June 23 – More than a dozen Beagles were removed from a house on the 2300 block of 15th Street Wednesday after rescuing one of the dogs that ventured into Canada by crossing the Whirlpool Bridge railroad tracks.
A search warrant of the house was carried out around 11 a.m. on Wednesday and it was found that the owners were able to keep two of the 16 dogs found in the house, according to reports from the scene. The Niagara SPCA and the Sherlock Bones Lost N Hound Dog Recovery Group were on hand to assist the Niagara Falls Police in their investigation.
A Sherlock Bones representative said the dogs appeared to be in good health, but all had fleas, which some appear to be allergic to, and untrimmed nails.
A Sherlock Bones representative who was there said that a beagle from the house named Scooby Doo was reported missing on May 29. Almost a month later, on June 20, the dog was caught by a rescue team in Niagara Falls, Ontario, after crossing the Whirlpool Bridge over the railroad tracks. Arrangements were made to return the dog to Sherlock Bones’ US agents, and a Facebook post said the dog was caught near the Gale Center on Thorold Stone Road. The group said 23 ticks were pulled from the dog while it was treated after it was caught. The group also said when members went to customs to bring the dog back, an official noted that he saw a video of Scooby crossing into Canada.
When the dog was returned to its owners, there was a lot of barking from the house, which raised the question of how many dogs were in the house. When asked, the owner said there were 16.
Sherlock Bones Lost N Hound Dog Recovery notified Dave Bower, the Niagara Falls Police Department animal control officer, and the Niagara County SPCA of the find. Bower went to investigate, but the owners were not cooperative so a search warrant was obtained.
The 14 beagles were taken to the SPCA in Niagara, where they will be medically examined by staff and treated if necessary. After that, they are given up for adoption.
The house was convicted of uninhabitable conditions by the Niagara Falls Code Enforcement.