Breeder gives up 18 dogs she could no longer care for

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The owner of the 18 dogs, all toy fox terriers, brought to the Harris County Animal Control Thursday, used to be a breeder. Volunteers say she lost her husband, is elderly and could not take care of the dogs anymore. The dogs are ages five to 16 years old.

The veterinarian on staff says this may be the dogs' first check-up in a while. Veterinarian Nathaniel Shelton said, "Yeah, it's kind of tough. I heard about the woman's story, sometimes things can get out of hand."

Another volunteer commented on the size of the group, "Have you ever seen so many of one breed come in like this? No, I haven't, not like this. We normally don't get this large amount."

Many of the dogs have dental issues and skin problems, all treatable and they look healthy.

When asked how long these dogs will be in the shelter, Dr. Michael White said, "That is the problem. It is having the space to hold them before getting them out of here."

There is a possibility there may be more dogs of the same breed coming to the shelter from the same shelter. Volunteers say, maybe 40 more dogs.

If you're interested in adopting the dogs, contact Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services.