MONTANA CREEK, Alaska—
Animal care staff in the Mat-Su Valley worked through the night Monday to remove more than 150 dogs from a breeder's home.Alaska State Troopers arrived Monday evening at the Montana Creek home of 53-year-old Frank Rich of Willow, near Mile 92 of the Parks Highway, to investigate a report of animal neglect.
Troopers say when they arrived at the house on Kashwitna Drive, there was no food or water for the dogs. There were about 150 dogs on the property.
Troopers say nearly all the dogs were malnourished and dehydrated. The animals were shivering and eating snow and their own feces. An additional 22 dogs that had already died were found on the properly, apparently dead from exposure, starvation and dehydration. They say there could be more dead dogs on the property.
About 30 of the dogs are puppies. Some are just a few weeks old.
Troopers arrested Rich for 50 counts of cruelty to animals and remanded him to to the Mat-Su Pretrial Facility. He was arraigned Tuesday morning on the Class A misdemeanors, and a judge entered a plea of not guilty.
Rich is held on $5,000 bail. If he posts bail, he cannot own dogs.
Rich told troopers he lost his job in October and was having a tough time supporting the dogs for his breeding operation.
Mat-Su Borough Animal Care & Regulation Manager Richard Stockdale said Animal Care removed the dogs from Rich because of the lack of care. There were 157 of his dogs at the shelter Tuesday morning.
"It is huge, I mean right now we are at full capacity, you see we're closed today just so we can process them through," Stockdale said.
He said most of the dogs were huskies. "Most animals are emaciated and dehydrated," Stockdale said.
Animal Care is asking the community for donations of money and the dogs' current brand of food, Hills Science Diet Advanced Fitness. The shelter needs the specific brand of dog food, money, zip ties, tarps, outside kennels, blankets and metal food bowls to help with the influx of dogs.
Supplies to help out can be dropped off at the Willow Fire Statoin and the Anchorage Animal Shelter.
Officials are also asking the public to come in and adopt other dogs -- not the dogs removed from Rich's house -- to alleviate pressure on the facility and let workers treat the incoming dogs. The facility is offering a discount on adopting the dogs that were already there.
Officials say Rich's dogs will not be up for adoption any time soon -- it depends on the outcome of the trial, or if Rich signs over control.
