Former Marijuana Grow Guard Dogs Brought To Front Street Animal Shelter
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — At the Front Street Animal Shelter, away from the rest of the adoptable pets, you'll find former guard dogs.
"In this building, we house bite animals, animals that are quarantined sometimes for no fault of their own," said Gina Knepp, the manager at Front Street Animal Shelter.
The dogs in the back building have been confiscated by police from illegal marijuana grow houses in the city.
The shelter is overloaded.
"We have limited space," said Knepp. "They are a difficult challenge for us in a number of ways."
She says they've taken in 70 dogs from illegal pot houses since the beginning of the year. They brought in 10 in the last week.
"They're not attractive to the average pet owner and so it's a real struggle," said Knepp.
The breed of choice is the German Shepherd. Knapp says they received 100 more German Shepherds this year compared to last. She says dogs from grow houses are difficult to rehabilitate and make ready for adoption.
"A dog that is not socialized, has never been in a home, is afraid of people. We see a lot of that. Fear of people, which is dangerous," said Knepp.
The homes these dogs come from are gutted, filled with hundreds of plants in every room. The dogs are typically left there alone or with little supervision, water, and food.
"Animals are drawn to human beings and our contact and these poor guys are suffering and not getting any of that," said Knepp.
But there is hope. She says with enough love, training, and time some of the dogs have been adopted out.
"Our goal is to try and save as many of these animals as we can," said Knepp.