22 Dogs in a Car Seized

At about 7 p.m. CST, the AP released a very short blurb about the 22 dogs in this photo. In Pottsboro, TX, an incoherent woman locked herself in the car with the dogs, a pot of water, a blanket and a whole lot of waste. The police tried to serve the woman a warrant for the seizure of the dogs, but the details are scant, with no way of knowing whether the dogs and woman were already in the car, or whether the woman gathered them all up and put them in the car when threatened with their removal. The ammonia level in the car registered at 23 ppm, when people start experiencing health problems at 12 ppm. The SPCA took the dogs to shelters to await a Feb. 16 hearing, when a judge will decide custody. No charges against the woman were filed, and authorities contacted adult protective to see to her care.

Looking at the photo, you see a roll of paper towels, an umbrella and a wind-up alarm clock on the dashboard. There's also a rabies tag on one of the dogs, but there is no way to tell what condition they are in. I shudder to think about the circumstances that brought this about, and though it may be wishful thinking, my fingers are crossed that we don't see more instances of futility like this again.