Mat-Su

Little white dogs from Wasilla 'hoarding situation' fill Mat-Su animal shelter

WASILLA — Oliver the Maltese-poodle mix seems perfectly happy snuggling next to Jamie Cunningham despite the bright pink bandages covering his left leg and much of his chest.

But then, the comfy confines of Alaska Dog and Puppy Rescue near Wasilla are a far cry from the place where the two met.

Authorities say the 7-pound male "Maltipoo" is one of at least 15 and maybe 20 little white dogs raised in filthy conditions by a man they described as a hoarder who lives east of Wasilla near Cottonwood Lake.

Fifteen ended up at the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Animal Control and Regulation shelter, where they fill the cages in one room. The space erupts into a cacophony of barks when a visitor enters — 15 little white dogs, some shy and shivering and others wide-eyed and friendly. All the same size. All shaved of the dirt- and feces-matted fur that covered them.

A half-dozen dogs, apparently from the same house though that can't be confirmed, also turned up abandoned in Meadow Lakes.

Cunningham described their condition as deplorable, with fur so matted it tore their skin when they walked, generating open sores.

Oliver suffered in particular: Cunningham said rescuers shaving off his filth-clotted coat got a disturbing surprise when they started on his underside.

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"Maggots just started spilling out of his chest," she said. A dime-sized opening was infested. He also had a leg injury.

Rescuers eventually found five of the abandoned little dogs. They filled a 13-gallon trash bag with shaved hair in eight hours.

The case started in June when Matt Hardwig, the borough's chief animal control and regulation officer, visited the house following a neighbor's report.

Hardwig entered the home, which he described as one of "my top 20 worst houses" in terms of living conditions.

Inside, he said, he found numerous little white dogs, all loose. "The dogs were in a condition that was unhealthy. They were soiled, matted, left alone for periods of time."

The owner surrendered 15 of the dogs in June, Hardwig said. He cited the man for six counts of different code violations addressing animal neglect and cruelty.

Cunningham said she thinks there were more dogs in the house and the owner got spooked and got rid of the rest to avoid further trouble.

Hardwig declined to identify the owner. He said the case is still under investigation.

He countered reports on social media that the dogs came from a puppy mill.

The problem is "more of a hoarding situation," Hardwig said. "Hoarding is probably the perfect word for it. I think the reason they breed is just because they can."

The shelter has adopted out one of the dogs that the owner surrendered. At least two of the dogs taken in by Alaska Dog and Puppy Rescue have already been adopted, Cunningham said.

 

Like many local enforcement agencies, animal control operates on a complaint-driven system because there aren't enough officers to initiate investigations — just four for a borough the size of West Virginia, an enforcement area that runs from Broad Pass on the Parks Highway to the intersection of the Glenn and Richardson highways.

The same man was the subject of another animal-control visit two years ago, Hardwig said. Six dogs came to the shelter as the result of that visit.

"At that time, if I remember correctly, he was not a concern to us," he said.

Zaz Hollander

Zaz Hollander is a veteran journalist based in the Mat-Su and is currently an ADN local news editor and reporter. She covers breaking news, the Mat-Su region, aviation and general assignments. Contact her at zhollander@adn.com.

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