After taking 16 dogs from ‘uninhabitable’ Pine Grove home, humane society needs donations
By Brandi Makuski
The Humane Society of Portage County needs a little help.
The organization took in 16 dogs who were rescued from a home in the Bancroft area on March 8. The dogs ranged in age from puppies to mature adults and are in various states of health.
According to the criminal complaint, 50-year-old Bill Scarce was arrested for, and later charged with, 16 counts of mistreating animals, a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500 under Wisconsin law. Scarce’s next court date was not immediately scheduled.
A humane officer was initially called to Scarce’s home on the 8500 block of Harding Ave. in the town of Pine Grove on March 8 for a report of a dog running loose. Scarce was not home at the time.
But upon arrival, the officer saw several dead puppy carcasses in the yard and called for law enforcement to respond. After obtaining a search warrant, deputies entering the home found about 90 percent of the floors were covered in dog feces and garbage, with spongy flooring in some places, and sagging walls, leaving the home “uninhabitable and condemnable,” according to the criminal complaint.
Deputies ultimately found more than a dozen dogs inside the home “cowering underneath the bed, closely huddled together,” in Scarce’s bedroom, and with no water left out for the animals.
Sherri Galle-Teske, director of the humane society, told deputies that the rescued dogs were Shinu Inus, husky, and rottweiler mixed breeds, the complaint said. The dogs were undergoing valuation and treatment for various diseases or conditions, she said.
Galle-Teske declined to comment on the current status of the dogs for this follow-up story, citing the ongoing investigation at the sheriff’s office. But she did release the following statement:
“With the amount of animals we have in the shelter at this time, we are facing limited resources. If people want to help, we would really appreciate monetary donations for medicines, healthcare, and other necessities for the animals,” Galle-Teske said.
