WASILLA -- Animal control officers have confiscated 57 animals -- dogs, birds and a cat -- living in filthy conditions at the home of a Sutton dog breeder, according to Matanuska-Susitna Borough officials.
The breeder, Marcie Doppelt, faces 70 counts of animal cruelty and one of operating a kennel without a borough license, said Mat-Su chief animal control officer Dave Allison. The animals were seized on Tuesday.
"I'd rather not discuss the case; it's going to court," Doppelt said Thursday by phone.
Doppelt is scheduled to appear in Palmer district court at 9 a.m. Thursday, borough officials said. Each animal cruelty count carries a potential $300 fine; the license violation brings $150, Allison said.
The 39 dogs, one cat and 17 birds lived in their own feces and urine, according to the borough Animal Care and Regulation Department. One bird was found dead.
The officers seized the animals after receiving a complaint June 22 that they lived in unsanitary conditions and the cat and dogs were killing the birds, according to the borough Public Affairs Office.
Doppelt rebuffed officers investigating the complaint June 22. On Tuesday, armed with warrants and accompanied by Alaska state troopers, the officers returned to her home on East Carroll Drive and took the animals away, according to borough Public Affairs.
The animals are malnourished, have ear and eye infections, and were deeply soiled with matted fur, among other conditions, according to the Public Affairs Office. One dog had a fishhook embedded in its fur, Allison said.
The shelter staff today plans a massive bathing, shaving and grooming session while the shelter is closed, Allison said.
The confiscated menagerie includes cocker and springer spaniels and German shepherds, including some puppies. Among the birds were macaws and conures, according to borough Public Affairs.
Before animal control officers arrived, Doppelt removed 12 peacocks from her property to an undisclosed location, Allison said.
Allison said the animals put a nearly impossible burden on the already crowded borough animal shelter on North 49th State Street between Palmer and Wasilla.
"This makes it all very interesting. There is very little room," he said. "On a good day, our shelter is full."
This situation underscores the shortcomings of the borough animal shelter, Allison said.
Voters in October rejected a $4.6 million bond issue to fund an expanded shelter. Instead, the borough Assembly, by appropriating some money and shuffling some from other accounts, found a half-million dollars to improve or repair the shelter crematory and the septic, heating, ventilation and electrical systems.
The borough has custody until a judge decides what to do with the animals: Turn them over to borough care or return them to Doppelt, said Allison. He said the animals are better off in borough care.
"I'm positive we can find them homes; some may be adoptable," Allison said. "Hopefully it won't happen that the court returns the animals back to the defendant. ... We've seen that in the past, that would be the worst-case scenario for our community. It sets a tone that animal cruelty is tolerated."
Contact Mat-Su editor Joseph Ditzler at 352-6715 or jditzler@adn.com.
