Meg Roussos / The BulletinMuki Silbertein, of Bend, rinses of one of the 36 dogs that were seized from a home in Bend and brought to the Humane Society.

Thirty-six dogs rescued from a home in East Bend on Monday are now safely in the care of the Humane Society of Central Oregon’s shelter.

Thirty-five of the dogs were recovered after a search warrant was served on a home where two women were keeping 30 dogs and five puppies in poor living conditions, according to Deschutes County Sheriff’s Lt. Deron McMaster. The women at the home were cited and released in the case.

Canine No. 36, also believed to live at the home, was recovered from a veterinarian’s office after a second warrant was served, according to Lynne Ouchida, outreach coordinator for the Humane Society of Central Oregon.

The dogs seized on Monday were living in kennels, cages and small dog carriers and suffered from a range of ailments, including tooth decay, sores, matting, severely untrimmed toenails and severe emaciation.

Humane Society staff is hard at work ensuring they meet the needs of the individual dogs, said Ouchida.

The Humane Society’s shelter in Bend has 38 adult kennels and three puppy kennels, so things are tight. Because of medical necessities and behavioral problems, some dogs have their own kennels, while others are lodging together.

The dogs have had a rough go of it, and although the shelter emphasizes treating animals individually, similarities emerge among dogs seized in large numbers, said Ouchida.

“It is typical to have behavioral issues just because of the group dynamics,” Ouchida said. “And individuals can only provide so much care, not only in terms of food, shelter and water, but also time and training.”

“We’re basically just hoping for a really quick outcome for this,” Ouchida said. “It is a huge strain on us in terms of kennel needs, and it’s going to be a huge financial strain on us.” The culprits? Pricey medication and testing for so many pups simultaneously.

The Humane Society of Central Oregon has a contract with both the city and the county, said Ouchida, so it handles cases in which animals have been recovered from unhealthy living environments. And this hasn’t been the Humane Society’s biggest case. The nonprofit has handled neglected groups of 100 dogs, 56 felines and 136 horses, according to Ouchida.

The shelter has to care for the dogs seized Monday until the case gets resolved, so they can’t be placed in foster homes just yet.

Two women at the home were cited and released for 35 counts of second-degree aggravated animal neglect, McMaster wrote in a news release on Tuesday. Goldie Coats and Sonya Henderson did not have licenses for any of the dogs found at the residence, according to the release.

Under Deschutes County code, dog owners must license their dogs within six months of ownership and renew the license annually. People who keep dogs in kennels for breeding or for show may be eligible for a lower licensing fee, but must license their dogs nonetheless.

Sheriff’s deputies were unavailable Friday to comment on the specific investigation, according to Sheriff’s Sgt. Dan Bilyeu.

— Reporter: 541-383-0376,

cwithycombe@bendbulletin.com