A Northern California man who said he owned an animal rescue operation was arrested on suspicion of 34 counts of animal cruelty when at least one of the dozens of dogs under his care died, authorities said.
The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office seized the dogs after learning the 67-year-old Nevada City suspect was involved in a traffic incident that authorities said caused several dogs to be ejected from his vehicle. A dog possibly suffered a broken bone after the incident, deputies said.
The case first came to light when neighbors complained Oct. 1 of 60 “Husky-type” dogs running through the suspect’s property on the 24000 block of Banner Quaker Hill in rural Nevada County, according to a news release from the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies learned the suspect owned a rescue operation called Mother Lode Husky Haven in which he had 47 dogs, and another 14 belonged to another rescue operation. The Nevada City resident was notified of several apparent violations, the release said.