Everett Animal Shelter shares update on seized Westies
EVERETT, Wash. - Almost a month after they were removed from deplorable conditions in Marysville, the Everett Animal Shelter says a large group of dogs is ready for adoption following an "intense" and "emotional" couple of weeks.
Everett Animal Shelter update on West Highland Terriers
The backstory:
On Aug. 31, the Everett Animal Shelter took in 44 dogs, 42 West Highland Terriers and two others. The dogs were initially found inside a cramped utility trailer by Marysville police officers.
A spokesperson for the city of Marysville said the West Highland Terriers were kept in stacked kennels, separated by makeshift partitions. Puppies were also found in a plastic storage tub.
Many of the dogs were found with medical issues, matted hair, and feces and urine covering their fur.
Officers described it as extreme breeding and hoarder conditions and recommended 42 counts of second-degree animal cruelty charges.
42 dogs seized from Marysville trailer now recovering in Everett
More than 40 dogs are recovering at the Everett Animal Shelter after they were found inside a cramped utility trailer in Marysville, with the owners possibly facing animal cruelty charges.
What they're saying:
A few weeks removed from the cruel conditions, the dogs were able to receive necessary grooming and spay/neuter surgeries. The shelter estimated that groomers spend about seven hours in total across the 44 dogs and shaved off 14 pounds of mats.
The Everett Animal Shelter added that some of the dogs had never been on a leash, and one even contracted parvovirus, a virus that can prove to be fatal in young and unvaccinated puppies.
"These past couple of weeks have been intense and emotional," a social post from the shelter read. "The toll on our shelter and staff has been immense, but your encouragement, donations, and messages from around the world have truly lifted us up."
What's next:
The shelter also said that now that it has begun completing the necessary processes with the Westies, it will begin contacting interested adopters so "these pups can move on to brighter futures as soon as possible."
In the meantime, the shelter is always accepting monetary donations along with items from its Amazon Wishlist.
The Source: Information for this story came from social media posts by the Everett Animal Shelter and Marysville Police Department along with previous reporting by FOX 13 Seattle.
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