27 Dogs Seized from East Texas Property

GILMER � On Tuesday, under the authority of the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, the SPCA of Texas seized and took custody of 27 allegedly cruelly confined dogs, including puppies, from a property in Gilmer. That’s according to KETK. SPCA officials say half of the dogs were living inside a feces-filled, urine-soaked house on the property and the other half were living in the front yard outside the residence.

The SPCA measured the ammonia level in the residence to be 20 parts per million (ppm). As a point of reference, according to SPCA officials, short term exposure to any ammonia level over 20 ppm or long term exposure to any level over 12 ppm can cause health problems in humans. The SPCA says dogs appear to have various health issues, including hair loss, flea infestation, nasal discharge and eye discharge. Of the 27 dogs, there were ten puppies.

The Upshur County Sheriff�s Office contacted the SPCA of Texas regarding concerns of animal cruelty. An SPCA of Texas Investigator visited the property on June 13. Upon further investigation, the SPCA of Texas and the Upshur County Sheriff�s Office determined that the animals were being cruelly treated. The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office and the SPCA of Texas concurred that it was in the animals’ best interest to remove the animals, and the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office sought a seizure warrant.

SPCA of Texas vehicles transported the animals to the Perry Animal Care Center at 8411 Stacy Road in McKinney, TX, where they are being examined by medical staff and will be cared for until the custody hearing. The custody hearing will take place on Thursday, July 10, at 2:00 p.m., at the Upshur County Courthouse. If the SPCA of Texas is awarded custody of the animals, they would be individually evaluated for potential adoption or placement on a case by case basis.