Saturday, December 25, 2004

Dog, puppies boarded up in doghouse thrown in dump

Lisa J. Tabet El Defensor Chieftain reporter; ltabet@dchieftain.com

Veguita For Betty Patton-Lovato and Clyde Simmons, the chance to be Christmas angels came early.

Simmons, an employee at the Veguita dump in Socorro County, said he drove up to work more than a week ago and saw a doghouse with a board nailed across the front of it. He thought it was just trash someone had left to be thrown out, but then he heard noises coming from inside and realized there was a mother dog and her nine puppies inside.

Simmons cared for the dogs during that week.

Patton-Lovato said she heard about the abandoned dog and her puppies on Sunday and went out and bought a 50-pound bag of dog food and some water for the deserted canine family.

Between the efforts of Patton-Lovato and Simmons, the dogs have been fed since they were found.

Patton-Lovato took the mother dog and her puppies home on Wednesday. She said she already has 10 dogs because she is always taking in stray dogs.

"When it comes to animals, I plead insanity," Patton-Lovato said. "It drives me nuts that someone would do this."

Simmons said he would have continued to care for the dogs if Patton-Lovato couldn't take them.

"It's unfortunate that people are so heartless, especially this time of year. It's not the dogs' fault," Simmons said.

The puppies are probably around two weeks old, Patton-Lovato said.

The dogs seem to be a mix of breeds, but the mother dog looks to be part beagle or basset hound, Simmons said.

Patton-Lovato said she doesn't understand the type of person who could leave a mother dog and her puppies to die in such a cruel manner.

"If they didn't want a female dog, why did they get her in the first place?" she said.

She said people should take responsibility for their animals.

According to county officials, there is no animal control program in Socorro County. The City of Socorro has an animal control program, but it only extends to the city limits.

Socorro County Commissioner Danny Monette said the county does not have an animal control program because there was no funding for it. He said the county has never had an animal control department.

Patton-Lovato said she wishes she could keep the dogs. "I can't keep 20 dogs; I need to find homes for them," she said.

Anyone interested in adopting one of the cast off puppies can call Pick of the Pound at (505) 866-0008 for more information.

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