Tuesday, July 14, 2009

26 cocker spaniels seized in Riverside County

Animal services officials are seeking homes for 26 cocker spaniels that were confiscated from a woman arrested on unrelated theft charges and accused of hoarding the dogs, authorities said today.

Nelli Olsen, 35, was arrested on grand larceny charges June 29 after law enforcement officials said she wrote bad checks to rent several properties in the Coachella Valley. Olsen was suspected of amassing a large pack of dogs at the homes.Olsen Nelli 051573 (2)

“The dog owner kept moving the dogs from residence to residence,” said Betsy Ritchie, captain of field operations for the Riverside County Department of Animal Services.

Olsen lived at eight residences in Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage over two years, Ritchie said. She would typically rent a property and not pay the rent until she was evicted. When the first check Olsen wrote to her last landlord in Palm Desert allegedly bounced, the homeowner called police..."  More