BEND, OR -- 17 dogs were relinquished to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office late last month, after a La Pine woman was charged with animal neglect.

The dogs were taken in by the Humane Society of Central Oregon.

Outreach manager Lynne Ouchida tells KBND News it’s a big task for the shelter to take in that many dogs at once, “We work really hard when this type of incident happens, and for us to be there for the animals when they need us most. It takes a lot of resources, not only in labor, but in monetary resources, and veterinary care.”

The dogs range in age from 1 to 7 years old and are mostly German shepherd and husky breeds. “We’re just delighted that we can be there for the animals and be there to provide them the care that they need. Three of the dogs have already been adopted, and five are currently available on our website right now that you can see,” Ouchida said, adding that the rest should be available soon, “We’re just finishing up evaluations and treatments, and getting them ready to go. We can definitely can use the help in people stepping up; meeting these guys and seeing if one of them should be their new family members.”

Ouchida is also grateful for the community’s generosity in donating food and money. “We’ve had some full kennels the last few months and food is expensive. We went to pick up an order (at a feed store) and they greeted us with a donation of 5 of those bags.”

This investigation on the La Pine woman is on-going and has been referred to the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office for review.  

 

photo: Two of the rescued dogs adopted last week from the Humane Society of Central Oregon