Dogs removed from property near Big Bear available for adoption – San Bernardino Sun

Some of the dogs given to San Bernardino County Animal Care by their owners in Fawnskin are available for adoption at shelters in Big Bear and Devore. (Courtesy of San Bernardino County Animal Care, Devore Animal Shelter)

Some of the dogs seized June 1 from a Fawnskin home where they lacked food and water will soon be available for adoption at San Bernardino County animal shelters.

There are 26 puppies and five mothers from that group at the Big Bear Animal Shelter, said Francis Delapaz, a spokesman for the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, which oversees the shelters. Anyone who adopts a puppy must also adopt its mother, he said, until the number of mothers runs out.

The phone number is 909-866-4943.

There will be 35 adult dogs available at the Devore Animal Shelter, 19777 Shelter Way. The phone number is 909-386-9820.

Dogs at the Big Bear shelter are doing well, while some dogs at Devore are having difficulty socializing, Delapaz said.

More information about adoptions and photos of available animals are available on the Animal Care website at animalcare.sbcounty.gov.

Authorities were alerted to the dogs' plight when the owner of the San Bernardino Mountains property showed up May 30 to evict the tenant. An inspection revealed 40 adult dogs and 26 puppies that appeared healthy, Delapaz said. They were in crates, in a moving truck and in a shed, on the loose. This tenant, a 44-year-old woman, was cited for suspicion of animal cruelty.

Eleven of the dogs were not returned until Sunday, when it was reported that the woman had been arrested in an unrelated matter and was in custody.

Animal Care has contacted rescue organizations to make homes safe for as many people as possible.

“Animal Care continues to investigate this incident and plans to issue additional citations,” Delapaz said.

In the other investigation, the woman was charged with willful cruelty to a child after the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said her 8-year-old daughter was treated for injuries that went untreated appropriate.

The woman pleaded not guilty to the charge on Tuesday, June 4. She was not named by the Southern California News Group because that could be used to identify the girl.