Firefighters Battle Flames at Jurupa Valley Property
Animal Services officers responded to a property in Jurupa Valley this afternoon where a fire in a trailer spread to a house with more than two dozen dogs inside.
None of the dogs were hurt, but the conditions inside the home were deplorable, according to the responding officers. Animal control officer Sean Fazio was first on scene and called for backup due to the volume of dogs – and he noticed that many of them were unsocial.
Officer Fazio’s colleagues, officers Jennifer Selter and Dane Ericson, arrived at the property — located in the 5300 block of 34th Street — to assist. They used masks because of poor air quality inside the residence.
The property owner was in violation of having too many dogs and the owner agreed to relinquish 31 of them. They are mostly Chihuahua mixes and Chinese crested mixes. The officers told the owner to keep the remaining four dogs out of the home until the air quality improves.
The officers transported the dogs to the Western Riverside County/City Animal Shelter in Jurupa Valley. Some of the dogs appeared to have skin conditions. They will be examined and treated by county veterinary technicians.
Since the dogs exhibited behavioral challenges, such as fearfulness, Animal Services worked with rescue groups to rehome the dogs. Menifee Valley Humane Society came for more than 20 of the dogs and Priceless Pets agreed to take a handful. Only a few remain.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. Questions about the fire should be directed to the Riverside County Fire Department’s media line at 951-940-6985.
