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WhiteRat · #1

Some folks here might remember the house that was discovered to be holding over 400 cats, some alive and some dead. Well, Western Wisconsin is at it again, this time in the form of dogs:

Quote:

38 dogs found in squalid house

Owner's illness prompted search, animal removal

BY KEVIN HARTER

Pioneer Press

FREDERIC, WIS.

"We've had so many horrific cases, including the cats (in St. Croix Falls), but this is really bad." — MARY BRUCKNER, HUMANE SOCIETY SHELTER MANAGER IN AMERY

Brian Hobbs of the Polk County Health Department thought he had seen the worst possible living conditions three months ago when he condemned a St. Croix Falls, Wis., residence that was home to nearly 400 cats.

Then he was called Monday to a rural Frederic home where at least 38 dogs lived with Thomas W. Zweier, 59, in a home without heat or water.

"The amount — the number of cats — was worse, but the living conditions, there is no comparison. This is even worse," said Hobbs, a public health environmental specialist.

"There are solid pyramids of feces 2 and 3 feet high. … There is no place in the home to sit."

Zweier, who lived alone on Clam Falls Drive, northeast of Frederic — about 75 miles northeast of St. Paul — became ill last Friday and went to a local clinic. He was taken by ambulance to Shell Lake Hospital before being transferred to St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth, Minn., where he remained Tuesday in stable condition. Attempts to reach him through the hospital were unsuccessful.

After Zweier sought medical attention, a neighbor told officials they might want to check the living conditions at the home.

The Polk County Sheriff's Department and Frederic Police Department got a search warrant Friday night.

"It was so bad we didn't have the resources (to handle it), so we had to wait until Monday. We made sure the dogs were fed and watered over the weekend," said Polk County Sheriff Ann Hraychuck, who said investigators agreed the conditions were the worst they had ever encountered.

The sheriff's department, assisted by the Frederic police, fire and ambulance departments, the Arnell Memorial Humane Society, veterinarians and volunteers returned Monday with Hobbs, who condemned the home.

Investigators found "copious amounts of garbage, dog feces and urine on the floors and walls," according to the sheriff's department.

The dogs were taken to the Arnell Memorial Humane Society in Amery, where they had their feces-covered coats cleaned. One dog was extremely sick and was euthanized, said Mary Bruckner, shelter manager, and two others were put down because they were vicious.

"We've had so many horrific cases, including the cats, but this is really bad," said Bruckner.

The remaining 35 dogs continued to be cleaned and groomed Tuesday, Bruckner said. They had not yet had physicals to determine whether they will be suitable for adoption.

The dogs appear to be American Eskimo/rat terrier mixes, most of them white with black spots and weighing 20 to 35 pounds. Most are believed to be inbred, and several of the females are pregnant.

"Their health seems to be pretty good, but many are very fearful and they need socialization," Bruckner said.

No dead dogs have been found in the house. The cleanup continues, the sheriff said, as does the investigation. The condemnation of the home now has to go before a judge, according to county officials.

Reports from the sheriff's and public health departments will be submitted to Polk County District Attorney Karen Olson to determine if charges will be filed.

Zweier has agreed to relinquish control of all the dogs except the one for which he had a license, Hraychuck said.

The three residents of a St. Croix Falls home that was condemned after nearly 400 cats were removed in November are expected to appear in court later this month. Each resident is charged with three misdemeanors.

Dorothy Weinhardt, 86, her daughter, Jean Bloomquist, 47, and son-in-law, Wayne Bloomquist, 52, were charged with mistreating animals and providing inadequate sanitary conditions and ventilation at their house at 209 S. River St.

More than 100 cats were found dead in the house, according to court records, including some in bags and some inside pop bottles that had been cut open and duct-taped shut. In addition, "there was cat feces and matted hair all over the floors and there did not appear to be a clean spot anywhere," according to the criminal complaint.

"Unfortunately, this is not as uncommon as we would like to think it is," Hraychuck said. "What I've learned from these cases is to encourage people to report their concerns. It is sad and disturbing that this man has lived in those conditions for years."