# Woman brings home 27 dogs from shelter



## Ilovealldogs (Nov 17, 2006)

Woman goes to the pound and brings home 27 dogs
The Associated Press 
Published: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 at 3:04 p.m. 


A Spanish Springs woman who went to a California dog pound looking for pet to replace her own dog that was hit by a car admits she went overboard when she brought home 27 dogs that were facing euthanasia. But she didn't expect to run afoul of the law.

"I didn't realize I was going to be in so much trouble or that so many people would be so angry at what I did," Colleen Spalioni told the Reno Gazette-Journal on Monday. "But after I lost my dog who gave me so much unconditional love, I couldn't leave these dogs to die."

Spalioni said she was trying to find another dog who looked like Barney, her 2-year-old pointer that was struck and killed by a car in November.

Browsing DogsinDanger.com, a Web site that posts photos of dogs in shelters and the number of days until they are euthanized, she found what she was looking for at shelter in Delano, Calif., outside Bakersfield.

But when she arrived, her heart took over, and she ended up bringing home 27 dogs that were about to be killed, including 10 Chihuahua mixes, one purebred Chihuahua, a Jack Russell, a poodle, two shepherd mixes, two miniature pinschers and an Australian cattle dog mix.

"I didn't realize so many animals were dying every day until I saw it with my own eyes," she said.

She said animal control officers helped her and her traveling companion load the dogs in her pickup. Some fit in the cab, the others rode in the truck bed with a down blanket and a tarp over the top.

But once home, neighbors complained of the barking, and she was told local ordinance prohibits more than three dogs per household.

After her story was posted on a newspaper blog, Spalioni said she had found homes for all but four of the dogs as of Monday.

She's hopes to find homes for the remaining dogs before her husband, who is out of town, returns home Wednesday.

"I learned my lesson. I promise I won't do this again," Spalioni said.

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Information from: Reno Gazette-Journal, http://www.rgj.com


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## Daisy1986 (Jul 9, 2008)

Ahhh! God bless her. 

That is the way I feel. I cannot believe she actually did it! 

Good for her! Now they all have homes and some attention was brought to this problem. 

I really do not know how some people do not know. 

I was telling someone that the JRT I have was passed over twice to be PTS. They were like why would they PTS a JRT? 

To make space. They were just like ohhh, that is terrible.


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## DSudd (Sep 22, 2006)

Wow she did a great thing. I cant believe they let her adopt 27 dogs at once though. That could of ended up being a horrible thing, but she has done a great job finding homes for these furbabies.


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## lcht2 (Jan 8, 2008)

dang...thats a big adoption fee!! haha

good for her


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## Fransheska (Sep 11, 2008)

lol ive been tempted to do that, good for her!


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## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

I just wish that if there were ordinances on the number of dogs, then there should also have to be an ordinance on the number of kids  or other family members living in the house. NOW THAT REALLY MAKES ME ANGRY!!!! To see a house full of screaming kids and a yard full as well. But let there be more than 1 extra dog at your place.... Okay - I've vented enough....


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: DSuddWow she did a great thing. I cant believe they let her adopt 27 dogs at once though. That could of ended up being a horrible thing, but she has done a great job finding homes for these furbabies.


i know, our shelters computers won't even allow it unless its a rescue. 3 dogs per address and person over the age of 18 present with a valid ID. and if you already have dogs currently licensed at that address you have to fill out a form of non ownership before you remove them.

i think the funny twist is this was all done behind her husbands back


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## barbprzyby (May 15, 2008)

> Quote:She said animal control officers helped her and her traveling companion load the dogs in her pickup. Some fit in the cab, the others rode in the truck bed with a down blanket and a tarp over the top.


Sounds like a jail break with inside help!
Except for the tragedy of so many in shelters, this would've been funny.
If only life was so simple, and innocent.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

That sounds almost exactly like what happened in the movie 'The Year of the Dog' even down to the neighbor filing a noise complaint...


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## ninhar (Mar 22, 2003)

> Originally Posted By: DSuddWow she did a great thing. I cant believe they let her adopt 27 dogs at once though. That could of ended up being a horrible thing, but she has done a great job finding homes for these furbabies.


While its great that she was able to save that many dogs, I'm also shocked that a shelter would just turn over 27 dogs to someone. It could have been a very horrible thing, what if she had adopted the dogs to use as bait for fighters?


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## Strongheart (May 2, 2007)

That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. What is she a millionaire? What kind of pickup can fit that many dogs? even if small? 

Can you imagine all the poop? Yew!


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

> Quote:
> She said animal control officers helped her and her traveling companion load the dogs in her pickup. Some fit in the cab, the others rode in the truck bed with a down blanket and a tarp over the top.


I have a *really* tough time believing that any shelter would let a private person adopt 27 dogs in the same day, without as much as asking whether she has the space to keep them all or whether she can legally own that many dogs where she lives.

And what the heck where those animal control officers thinking, helping her load 27 dogs into her pickup truck - in the bed of the truck, which was secured only with a tarp over the top, no less!


