HELENA — The first of the 38 huskies involved in an alleged animal cruelty case are ready to be adopted.
"We're super excited to get these guys into their forever homes and get them on their way," said Kelsee Dalton Watts, the executive director of Lewis and Clark Humane Society. "It's always a real bummer when they have to sit down here in a holding pattern."
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The 32 dogs seized in the alleged animal cruelty case are now the property of the Lewis and Clark Humane Society (LCHS) after being relinquished from their owner, Heather Dawn Prody.
"My whole staff cheered. We were so excited because these cruelty cases – it seems like they can go on forever," said Dalton Watts. "It's not fair to the dogs to sit down here, and it's really hard on the staff to watch them."
Some of the dogs were pregnant at the time of being taken in by the shelter, so now there are 38 huskies.
LCHS says they are paying roughly $760 every day for these animals.
Previously, LCHS only had them in their care, and without custody, what they could do for the dogs was limited.
"We can't treat things that are not life-saving. We have to be really careful about our handling, and they can't leave the property," said Dalton Watts.
LCHS is working with partner shelters across the state to transfer and trade dogs for a larger variety.
The shelter says they will slowly start putting the huskies on the adoption floor, with the first few already available.
More information about animals available for adoption at the Lewis and Clark Humane Society can be found on their website.
