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• Man charged in alleged racial attack

• Will retail giant find a home in Lodi?

• Franchising vs. corporate ownership: Opinions vary

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

November 21st, 2009

• Logbook

• Holiday drive spreads cheer to U.S. troops

• Galt High students want board to approve open-campus policy

• Poisoning victims remain hospitalized

• Expert: Half a mushroom cap can be deadly

• Tokay grad files claim over Lodi's Grape Bowl

• Lodi Middle School holds annual Turkey Trot

• Regional Roundup

• No motive or suspect in shooting

• Sacramento cop arrested for alleged kidnapping

November 20th, 2009

• Acampo woman killed

• Salvation Army Kettle Kickoff

• Advocacy groups sue East Bay Municipal Utility District over Pardee expansion

• Regional Roundup

• Galt plans to help residents with energy-efficient projects

• Stable southeast of Lodi approved

• One year after a heart attack, Lodi's Judy Mims thanks rescuers

• National Guard troops return home in time for the holidays

• Real estate market gets on more solid ground

November 19th, 2009

• Operation: Christmas

• Logbook

• Suspect arrested after hiding in fridge

• Chase ends in crash

• Galt Joint Union High School Distric hires new superintendent

• Sales tax hike yields dividends: 5 new officers join Galt Police

• Lodi Unified School District board votes to cancel summer school for 2010

• Water surges in Mokelumne River yield more salmon

• Lodi City Council will consider redevelopment next June

• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22

• Corrections

November 18th, 2009

• Regional Roundup

• Paranormal group conducts second investigation of building

• Congress allocates money for local water projects

• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react

• Lodi man finds wife's ashes during police display of stolen property

• Galt City Council rejects study on rent stabilization

November 17th, 2009

• Paying tribute to a Lodian

• Lodi Budget and Finance Committee to look into ways to save money on employee benefits

• Regional Roundup

• Decision on summer school expected at tonight's Lodi Unified School District meeting

• Clements gets free water rescue boat

• Redevelopment to be discussed by Lodi City Council again

• Court reinstates death penalty for killer of Lodi grad

• Clarification

November 16th, 2009

• Correction

• Public Meetings

• City Council 'triple-dog dared' to ditch cars, use Lodi buses

• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi

• Lodi's First Sip event showcases area wineries' latest vintages

• Three members of Lodi-area family fall ill after eating poisonous mushrooms they reportedly found at Lodi Lake

• Regional Roundup

November 14th, 2009

• Galt school district narrows superintendent search to one

• Regional Roundup

• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise

• Watchful neighbor in Lodi helped bust suspected burglars

• New Galt city manager juggles job, family

• Despite an increase in homeless students, school districts look to bolster enrollment, raise revenue

• A first look at 2009 vintages at Lodi's First Sip wine-tasting event

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• The country's mess is our fault (170)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Public health care is a Christian option (80)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (73)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (52)
• The haves should help the have-nots (31)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Government-run health care is a bad idea (25)
• Young woman fatally shot at Acampo home (18)
• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi (17)

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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.