Bothell woman investigated for animal hoarding

A Bothell woman is being investigated for possible animal hoarding after King County animal-control officials went to her home Friday morning and removed six dogs. Representatives of the animal-rescue organization Pasado's Safe Haven are calling it the worst case of animal neglect they've ever seen.

While a search warrant was served on the home, the owner, who lives alone, was cooperative with the investigation and handed the dogs to authorities, said Christine Lange, spokeswoman for Animal Control. The dogs, all small, appeared to be neglected, she said.

King County sheriff's deputies and members of Pasado's Safe Haven were also at the home.

Individuals are considered animal hoarders when they keep an unusually large number of animals without being able to care for all of them.

According to animal-control officials, a concerned neighbor first alerted King County July 31 about a large number of animals in the home. Authorities sought the search warrant after interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence.

Members of the Pasado organization said neighbors had been complaining about the home for years. They said rats have been seen in the windows and foul odors were coming from the home.

All six dogs have been taken to veterinarians for emergency treatment, said Susan Michaels, Pasado's Safe Haven founder. She and others with the rescue group called the dogs' conditions the worst case of animal neglect they had witnessed.

"We didn't even know these were dogs," Michaels said. "They were so matted, you cannot tell what kind of animal they are, or which end is which."

She said the animals were suffering from rotted skin and mouths and bad eyesight. "They had 5-inch nails," she said. "This doesn't just happen overnight."

Michaels said the rescue group expects to bear the veterinary expenses and long-term rehabilitation costs for the animals' care.