A rabbit sits in a cage at the Lodi Animal Shelter on Thursday night. Twenty-four animals were removed from a home in Lodi. (Whitney Ramirez/News-Sentinel)

24 animals are removed from Lodi home; officers say conditions poor

How many animals can fit in a Lodi house? Legally, the number is five.

But on Thursday, animal control officers took 24 animals from a home — nine dogs, five doves, four rabbits, three guinea pigs, two kittens and one lizard.

The animals were kept in poor condition and the dogs had been exposed to parvovirus, a deadly disease, said Lodi police employee Jeanie Biskup, who oversees the animal services division.

Code enforcement officers found dog feces throughout the home, Community Development Manager Joseph Wood said.

Four children live in the home with their parents, Biskup said. The children did not appear to be harmed or unhealthy, she said, but the matter is under investigation due to the feces in the home.

The dogs seized ranged from a bull mastiff mix to a new kind of breed: A basset hound had been bred with a Scottie to make a "bascottie," pronounced like biscotti, the hard biscuit usually dunked in coffee.

In April, animal control officers found 22 animals in the same South Lee Avenue home, just north of Kettleman Lane. At that time, the residents had eight cats and 14 dogs, most of which were puppies, said Animal Services Officer Jennifer Bender.

A "bascottie," a basset hound bred with a Scottie, was one of the 24 animals seized from a Lodi home on Thursday. (Whitney Ramirez/News-Sentinel)

The residents cooperated with officers then, and agreed to only keep five of the animals, as ordered under Lodi's city code. In exchange, they were not prosecuted, Biskup said.

Thursday evening, the residents did not appear to be at home. An American flag hung over the front step and a welcome sign greeted visitors. A large animal carrier sat outside, along with several pet food containers.

Investigators spent much of the afternoon evaluating the animals and today will talk with the city attorney's office regarding possible charges. The owners surrendered the animals to the shelter Thursday but they could face 24 counts of animal cruelty, Biskup said.

In previous animal seizure cases, the city has often asked a judge to order the animal owners to pay the costs of parvo treatment, vaccinations and board at the animal shelter.

Most of the animals seemed to be in relatively good condition later on Thursday at the city's animal shelter. The three guinea pigs — one dark brown, one tan and one multi-colored — huddled together in a clean cage while the rabbits moved around in nearby cages.

One of the rabbits had apparently been placed in a cage when it was small, and it had grown to the point that animal control officers had a hard time getting it out of the cage, Biskup said.

The dogs were all treated for flea problems and are now in quarantine due to the parvovirus risk. Officers had reports that some puppies had previously died of parvo, Biskup said.

Parvo is a disease that attacks the intestines and can be fatal in puppies. Treatment can run hundreds of dollars per dog.

Contact reporter Layla Bohm at layla@lodinews.com.