WASHINGTON — A Montgomery County woman has been charged with 66 counts of animal cruelty, after 66 dogs were found living in unsanitary conditions at her Rockville home.
It was on New Year’s Eve that Jack Breckenridge, investigator for Montgomery County Police’s Animal Services Division, arrived at a home on the 13000 block of Glen Mill Road while looking into a dog bite case.
As Breckenridge spoke with the homeowner Katherine Ting Tiong, 47, at the door, he heard what he believed to be the barking of several other dogs.
“In speaking with the defendant, we were getting the odor of animal waste, and feces,” Breckenridge said. “Looking at her, you could see it on her.”
The next day, a search warrant was executed at the home; inside, police found dozens of animals living in unhealthy conditions, many of them Breckenridge said were standing on top of one another in dirty, cramped conditions.
It took a lot of manpower and six hours to remove all the animals from the home. A Montgomery County RideOn bus had to be called in to transport the dogs.
Tiong told investigators that she was running a dog rescue called Forever Homes Animal Shelter, Inc.
She claimed the dogs were picked up from various kill shelters.
“She may have been operating outside the scope of her ability to manage the animals,” Breckinridge said.
Tiong turned the dogs over to Animal Services earlier this year, on Jan. 27, she was arrested on 66 counts of animal cruelty. She has since been released on bond. A conviction could lead to nine months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine for Tiong on each count.
Many of the animals were sick and had to be treated immediately by veterinarians. Three had to be euthanized and a fourth animal died of natural causes.
The rest will be put up for adoption. Right now, the animals are at the Animal Services shelter in Derwood and have more than doubled the shelter’s dog population.
“We definitely are looking for adopters that are willing to manage some of the medical issues, some of the behavior issues,” said Katherine Zenzano with Montgomery County Animal Services.
Some area rescue groups have stepped in and plan to help with a majority of the 50 dogs, which remain in the county’s care.
For more information on adopting one of the dogs, go to the Montgomery County Animal Services website.
Check out WTOP’s look into the shelter.