinement or mistreatment. “The animals will be going back to the SPCA of Texas facility and will be medically and behaviorally evaluated. Upon completion of their evaluations, and depending on the court, the animals could end up in our custody where we will make sure that they are rehabilited and put them up for adoption. That is if the court awards us custody of these animals,” SPCA of Texas Communications Manager Victoria Albrecht said.
Several of the animals were without food or water, including the five puppies and their mother. Many were malnourished, with one tied to an exceedingly short leash and another on a short chain. At least two of the dogs had mange and the horses had overgrown hooves. The Sheriff’s Department had received multiple reports of dogs that were loose which were violent toward other animals, sometimes hunting for their own food. The resident has been evicted and will face animal cruelty charges on July 7. “It’s definitely a horrible scene and animal cruelty is taken very seriously,” Albrecht said. “Many of the dogs were malnourished and tethered on a tight chain with no food or water and no shelter. We’re just going to get them some help and some love and nurse them back to health.”
The animals will be transported to a temporary holding facility in McKinney, TX where they will receive food, water, and medicine. “Here at the SPCA of Texas we have our own Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit that actually goes out and serves eight counties in Texas to help animals that are in need,” Albrecht said. “Situations like these happen too often, and what we want to do is try and gain awareness. If you visit our website you can donate now so you can help with rehabilitation and to help educate people about this in the future so we can avoid situations like this.”
People wanting to report animal cruelty can call the Sheriff’s Office at (903) 348-4040.
Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit accompanied by Deputy Hume and Chief Investigator Lewis Tatum
