PRESS RELEASE

RELEASE DATE: Immediately (April 6, 2005)
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Gene Baierschmidt 
                        (801) 261-2919 ex. 202 - office

HUMANE SOCIETY TO TAKE ANIMALS SEIZED FROM WAREHOUSE

The Humane Society of Utah today announced that it will accept the surviving 32 cats and 22 dogs seized in a March 17th raid on an overcrowded warehouse where two individuals were keeping the animals in
what they called the "Hope Haven Animal Shelter." The unlicenced, badly-equipped building was crowded with sick and malnourished animals covered with their own waste materials and parasites. When the animals were removed from the premises by animal control officers, they were temporarily housed in municipal shelters in Midvale, South Jordan, South Salt Lake, Draper, and Sandy while legal procedures and initial medical evaluations could take place. Now the Humane Society of Utah is taking the animals into its spacious, well-staffed facility and will place them for adoption to good new homes.

"We're confident that we can place these animals in caring, loving environments," says HSU Executive Director Gene Baierschmidt. "Our two full-time veterinarians will give each animal a complete physical exam to make sure they've all sufficiently recovered from their ordeal, and then they'll become available for adoption from our shelter located at 4242 South 300 West. It's a shame when situations like this occur," he added, referring to the squalid, cramped conditions under which the hoarded animals were kept, "but we hope everything will turn out happily for all the creatures involved. We're just glad that we have the space and proper equipment to do the right thing by these cats and dogs and get them into good homes of their own."

For more information, please call the Humane Society at 261-2919.