Police remove kids
from dog kennel site

The Kahaluu home had been
judged unfit for its 64 animals
because of unsanitary conditions

The Hawaiian Humane Society removed 64 dogs from a Kahaluu home Saturday after finding the animals living in unhealthy conditions.

Police returned to the Mahakea Street address yesterday and took three children from their parents for the same reason.

"The residence was extremely unsanitary and unhealthy, littered with trash and animal feces," a Kaneohe police spokesman said. "The stench was almost unbearable."

Police classified the case as "endangering the welfare of a minor." The children, ages 9, 12 and 14, are in the care of the state Child Protective Services, police said.

The parents have not been charged and are not in custody.

Humane society spokes-woman Jacque Smith said investigators first went to the home two weeks ago after the state Department of Health received complaints about foul odors from the property.

"They inspected and found a breeding operation going on," Smith said. "All the dogs were in cages outdoors with no shelter, no water. If it was hot, they were baking. We talked to the owner and told him what to do to bring up their standard of living. It simply wasn't done."

Humane Society personnel went to the home Saturday with a warrant to seize the dogs. Smith said it took six hours for society personnel to remove the animals. Some were newborn and two have since died.

A second warrant allowing a search inside the house was taken to the site yesterday after the humane society received a complaint that there were more dogs there.

There were no other dogs, but police decided it was an unfit habitat for children. "Because of health and safety conditions, the officers made a judgment call," said the Kaneohe spokesman. "We don't like to do this to families. It will be the Child Protective Service's call on whether to take it to the prosecutor."

Smith said the humane society will hold the dogs for the duration of its investigation, which could result in animal cruelty charges.

The owners have advertised in newspapers claiming to breed purebred dogs, she said. The animals seized included "Shih Tzu, pug, corgi, a mixture of purebreds and poi dogs," Smith said.

"It is always the last resort to take animals away. We prefer to educate the owner," she said. "It is so important that people who buy dogs through ads in the paper, it is important for them to find out where animals are kept, to see the living conditions of the animals and see what they are getting."