More than 20 dogs removed from Merritt property as rescuer criticizes city officials

More than two dozen dogs have been removed from appalling conditions at a property in Merritt, in what rescuers called a serious case of animal neglect.

“Apparently, neighbours had been calling bylaw, saying something is not right over there,” Judanna Dawn with Angel’s Animal Rescue told Global News.

Dawn and her rescue organization, along with the BC SPCA, took part in the rescue recently, taking in 20 dogs that she said were living all together in their own feces.

“I think the situation was ignored. That is why I am so frustrated,” Dawn said.

She took to social media after the rescue to shame the City of Merritt, accusing it of ignoring its own animal control bylaw, which prevents more than two dogs at any residence.

The mayor of Merritt, however, maintains that those allegations are categorically untrue.

“Totally incorrect,” Mayor Michael Goetz told Global News.

“If the city would have known about it … we would have acted on behalf of the bylaw and the community. Uh, we had no knowledge of it until the BC SPCA pointed it out and we attended.”

Goetz said the city has not been briefed on how the situation with the dogs was allowed to continue before someone called the BC SPCA.

“We will have to wait for the SPCA investigation to go through,” he said. “I’m sure that information will be released at some time, but we haven’t been given any of that …. no.”

Dawn said she would like to see the city take more responsibility when it comes to dog control in the future.

“This was in the middle of the city and Merritt should have, could have, known about (it) and we shouldn’t have had to go there and pick up 20 dogs,” she added.

“The SPCA took seven. We have a bylaw. Why did it happen?”