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OGDEN — Twenty-six of the Chihuahuas rescued from a hoarding situation will soon be available for adoption.
The Chihuahuas were discovered by Ogden police when investigators served a search warrant on a home Oct. 14. Police said they seized $100,000 worth of methamphetamine in addition to spotting the 29 Chihuahuas, 26 of which were brought to the Weber County Animal Shelter.
The dogs were made available for viewing at the shelter Monday, with adoptions expected to begin Wednesday or Thursday. Weber County Sheriff's Lt. Chad Ferrin, who serves as the director of the shelter, said the dogs all appear to be in good health. Local veterinarians have volunteered to make sure the Chihuahuas are all in good shape.
"It gives us a few more days to handle (the dogs) and socialize with them a little bit because they haven't been socialized at all," Ferrin said. "They are nervous and scared, but they are starting to come out of their shell and bark like crazy and act like Chihuahuas a little more."
About half of the dogs are very friendly and just need some more socialization, according to Ferrin. He said some of the other dogs act a little more aggressive because they are scared, but appear to be OK once they are handled.
All of the dogs are believed to be under 4 years old, with a group of puppies that are about 4 months old. The shelter will perform temperament assessments on the dogs before they are adopted.
Those who are interested in adopting a Chihuahua can come into the shelter and meet the dogs to see if one would be a good match. Dozens of people have already called to express interest in taking a dog home, according to Ferrin.
"We want to make sure they have suitable environments where they're going to continue to be socialized and loved, and not just brought inside the house because (people) want to rescue an animal," he said.
This is the third animal hoarding case out of Weber County so far this year, according to Ferrin. Back in August, 70 cats were rescued from another Ogden home. While it can be difficult to manage such a large influx of animals, Ferrin said they have received numerous financial, food and cleaning donations.
"It really taxes our resources and our time, but the public has been very good and generous in helping us manage that," he said.
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