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## emjworks05 (May 30, 2008)

At first it does sound a little bad, because who knows what could have happened to those animals. Im glad to hear a happy ending, i hope those dogs ended up with amazing homes.


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## Maedchen (May 3, 2003)

_She's hopes to find homes for the remaining dogs before her husband, who is out of town, returns home Wednesday._

Yeah, I wanna see his face, when he gets home.








Mine would get a fit, that's for sure.

What was she thinking?

Even if she rescues all the dogs that would've died that day, a couple days later there will be more taking their place on deathrow. It would've been more effective (in the long run) to get those dogs to adoption events, find volunteers to foster and get the whole community involved. Her acts of kindness are all forgotten next week and is not going to prevent any future dogs from dying the shelter death.


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## ninhar (Mar 22, 2003)

> Originally Posted By: Historian
> I have a *really* tough time believing that any shelter would let a private person adopt 27 dogs in the same day, without as much as asking whether she has the space to keep them all or whether she can legally own that many dogs where she lives.
> 
> And what the heck where those animal control officers thinking, helping her load 27 dogs into her pickup truck - in the bed of the truck, which was secured only with a tarp over the top, no less!


I had a tough time believing that a shelter would adopt that many dogs to someone also. That would never happen at any of my local shelters. But I remember going through that area during a visit to CA a few years ago. Its a low income agricultural area and I'm sure they were just as happy to get the dogs out. This is their PF page, which I'm sure like most shelters doesn't contain all the animals they have. I'm suprised that they even have cats listed - http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/CA954.html 
One thing I have never seen before on a PF site, they have 2 pages of strays that will be available soon in addition to the regular listings. The adoption fee is $10.


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## Daisy1986 (Jul 9, 2008)

$10, REALLY? 

That is the lowest fee I have ever heard of. 

Did you see that 2 pure breds??? Are they in the urgent section??? 

How does that work? If they are not, I have never posted one, espeically out of my state. 

Waston and Holly. 

What about Truley, is that boy pure. 

I never should have clicked on that PF link.


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

That's nuts.

Hey, another low fee - I paid $5 at the shelter for the best dog I've ever had - Miss Morgan vom Donnermond.



> Originally Posted By: StrongheartCan you imagine all the poop? Yew!


Eww, did you have to take me there


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## Grims (Jul 3, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Emjworks05At first it does sound a little bad, because who knows what could have happened to those animals. Im glad to hear a happy ending, i hope those dogs ended up with amazing homes.


Yeah who knows...they could had possibly died...instead of for surely died...oh the horror of it all!


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## bookjunky4life (Sep 11, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Daisy1986$10, REALLY?
> 
> That is the lowest fee I have ever heard of.
> 
> ...


I actually saw three purebreds, a male and two females.


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

Plenty of shelters here would have let her have that many - unaltered and for free. The shelters don't have the infrastructure to alter the dogs and they don't want to kill them so when someone shows up offering some hope, they jump on it. While I question her judgement, I'm at least glad that she brought some publicity to the situation. I think 99% of people have absolutely no idea what's going on with pet overpopulation in this country. This morning alone I've gotten probably 40 different email pleas about dogs being euth'd this week, many of them purebreds, nearly all of them young.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: Maedchen_
> Yeah, I wanna see his face, when he gets home.
> 
> 
> ...


_

or if he hears the stories on the news before returning home and just that look of "nooo... can't be..."_


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## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

10 Chihuahua mixes, one purebred Chi and two minpins? 

That's one relatively small GSD right there.









If they look enough alike, she could tell hubby, "no, there's only 12 dogs. But they're just really fast, so you keep seeing them all over the place!"


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## Ilovealldogs (Nov 17, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: 3K9Mom10 Chihuahua mixes, one purebred Chi and two minpins?
> 
> That's one relatively small GSD right there.
> 
> ...


 Too funny!!!!


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## staxi2 (Oct 18, 2007)

there is also a pb.,Trisha under avail. soon. I can post all 3 with pics,should they be under urgent?


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## Daisy1986 (Jul 9, 2008)

They're are FOUR. They are all in the Urgent section now. 1 male Watson, and 3 females, Trisha, Holly, and Casey. 

Yes Rocky1 this is a Animal Control kill shelter. Do not know how much time, glad you E-mailed. 

And yes I think they all look pure bred. There might be a few more PB, but I cannot tell from the pics. One looks Dutchie, would that be a pure bred for Urgent? 

Truly I am not sure of. Glad the four are up though. 

I think there is a CA GSD rescue????


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## Daisy1986 (Jul 9, 2008)

Thanks OP and Colleen S. 

Maybe these other dogs will know someone cares.


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## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

Sigh. I was just looking at those, thinking...I could fly into Fresno, rent a car, pick up that sweet young male dog, fly back home all in one day, and Dh would never realize I left the house.









Extra German Shepherd, Sweetheart? No, that's just Camper...he moves fast. It's all that agility we've been practicing.


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## Maedchen (May 3, 2003)

You're too funny, K9mom


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## Daisy1986 (Jul 9, 2008)

Sounds like a plan.









If you are talking about Watson, I am for sure smiten! He could be a long lost relative of Shadow....they look alike.


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