Woman charged with 73 counts of animal neglect in case that swamped Anchorage shelter
Jun. 4—A South Anchorage resident is facing 73 misdemeanor counts of animal neglect after authorities discovered dozens of dogs living in inhumane conditions at her home.
The case prompted the seizure of 71 dogs and two birds from the home off Lore Road in the Abbott Loop neighborhood, doubling the Anchorage Animal Care and Control shelter's dog population and putting the facility over capacity.
Monika Marshall, 47, was arrested May 22 after Anchorage police, with municipal animal control officers, entered her home in response to a report of animal neglect, according to a probable cause statement included with an informational charging document.
The police department late last month called the situation "one of the most severe neglect cases we've encountered."
Officers could smell urine from 25 feet away and observed a black liquid seeping from a garage door, the probable cause statement said. Upon entering the house, it said, they saw urine and feces on every wall and were forced to put on gas masks before returning inside "due to the overwhelming odor."
Entering the home's lower level was difficult due to the "sheer volume" of animals blocking doors and coming out of cramped, unsanitary spaces, the statement said.
Marshall was arrested that day and appeared in court the next day. She was released on her own recognizance, according to a filing in the case.
The municipal charges against her were filed on Monday. Her next court appearance is scheduled for July.
Marshall did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
The seized dogs range from 2 weeks to 6 years old and are mostly Lab-retriever mixes, according to Melissa Summerfield, shelter manager for Anchorage Animal Care & Control.
Two parakeets also taken from the home were picked up by a rescue, Summerfield said.
Last month, shelter officials said the seized dogs were under "protective custody" and could not be put up for adoption. They asked the public to help by adopting or fostering available animals to reduce crowding and offered lower adoption fees. Officials said they were reaching out to other shelters and rescues for help, as well as to the community, to avoid euthanizing any animals.
By Wednesday, 29 dogs seized from the home remained at the shelter, Summerfield said in an email. Marshall chose to surrender all of the animals, which has allowed animal care to evaluate them for adoption, she said.
The shelter returned to normal operating levels within three days of the seizure "thanks to the 60 dogs adopted in just one weekend!" Summerfield wrote in the email. "We have also been able to connect with other statewide shelters and rescues to get animals transferred out of our care."
No animals had to be euthanized due to the seizure, she said, crediting the support of the community as well as rescue organizations.
The remaining dogs from the home are not socialized and some are "taking a little bit longer to warm up to the new environment and new people," Summerfield said. "There may be a few that need to be placed in foster care for a few weeks to be socialized prior to adoption but we are hopeful that all 71 dogs will be able to be placed successfully."
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