A massive animal rescue took place in Kern County Thursday. More than a hundred dogs, cats, chickens and rabbits were removed from the home of a Tehachapi resident Kimi Peck by the Humane Society of the United States. “Certainly there are a lot of dogs here, no doubt about that. Condition wise, they appear to be a good weight. The main thing is a lot of them have been lacking that one on one attention that they will be able to get once they get into a different situation,” said Adam Paras Candola, HSUS Director of Animal Cruelty.
Peck moved to Kern County with 200 or so dogs about four years ago after being told to leave Burbank, or face criminal charges for animal neglect. She was also accused by former volunteers of using the rescue operation as a front to hoard animals. Peck faced the same allegations from neighbors at her first Tehachapi residence.
“I've only adopted out over 5,000 dogs and I am tired of being called names for the good work I do. Other than that, I am thrilled,” Peck said.
Peck has been working with Kern County Animal Control and the HSUS to have the animals removed and adopted out to new homes. She says she is keeping more than 20 of them as personal pets.
“People are finally stepping up to help me. I should not be stuck with 200 dogs dumped on me by society,” Peck said.
The home is the same house where accused animal abuser and hoarder Cynthia Gudger was found with dozens of sick and dying animals in deplorable conditions in 2008. Gudger was arrested for felony animal cruelty and is in a state mental institution. The home is owned by Susan Marlow, who first let Gudger, then Peck live there with their animals.
“I didn't know they were in the condition they were in. I used to speak with her every night. She used to tell me she was cleaning, everything was great,” Marlow said of Gudger.
HSUS officials said Peck’s animals will be taken far away, to undisclosed locations in northern California and will be rehabilitated and hopefully adopted out to families who have been screened.
“We feel fairly confident we will be able to get them placed in other homes,” Candola said.
