UPDATE: November 15th
Linda Curl, the owner of the 30 Shih Tzus turned into the Cheyenne Animal Shelter November, will be in court on December 11th.
She was cited for animal cruelty. One of the dogs had to be put down, but the other 29 continue to receive medical treatment at the shelter.
$4,000 Raised for Shih Tzus: November 12th
Monetary donations into the Cheyenne Animal Shelter for 29 Shih Tzus brought in Friday in poor condition have reached $4,000. That's according to Max Maxfield, the Cheyenne Animal Shelter Board chairman, also Wyoming Secretary of State. He said on Monday, a woman who wants to remain anonymous handed the shelter a $1,000 check.
"This has been a real deal where the City of Cheyenne and the Animal Shelter join hands and got this problem pretty much under control," said Maxfield. "It's a long process to get to where we want to go."
Other donations towards the animals include winter sweaters, food, plus several volunteering to help groom the animals who were brought in with feces and urine matted in their fur.
Maxfield said this was the worst situation he'd ever seen at the shelter. "I have never seen anything like this at the shelter or other places," he hold NewsChannel 5. "Where you have animals who are in such bad shape. Some of them were so matted they could hardly walk, they couldn't urinate because they were covered and the matting was unbelievable."
If you would like to help these animals, you can make a check out to the Cheyenne Animal Shelter with "Shih Tzu" or "Abused Dogs" on it. The animal shelter is located at 800 Southwest Drive in Cheyenne. They can also be reached by phone by calling (307) 632-6655.
Update For 28 Shih Tzus Dropped At Animal Shelter: November 11th
We first brought this story to you on Friday night about 28 Shih Tzus that were dropped off at the Cheyenne Animal Shelter in very bad condition. Citations have been filed against the owner, whose name has not been released yet, accusing her of animal cruelty and neglect. The good news about all of this is that the community has responded very quickly and in a helpful way to make sure these dogs are given the proper care.
Secretary of State Max Maxfield, who is also President of the Shelter's board of directors, along with many others have devoted their attention to taking care of the dogs. They spent much of Friday night and all day Saturday working on the dogs, trying to get them ready for adoption. Unfortunately, the owner still has to give approval for their adoption and she's currently in the hospital. The dogs were dropped off by a family member. The shelter is ready to put up a fight if the owner refuses to hand them over.
Since Friday night, many in the community have stepped up to help. Cheyenne resident Sandi Foster, who has seven Shih Tzus, spent hours on Saturday helping to groom the dogs. In addition to people coming in to help, nearly eleven hundred dollars has also been donated.
If you'd like to help, the shelter has set up a fund just for these dogs. Checks can be made-out to the shelter -- just write 'Shih Tzu' or 'abused dogs' on the memo line. The shelter is also looking for people to be put on its adoption wish list. You can do that by calling or stopping by the shelter.
Call 307-632-6655 or visit them at 800 Southwest Drive if you'd like to assist.
28 Shih Tzus in Poor Condition, Dropped Off at Animal Shelter: November 9th
A Cheyenne dog owner surrendered these 28 Shih Tzus to the Cheyenne Animal Shelter Friday afternoon.
According to the shelter, the dogs, who range in age, have fur matted with feces and urine and are in need of medical attention.
They are not releasing the name of the dog owner and no charges have been filed against them.
"This is a pretty severe case. We haven't seen animals come in this condition in quite awhile. Our veterinarian in house is doing the best she can to examine every single animal and we are reaching out to local veterinarians to see if they'd be willing to help us examine the animals properly as well," said Kate Miller of the Animal Shelter.
The Animal Shelter is also looking for dog groomers in the area. Call 307-632-6655 or visit them at 800 Southwest Drive if you'd like to assist.
They also say if anyone in the community would like to make a donation to help these 28 dogs, that would be highly appreciated.
