Residents of a shuttered apartment complex at 340 W. 4th St. in San Bernardino have less than a week to vacate. But it’s not just residents who are looking for new homes, but some pets as well.
Nine dogs were apparently abandoned inside one unit. Animal Control officers found them living in filth, surrounded by trash and feces and none were microchipped.
“(Residents) mentioned they hadn’t seen the owners of the dogs for approximately a week, and that the dogs are barking through the morning and throughout the night,” Arianna Gonzalez with San Bernardino Animal Control told KTLA. “There was a bag of food that the dogs had been accessing. We couldn’t find water.”
The nine male and three female dogs are now being cared for at the city’s animal shelter on Chandler Place.
“There aren’t any records on file for residents so there’s not anything that we can go on,” Animal Service Director Kris Watson said. “When we take animals that were abandoned like this, we automatically hold them for 15 days in case the owner is looking for them. We don’t know what happened. We don’t know where this person is.”
The apartment complex was originally a dormitory for a since-shuttered university and was never permitted for housing. Low-income families, children, the elderly and some disabled residents called it home until code enforcement discovered the putrid living conditions.
The owner of the dogs has until Oct. 27 to claim them from the shelter before they are put up for adoption. Those interested in adopting the dogs can call 909-384-1304.