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39 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, April 12, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend December 12, 2004 A dog living inside an abandoned west Medford house barks for attention Saturday. It and more than a dozen other dogs and cats have lived alone in the house for about a month. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Animals remain in squalor of vacated Medford house By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune Ann Wilton is in the cat rescue business and has encountered some sad cases, but even she could barely stomach what she saw last week at a west Medford home. More than a dozen cats, along with at least three dogs, were living in squalor inside a vacant residence in the 1100 block of Niantic Street. The animals had been left there by former tenants who reportedly moved out or were evicted from the house about one month ago, Wilton said. "I’m personally very distressed and appalled by this situation," said Wilton, a member of a local volunteer group known as Kitty Rescue. "Living in those conditions is just awful." She said the cats, some of them just a few weeks old, have matted fur, fleas and infected eyes. The interior of the house is covered in filth. "You go to the window and the stench is so bad, it makes your throat burn," said Richard Wipf, another Kitty Rescue volunteer. Advertisement Colleen Macuk, program manager with Jackson County Animal Care and Control, agrees the animals need to be taken from the home. Animal-control officers intend to do just that, following a Monday meeting with the pets’ owners. "The animals can’t continue to live like that," Macuk said, adding that the pet owners, who are now staying at a Medford motel, "are more than happy to work with" county officials. Macuk said she did not learn of the animals’ plight until last week. An animal-control officer was sent to the home and later tracked down the pet owners. "It sounds like these folks got stuck in a tough situation," Macuk said. Attempts on Saturday to reach the homeowner were unsuccessful. During the past few weeks, the animals received food and water from their owners, as well as neighbors and others who found out about the situation. The animals are still considered personal property. Macuk said the pet owners will not face criminal charges for abandoning the animals, since the dogs and cats are still receiving a minimum amount of care. Once the animals are in custody of county officials, their health will be evaluated to see if they can be adopted. "I can’t say for certain that every one will be placed, but our goal is to place as many as we possibly can," Macuk said. "We do have space available for them right now." Wilton is saddened to know some of the animals, most likely the cats, could be euthanized. But she does not blame animal-control officials, who often find themselves short of resources to care for sick animals. "We need to give animal-control officers the tools they need," she said. "This is just the tip of the iceberg. This sort of thing is happening all over Jackson County." Wilton plans to speak with Macuk about the Niantic Street animals in hopes of finding a way to nurse the seized animals back to health. Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Distance Education Diamonds Slippers Student Loans afsa teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoo Fasa Advertisement s