Pit Bulls Seized in Hoarding Raid Still Need Rescue:

Background:

In January 2010, we were contacted by a concerned citizen regarding the deplorable conditions in which dogs were living at the "Humane Sanctuary, Inc.," a self-proclaimed "no-kill sanctuary" (the "Kinsman Property").  The individual explained that she became aware of the Humane Sanctuary after dropping off two dogs her boss had found as strays.  We spoke with the individual at length and advised that evidence must be gathered in order to shut down this place, if that was the end goal.  Consequently, we advised the individual, who apparently had earned the trust of Kathy Witzman, the owner and property owner, to visit the Kinsman Property and take pictures and gather as much evidence as possible.  Because the individual did not feel comfortable visiting the Kinsman Property alone, we got involved.

Over a little less than 3 weeks time, we visited the Kinsman Property.  Kathy believed we were there to help her take pictures of the dogs to assist in finding them homes.  Although very suspicious, Kathy allowed us to walk around and take pictures but she was always watching.  The weather in January was very cold and there were a number of severe snow storms and we were always concerned the dogs would not make it.

We went to the police in early February with all the evidence.  It took us awhile to convince the officer to take us seriously but he could not ignore the pictures and conditions of the dogs.  That began the planning to seize the dogs and prosecute Kathy Witzman.

In mid-February, a local shelter raided the property and seized over 160 dogs, two horses, cats and chickens.  They discovered, among other things, barrels of dog bones and dead dogs being eaten by live dogs.  The dogs were moved to a warehouse where they were placed in Vari kennels.  Three indoor potty areas were set up and volunteers worked tirelessly to get the dogs out to potty. 

Although our assistance was turned down, in late February, we learned that the warehouse doors would close in mid-March so we contacted the shelter and again requested to come out to test the dogs and assist in placing the dogs with responsible rescues.  We explained that more needed to be done to get the dogs into reputable rescues.  Up to that point, there were no good pictures and videos of the dogs and no information regarding the dogs' temperaments, personalities and health issues.  Consequently, rescues had no information to determine whether a dog would fit into their rescue.

Thereafter, we visited the warehouse daily to test each of the dogs and to try to get out and exercise the dogs that appeared to be depressed.  The dogs could not go outdoors so we used a small room in the warehouse.

To see pictures and videos of the dogs prior to the raid, please click here.