Toledo woman wants seized dogs returned

Toledo: She claims rescued animals are under her care

ANDY CAMPBELL; Centralia Chronicle | • Published October 10, 2009

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A Toledo woman said Thursday that she was wronged when Lewis County Sheriff’s Office deputies seized 20 ill dogs from her home.

Dog breeder Theresa Hahn, 26, said many of her dogs have alopecia, a gene disorder that causes hair loss in humans and animals. Photos released by deputies depict Hahn’s dogs with hair loss and what health officials called extreme emaciation.

Twenty of Hahn’s 157 dogs were taken to the Lewis County Animal Shelter for treatment after deputies responded Wednesday to her home in a remote area about 10 miles northeast of Toledo on Rockridge Lane. Animal control and animal health officials also responded to investigate, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said.

Brown said deputies originally responded to a report that Hahn and her family were growing marijuana, saw the alleged abuse on the property and came back with a warrant.

Hahn said many of her pets were rescued and are being nursed back to health, and that her property is short of water so she doesn’t have the resources to clean the dogs every day.

Brown said Lewis County Health Department officials had to use breathing apparatuses in the home during the investigation because of dangerous fumes from animal waste. Hahn denied accusations that there was fecal matter all over the house.

Hahn said she moved to Lewis County following an investigation into animal cruelty in Clackamas County, Ore., where she used to live. She said she will fight to get her dogs, mostly Pomeranians, back from the animal shelter.

“I’ve been owning breeding dogs since I was 12,” Hahn said. “We don’t make any money on them. We put every penny back into them. We love them.”

No charges have been filed against Hahn, pending an investigation, Brown said. Hahn is expected to be charged with 20 counts of second-degree animal cruelty, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office.