SPCA Gets Custody of Seized Animals

GILMER — Before a custody hearing Wednesday at the Upshur County Courthouse in Gilmer, an agreement was reached between the animal owner, the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, and the SPCA of Texas for the animal owner to relinquish ownership of 27 animals. That’s according to KETK. The allegedly cruelly treated dogs, including ten puppies, were seized from a Gilmer residence by the SPCA. The animals will now be individually evaluated for potential adoption or placement on a case by case basis.

Under the authority of the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, the SPCA of Texas seized and took custody of the animals on July 3. According to the SPCA, 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 of Texas measured the ammonia level in the residence to be 20 parts per million (ppm). As a point of reference, 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, according to the SPCA.

The SPCA says the dogs appeared to have various health issues, including hair loss, flea infestation, nasal discharge, and eye discharge. 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 and the Sheriff’s Office determined that the animals were being cruelly treated. The Sheriff’s Office and the SPCA concurred that it was in the animals’ best interest to remove the animals, and the Sheriff’s Office sought a seizure warrant. SPCA of Texas vehicles transported the animals to the Perry Animal Care Center in McKinney, where they were examined by medical staff and cared for until the custody hearing.