17 more dogs seized from rural residence

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This article was published 19/07/2010 (5746 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

GULL LAKE — Another 17 dogs have been seized from the Gull Lake residence where officials removed 44 animals Friday.

A total of 61 dogs have now been taken from the residence of Judy and Peter Chernecki, located about 90 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, Winnipeg Humane Society executive director Bill McDonald said Sunday.

The dogs seized Friday are being cared for by the humane society while the new batch seized Saturday, which McDonald said were simply too much for officials to capture initially, are being housed at an animal holding facility in the RM of St. Clements.

In addition to the three that were already euthanized, McDonald said, three more dogs had to be put down due to aggressive behaviour that was deemed a risk to staff.

McDonald said he was appalled by the condition of the dogs, which he said were deprived of human contact and kept in a windowless garage.

The dogs — many encrusted in their own filth — were in individual kennels at the Hurst Way facility Saturday morning, whimpering softly as strangers walked by.

Most of the dogs had urine burns on their paws from standing in their own excrement.

"This is one of the worst (cases) we’ve seen in recent memory," said McDonald. "It’s pretty big. Sixty-one is a lot."

The animals are being treated for various conditions while workers make records, including photos and lab work, of the alleged neglect.

McDonald said results will be sent to the provincial Office of the Chief Veterinarian in order to determine if charges will be laid against the owners.

RCMP spokesman Const. Miles Hiebert said RCMP are continuing to investigate the case, working alongside the provincial vet and other animal welfare specialists.

The human society is also anxiously waiting for the Office of the Chief Veterinarian to discharge the dogs into the society’s legal care, at which time it can start moving adoptable dogs through the system and euthanizing those that are not adoptable.

McDonald said the society is full to capacity and is hoping to hear from the provincial agency within the week.

"The problem is, nobody’s got space to handle these large seizures," he said. "We are completely full and we need to start moving these dogs through."

Meanwhile, the couple at the centre of the case say they’re Good Samaritans who saved the animals from uncaring people who dumped the dogs with them.

The couple said they saved animals who had nowhere else to live, and their canine population grew rapidly over the last five years.

"What they’re doing is dropping off animals here… We can’t say no," said Judy Chernecki, a homemaker.

"I wish I could say no, then I wouldn’t have this problem… but why are they dumping them off? That’s what I’d like to know."

Chernecki also denied accusations they mistreated the dogs.

"You mean, giving them hugs and kisses is mistreating them?" she said.

But McDonald doesn’t buy it.

"These dogs were not being taken care of. I think anybody who walked through our facility (this weekend) would disagree (with the Cherneckis)."

McDonald said the Cherneckis should have surrendered the dogs to authorities long ago.

"They had options and to build it up to 61, it’s just too large a number for two people to handle," he said.

 

sandy.klowak@freepress.mb.ca

gabrielle.giroday@freepress.mb.ca