PORT HADLOCK -Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office personnel rescued about 80 neglected animals from a single property near Four Corners Road after serving a search warrant Monday morning, said Undersheriff Tim Perry.
“It’s probably the first time we’ve gone out and actually seized this amount of animals,” said Perry.
Found at the property were two horses, many dogs and cats, geese, sheep and 34 chickens, said Perry.
“Everything was starving,” he said.
The name of the owner and the property’s location are being withheld pending formal charges.
There have been no arrests as a result of the warrant, but the case is under investigation, said Ted DeBray, Jefferson County deputy prosecuting attorney.
Sheriff’s Office investigators forwarded the case to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on Monday.
“Charges are likely to be filed next week, or possibly the week after that,” DeBray said.
The search warrant came as a result of several complaints, received a month ago, about animal cruelty at the property.
Perry said sheriff’s deputies had approached the property owner to work things out, but nothing had changed.
So a search warrant was issued by the Jefferson County District Court, he said.
The animals were transported to an undisclosed “safe place” in three horse trailers, two animal control trucks, a pick-up truck with a canopy and many animal carriers, said Perry.
The dogs were taken to a different place than the rest of the animals, he said.
The animals are being treated for a variety of illnesses, abuse and starvation, the undersheriff said.
About six animal service volunteers, two animal service deputies and two sheriff’s deputies assisted in the search, Perry said.
