33 dogs rescued from home after animal cruelty investigation in Adams County

ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – Two people are now facing animal cruelty charges after investigators rescued 33 dogs from hazardous conditions at an Adams County home.

According to the Adams County Sheriff's Office, at around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15, deputies and Animal Management officers responded to a residence in Strasburg to help with an inspection warrant.

At the home, they discovered 33 dogs living in poor conditions. Deputies report the house was found to be "filled with feces," which created a significant health hazard. Several dogs were also found confined in kennels with no access to water, the sheriff's office said.

Due to the severity of the conditions, detectives obtained and executed a search warrant for the property, removing all 33 dogs from the residence.

The dogs were then transferred to the Riverdale Animal Shelter in Brighton for care and evaluation.

The shelter's director, Stephanie Wilde, said that this is just the last case in an extreme year for the shelter, which has dealt with an "unusually high number" of mass impounds. Last month, the shelter shared it had reached capacity and was only accepting animals in emergency situations.

“It’s heartbreaking so many animals in our community, including these 33 dogs, have been found living in such difficult conditions," Wilde said. "We’re grateful to our law enforcement and animal management partners for their work protecting these vulnerable animals and to our community for their ongoing support.”

The sheriff's office said Animal Management has since issued misdemeanor summons for animal cruelty to the homeowners, identified as Robert Attleson, 77 and Melissa Mengel, 66.

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