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By Mike Potter, Christeena Sherman, Audrey Gilpin
Eight dogs were found dead, and more than 100 were found in extremely poor condition at a property about 10 miles west of Guffey and 15 miles southeast of Hartsel after Park County Sheriff's Deputies executed a search warrant on Dec. 16.
The animals, mostly huskies and husky-mixes, belong to Samuel Walker and Diane Walker, both of Florissant. They have been operating Pawsatrack Racing Sled Dogs.
Park County Undersheriff Monte Gore said on Dec. 22 that the Walkers could face 108 counts of animal cruelty.
The eight dead dogs were found stuffed in empty dog food bags in a pit. The starving animals were found chained to doghouses on the property.
Early in the morning, deputies and Sheriff's Office animal control officers executed the search warrant on the property off of Forest Service Road 108, according to a Dec. 17 press release from the Park County Sheriff's Office. The dogs that were found there rated a "1 or less" on the Hennekee Body Score System, which rates an animal's body condition from one to nine, with one being the lowest, according to the press release.
Initially, on Dec. 16, 30 dogs in the poorest conditions were taken to animal shelters in Colorado Springs, Buena Vista, Salida and Park County. Then on Dec. 17 the remaining 70 or so dogs were removed.
The dogs were found as a result of an anonymous tip to the United States Humane Society, which contacted Sergeant Bobbi Priestly of Park County Animal Control on Dec. 15, said the press release. Gore told The Flume, "The dogs were out in the open, but each had a house that they were fastened to with a 10-15- foot chain." The shelters in Park County and other counties that received the dogs have received considerable response from the public.
"We're calling the huskies "miniature" because of their small size and using it as a marketing strategy. There is no breed of husky or malamute that's miniature; the animals just look that way as a result of malnutrition," said Diana Cameron, from the Humane Society of Fremont County in Cañon City.
"All of the dogs are very nice and very happy to be out of the situation. People should come from miles around to adopt them," she said. That facility received four males and two females of the roughly 100 dogs that were recovered. For the most part the dogs will need about one week of recovery time.
The Walkers signed over ownership of 98 dogs to the Park County Sheriff's Office last week. While eight were found dead at the time of the seizure, one succumbed to death on the way to a veterinarian. Anyone wishing to make a dog food donation may send it or take it to the Park County Sheriff's Office, located at 1180 County Road 16 in Fairplay. Monetary donations can be sent to Park County Animal Rescue, P.O. Box 604, Fairplay, CO 80440.
One starving sled dog reunited
Old owner sees dog on TV, comes to rescue
By Audrey Gilpin - Mountain Mail Staff Writer
Chester, a 10 year-old emaciated Alaskan husky, was reunited with his former owner Tuesday at Ark-Valley Humane Society in Buena Vista after a four-day search triggered by a national newscast photograph. A sled dog racer for more than 15 years, Tammy Sullivan, 50, of Laramie, Wyo., was watching Denver Channel 9 News coverage of the Park County Animal Control rescue of more than 100 sled dogs near Hartsel in South Park when she recognized an old friend.
"Oh my gosh, that's my dog! That's Chester," Sullivan said she exclaimed during the newscast. Six years ago while living in Bailey, Sullivan said she faced financial problems and placed Chester at Pawsatrack Racing Sled Dogs, owned by Samuel and Diane Walker near Hartsel. Sullivan said she could not take care of 12 dogs she had then.
"I had known (the Walkers) for years. They didn't have a highly competitive team, but their race dogs looked good. The Walkers were doing just fine," Sullivan said. After seeing Chester on the news Dec. 16 when he weighed 46 pounds because of starvation, Sullivan said she spent four days calling shelters to locate him. Eventually, she searched the Ark-Valley Web site and saw a photo of Chester.
"I immediately called the shelter and asked about Chester. Did he have a bum knee? Was he neutered? After they said yes, I just knew it was him," she said. Sullivan drove from Laramie to Buena Vista and back Tuesday to adopt Chester. "You're damn right he's staying with us," she said. "He deserves a better home - he can be a couch potato with us."
She said she took Chester immediately to her regular veterinarian for an examination and blood tests. "I am just heartsick. I feel completely to blame. He wasn't safe," Sullivan said. Chester gained two pounds in six days at the shelter in Buena Vista. He weighs 48 pounds which is "better than most" of the other dogs rescued in South Park, she said. Alice Lively, Ark-Valley assistant manager, said a dog the size of Chester should weigh 60-65 pounds. Sullivan has about six sled dogs, mostly retired, in Laramie.
"The mushing (sled dog) community is really upset over this. It's not how we keep our animals. We'd starve ourselves before starving our animals." Sullivan said she saw Samuel Walker at a sled dog race in Leadville during the first week of March. "He had no dogs with him and said Chester was doing fine," she said.
Park County Undersheriff, Monte Gore told The Mountain Mail, a sister paper of The Flume, on Tuesday that the Walkers could face 108 counts of animal cruelty. Park County Animal Control personnel removed 30 dogs in the poorest condition Dec. 16 and the remaining 70 dogs Dec. 17. Eight dogs were found dead. Gore said more dead dogs could be found in graves when the ground thaws.
The rescued sled dogs were sent to Humane Societies in Longmont, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Cañon City and Buena Vista. A complete list of shelters where the dogs were placed is at www.parkco.us. With Chester gone, Ark-Valley has 13 of the rescued dogs. Nancy Best, animal care technician, said the rescued dogs are being fed four times a day. "We've had an outpouring of community response," she said.
People interested in donating to the emergency medical fund, becoming foster parents or adopting the dogs may call 719-395-2737. Best said people will be put on a list, and potential foster parents will be contacted after Christmas. People who offer themselves as potential adopters of dogs will be contacted after the dogs are in better health.
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Update: Couple Surrenders In Sled Dog Abuse Case - Huskies Were Found Starving
POSTED: 4:01 pm MST December 28, 2009
UPDATED: 4:38 pm MST December 28, 2009
FAIRPLAY, Colo. -- The couple who owned more than 100 sled dogs seized after they were reportedly found starving in "deplorable conditions" has turned themselves in to face animal cruelty charges, officials said Monday.
Samuel and Diane Walker turned themselves in at the Park County Jail on Christmas Day, according to the Park County Sheriff's Office. They were released after both posted $2,000 in bail.
The Walkers were charged with two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, a felony, and 30 counts of cruelty to animals, a misdemeanor, officials said.
About 100 Huskies bred for sled racing were rescued on Dec. 16 and 17 from the Walkers' rural mountain property south of Hartsel. As many as 90 Husky and Husky-mix dogs were underweight and not properly fed, police have said. Eight of the dogs had died.
A tip to the U.S. Humane Society led to the investigation and the seizure of dogs. The dogs were dispersed to various animal shelters for treatment and rehabilitation and will be put up for adoption.
Source: http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/22075150/detail.html
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