CATARACT, Wis. (WKBT) – The owners of a Monroe County home that caught fire in a blaze that killed dozens of dogs are under investigation. The owners had a kennel license, but it covered only half the dogs on the property.
News 8 Now tried to speak with the homeowners. Seconds after our crew exited their car and before they stepped anywhere near the property, a man blocked our camera. The man would not tell us his relationship with the owners.
A passerby called for help Saturday afternoon after seeing heavy smoke coming from the home off County Highway I. The homeowners were not there. Firefighters forced their way in and found 12 dogs and 14 kenneled puppies dead. Investigators says the animals died of smoke inhalation. Firefighters found another 10 dogs and three puppies in kennels outside. Those dogs were not injured.
According to the Monroe County Humane Investigator, the homeowners had a license for up to 12 adult dogs, which would be half of the animals on the property. You don’t need a license for puppies five months or younger, but you do need a breeder’s license to sell them. Local investigators are in contact with the state to find out if the couple had one.
Investigator says the couple had at least eight different breeds of dogs on the property; mostly large dogs including German shepherds, Bullmastiffs, Belgian Malinois, pit bulls, as wells as mixed breeds and Yorkies.
The homeowners can keep the 13 surviving dogs while the case is under investigation. The Humane investigators says having too many dogs and breeding dogs without a license are not crimes. The district attorney could charge the couple with a civil violation and issue them a fine.
News 8 Now is not naming the couple because they have not been changed.
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