Photos Courtesy Mat-Su Animal Care
The following three articles each contain numerous, horrific facts about this case.
If you would like to donate to the shelter caring for these dogs, please contact:
MSB Animal Care and Regulation
680 N. Seward Meridian Parkway
Wasilla, AK 99654
(907) 746-5500
animal.care@matsugov.us
Mat-Su Animal Control Officials say they have uncovered one of the worst cases of animal cruelty they have ever seen.
Officials found 25 dogs, many of them nearly starved to death and some chained to a short wire, left in a remote location with no food or water. Investigators seized the animals over the last two days.
Dr. Katrina Zwolinski is still disturbed by the condition of the dogs taken from a kennel on Lazy Mountain over the last two days.
One dog did not survive.
“It was evident it had died in the previous day or so,” she said.
Animal Care Chief Dave Allison says all were emaciated, dehydrated and clearly neglected.
“If you put your hands on them you can feel pretty much every bone in their body,” he said.
Allison says the dogs’ teeth are broken from trying to eat rocks too.
Doug Bartko owns the dogs. He says it’s been a rough spring.
“My system broke down and I was just in the process of getting it back up again,” he said.
The system is clearly flawed, even for Bartko. His food supply has been rotted salmon haeds.
It appears Bartko let things go too far and it’s not the first time. Court records show he was cited for animal cruelty back in 2006.
Iditarod officials say back in 1983, Bartko was disqualified for not adequately caring for his team.
Bartko claims Animal Control overreacted and he will try to get his dogs back.
But it could be too late if some of his dogs even survive.
Bartko was cited for five counts of interference with an investigation, ten counts of failure to provide humane animal care and his kennel license has been revoked.
Additional charges are pending.
The borough plans to retain the seized animals.
Link to original article.
Twenty-five dogs found close to death in the Mat-Su Valley are recovering at Mat-Su Animal Control. It was a story we brought you Wednesday night that touched many of you.The dogs were near death when Mat-Su Animal Control got to them. All of the animals were severely dehydrated. Some had ropes grown into their neck. Others were covered in cuts and lice.
They were so hungry, officials say they ate rocks.
“They are going to start eating whatever they can eat to get something in their belly. And sometimes, that’s rocks. Trying to eat rocks will break their teeth. And a lot of them have broken teeth from trying to do that,” said Chief Dave Allison of Mat-Su Animal Care.
Some of the dogs are already doing better. They’ve even gained some weight. Their owner, Doug Bartko, has now been charged with 15 counts relating to animal neglect and investigation interference.
Link to original article.
Acting on complaints, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Animal Care took in 25 emaciated dogs this week from two properties on Lazy Mountain, east of Palmer.
Many of Doug Bartko’s dogs are so thin and dehydrated they needed intravenous fluids before they could stomach food, according to Patty Sullivan, borough public affairs director.
Bartko, who calls himself a recreational musher, was cited for five counts of interference with an investigation and 10 counts of failure to provide humane animal care.
He was also served notice that his kennel license could be revoked and that the borough intends to keep the seized animals. More charges are pending, including possible cruelty charges.
“This has turned into a nightmare,” Bartko said from his home Wednesday. “I’ve been under some financial stress.”
He said he had friends in Anchorage who had been giving him frozen fish for his dogs, about a ton once or twice a month. But he said his truck broke down and he was unable to get the fish.
“I had some fish and some commercial food,” he said. “But I was down for about three weeks and some dogs dropped weight.”
Officers contacted Bartko on Friday, but he refused to let them inspect the dogs, according to the borough. The officers left dog food with Bartko.
“I was appreciative of that,” Bartko said. “I thought they were trying to work with me.”
Monday the officers returned to Bartko’s home on Lazy Mountain Drive with a search warrant and removed the dogs. They reported finding 12 malnourished dogs and three dead dogs that were tossed over an embankment on the property. The officers also found evidence that other dogs had been recently removed.
“I took some dogs to a different location to give them some care,” Bartko said. ” I didn’t want to show them the remote place. They just did a hit job on me. There was some distrust there, I guess.”
TIP LEADS TO MORE DOGS:
A tip Tuesday led officers to another property off Wolverine Road where a dead dog was seen being removed, according to Sullivan. Nine dogs were seized there. All were emaciated, dehydrated and many had injuries.
Tuesday, officers tried to contact Bartko at his residence and found four more emaciated and dehydrated dogs.
The 25 husky-mix dogs are under veterinary care for a variety of untreated injuries, as well as dehydration, malnutrition and parasites, according to the borough. The cause of death for the one dog is under investigation.
Bartko, whose family he said has run dogs since the 1970s, was convicted in 2006 of animal cruelty. He said that conviction was a mistake because the dog was dying of cancer and not malnourished.
“We had her out front and were just saying our last goodbyes. Trying to make her comfortable.”
He said the same relative who turned him this time, turned him in in 2006 as well.
Calls to the animal shelter Wednesday evening were not returned.
Link to original article.
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