24 March 28 • 2019
jn
jews d
in
the
STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Dozens of dogs found at a Jewish cemetery.
Animal Rescue
M
acomb and Oakland
County animal control
officers are investigating the
discovery of dozens of dogs found
in a garage at the Aaron Moishe
Cemetery, also known as Beth Ahm
Park, in Roseville. They found 33
dogs there and nine more dogs at the
West Bloomfield rental residence of a
51-year old woman who had put the
dogs in the ceme-
tery garage. Later,
authorities rescued
10 more dogs from
the home next to
the garage, which
belonged to the
woman.
Rabbi Boruch
Levin, execu-
tive director
of the Hebrew
Benevolent Society,
which cares for the
cemetery, said it
was a good deed of
the cemetery fore-
man that led to the
dogs being on the
property. The fore-
man told Levin he was doing a favor
for the woman who had taken in the
dogs. Apparently, the roof of the shel-
ter where she had been keeping the
dogs had collapsed and the 33 dogs
had nowhere else to go.
Levin said the foreman did not
notify him that he was taking the
dogs into the garage, which the rabbi
said was spacious, clean and warm,
because the incident occurred over
the Sabbath. The foreman’
s friend
had brought space heaters and food
and blankets to the garage for the
dogs, who spent about 36 hours there.
Authorities determined the dogs were
being held in unhealthy and unsani-
tary conditions and needed immedi-
ate medical attention. The dogs were
taken to local shelters.
Levin said the Roseville police did
not issue any citations against the
cemetery or the foreman. Levin added
that the foreman had a kind heart and
there will be no consequences for him
taking in the dogs.
Roseville Deputy Police Chief
Donald Glandon said in a statement
that the woman, whose name has
not yet been released to media, will
be issued a citation under a Roseville
city ordinance concerning unlicensed
kennels. The charge is a misdemean-
or, Glandon said.
“It’
s too early in the investigation
to determine whether any laws were
broken, but we are working with
Macomb County to get a clearer
picture about the conditions under
which the dogs
were kept,” said
Bob Gatt, manag-
er of the Oakland
County Animal
Shelter & Pet
Adoption Center,
where some of the
pets were taken.
Local news
reports from
WXYZ-TV and
WWJ radio say a
passerby alerted
Macomb County
authorities to the
situation at the
cemetery.
Additional
tips led Oakland
County authorities to the woman’
s
rental residence at a home on the
corner of Walnut and Orchard Lake
roads. The woman, who said she is
running an animal rescue operation,
is cooperating with investigators.
Although state law does not require
a license to operate an animal rescue,
according to Oakland County author-
ities, local ordinances determine
how many and what kind of animals
may be kept on a property. Criminal
charges are possible if authorities
believe the dogs were abused or
neglected, but none had been filed by
press time.
Patty Trevino of the River Rouge
Animal Shelter told WWJ that local
rescue groups are scrambling to help
the seized dogs. She believes greater
oversight is needed for well-meaning
people who start their own animal
rescues and become overwhelmed.
“It’
s just becoming too frequent,
and it’
s going to be damaging; not
only to the dogs or cats that are in
that situation, but the bigger issue of
what it does to reputable rescues. It
casts doubt on them,” Trevino said. ■
Drew, one of the dogs confiscated from the
West Bloomfield home, at the Oakland County
Animal Shelter And Adoption Center
OAKLAND COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER AND ADOPTION CENTER
Questions?
Email Sy Manello at
smanello@renmedia.us
or call him at 248-351-5147.
Free Listing Submission
Deadline is May 10, 2019.
The Jewish News will honor all Jewish
students who are graduating this spring from
Michigan high schools in our Cap & Gown
Yearbook 2019, which will be published
in the May 25 issue.
Free listings include a photo and up to
40 words listing your accomplishments.
All listings must be submitted online.
Go to thejewishnews.com/cap-and-gown
to submit your free listing today!