38 dogs rescued from extreme neglect in Northern California home, 2 arrests made
A routine patrol led to the discovery and rescue of 38 dogs found to be living in "severe neglect" in a Northern California home this week, police said Thursday.
The Oroville Police Department said a concerned citizen flagged down an officer along Fallbrook Avenue on Wednesday to report suspected animal abuse at a nearby residence. The officer conducted a welfare check and was met at the door by 42-year-old Brandi Jacobs of Oroville.
With the door open, the officer was overwhelmed by a foul odor coming from inside the home and "observed visibly distressing conditions inside the home," police said.
Concerned for the animals' safety, the officer entered the home and found dozens of dogs. Some were roaming in the backyard, while others were packed into kennels stacked to the ceiling and forced to live in their own waste, police said. At least one dog was found dead inside a crate in Jacobs' bedroom.
Oroville police said there were also piles of garbage, tar, animal feces, and insects throughout the home.
Personnel from the Northwest SPCA responded and took the dogs into custody. Oroville police said they also called city code enforcement officials to the scene to evaluate the home for severe health and safety violations. Additionally, the process to red-tag the property has since begun.
Jacobs was booked into the Butte County Jail on Thursday and faces 78 counts of felony animal cruelty or abuse and five counts of misdemeanor animal torture, police said.
Oroville police later announced a second arrest, with Jose B. Martinez, 42, being booked for charges related to the incident.
