What started as a routine warrant service in Chaparral on Tuesday turned into a grim animal cruelty case, after Doña Ana County animal-control officers found 21 dogs either dead or living in extreme neglect inside a home on Palmas Street. Fifteen surviving dogs were seized and rushed to the county’s Court Hold facility for emergency veterinary treatment. Three dogs were already dead when officers arrived, another died on the way to care, and a fifth was euthanized because its condition was too severe to reverse.
The warrant was served around midday at a home in the 600 block of Palmas Street, with Doña Ana County Sheriff’s deputies backing up animal control and the county’s veterinary medical team. Inside, officers reported dogs living in squalid, unhealthy conditions. Of the 21 animals located, 15 were taken into custody, one managed to escape before it could be captured, and many of the survivors showed obvious signs of severe malnutrition. County staff said several of the dogs developed refeeding syndrome once they began receiving food again and were placed under constant observation as veterinarians tried to stabilize them, as reported by KTSM.
According to the county, the seizure followed a call for service that came in through central dispatch and unfolded after the homeowner had already been arrested on an earlier date. Officials also noted that the property blew past local animal limits. Doña Ana County requires a permit for any household with more than six dogs or cats, and even with that permit, the ceiling is 15 animals. The dogs will remain under county control while legal proceedings play out, per reporting by the El Paso Times.
Care and Custody
Once the animals were seized, the county’s veterinary team moved quickly to provide round-the-clock feeding schedules and medical care in an effort to pull the dogs back from the brink. Two of the surviving dogs are pregnant and are expected to give birth while still in county custody, which has veterinarians keeping an especially close eye on them. Officials said that refeeding syndrome, the condition some of the dogs are battling, can cause rapid and sometimes fatal setbacks if not handled carefully, according to KTSM.
A Pattern in Chaparral
This is not the first time Chaparral has been the site of a large-scale animal seizure. In 2012, investigators removed 52 cats from a single home, and dozens of those animals were in such poor health that they were euthanized, according to an Associated Press report that was republished by KRWG. That earlier case highlighted how quickly hoarding or mass neglect cases can spiral beyond what local agencies can easily manage.
For now, Doña Ana County officials say the investigation into the Palmas Street property is ongoing. Prosecutors will review the case before any charges are filed, and authorities have not released the homeowner’s name while the probe continues, according to the El Paso Times.
