82 Rescued Dogs Ready For Adoption

Animal Cruelty Neglect Eighty-two dogs living under one roof... What happens to them now?

by Jessica Taloney

Published: Thu, March 26, 2009 - 4:18 pm CST

Not even Ouida Curtis' family knew how many dogs she kept inside the house she rented on Sans Souci Road in Mobile.

"I knew it was 50 at one time. Maybe 51 or 53," said Yogi Waters, Curtis' brother. But, as animal control officers carried the dogs out of the home Wednesday evening, the total climbed to 82.

"I didn't see anything wrong with it because they're loving them, feeding them, taking care of them just like any other person who loved animals would do," says Curtis' niece, who returned to the home Thursday to nail the back door closed.

Family members tell News Five Curtis and her boyfriend, Robert Dees, took good care of the dogs, despite what officials described as filthy living conditions. Waters' says the dogs ate tacos on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and they ate chicken and ribs the rest of the week.

Ellen Lursen, Director of the Mobile Animal Shelter, agreed the dogs appeared to be healthy, and she even suggested the charges against the couple may be downgraded from animal cruelty to animal neglect.

"It's not intentional cruelty and the people were living with the animals, so it's not like they were abusing or torturing the animals," says Lursen.

According to Lursen, Curtis willingly surrendered the dogs to the shelter, and they are available for adoption immediately.

Thirty-eight of the dogs are being housed at the Mobile Animal Shelter on Owen Street. The other 44 are being boarded at the county's shelter.

For information on how to adopt the animals call the Mobile Animal Shelter at 251-208-2800.

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Monkeys Uncle Says:

Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 5:58 pm

I do not see this as cruelty, but a compulsion to help animals. The living conditions were out of hand. To joke about research was sick….research animals get better care than a lot of pets do.

Wait4Me Says:

Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 2:51 pm

Rose, was this really you, are you the lady in the video?

Wait4Me Says:

Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 2:47 pm

Or maybe some USA Medical testing thing going on here.

BamaBob Says:

Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 12:32 pm

How do we know this was not some type of black market enterprise? That’s a lot of dogs. As far as we know, those people might have been the main provider to some fast food places in the area.

Kung Pao Puppy w/rice and egg roll .... $3.99

Wait4Me Says:

Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 12:22 pm

With lots of sauce. ........

BamaBob Says:

Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 11:58 am

That Taco Tuesday probably sent out a purple haze all over the neighborhood!

I wonder if we will get reports on the systematic death of all of these animals? I don’t think the shelters hold mature animals for very long before they have to make that final walk into the gas chamber. Hope they get tacos and ribs for their last meals…..

ickthus Says:

Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 11:05 am

Bob, 82 dogs in a small house and you half to ask? they were in over there heads and they didn’t know it. when asked how many they had they didn’t have a clue, just like they didn’t have a clue as to what could happen to that many dogs in a small confined space. i would like to hear more about taco Tuesday. maybe that was the abuse charge? tacos and ribs? they were giving the dogs heart falure?!?!

rosepetal Says:

Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 10:52 am

i do not know bamabob, be careful i am still wondering how a animal control officer can drive by someones house and detect a strong smell. hope they do not drive by my house when i try and make souffle, those eggs are everywhere.

BamaBob Says:

Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 6:03 am

These people definitely let things get out of control, but I think their hearts were in the right place.

Now, I wonder if I should be feeding the feral cats, opossums, raccoons and birds that come around my house. Am I being cruel to them by putting food and water out every day?

carl Says:

Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 5:50 am

I’ve been known to drop a bag or two of food off at a pound at night to maybe give the animals a few more days of life and a chance to be taken home.I figured that would help a little.

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