ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. — More than 30 dogs were rescued on Wednesday from suspected animal abuse and neglect at a home in Adams County.
On Wednesday around 11 a.m., deputies and animal management officers with the Adams County Sheriff's Office responded to a residence along the 9900 block of Defoe Street. They had been called to help with an inspection warrant that had been issued by the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Animal Health Division/Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act (PACFA) Program.
When they arrived, they found 33 dogs living in poor conditions. Several were in kennels and did not have access to water. The home was full of feces, the sheriff's office said.
Detectives obtained a search warrant and removed the dogs from the home. Animal management officers brought them to the Riverdale Animal Shelter so a veterinarian could look each one over.
The sheriff's officer issued misdemeanor summons for animal cruelty to the two homeowners, who were identified as Robert Attleson, 77, and Melissa Mengel, 66.
In 2015, Denver7 reported on a similar case, in which 75 dogs were seized from Attleson's home. At the time, we learned Attleson had a license to keep the dogs until March 2014, when the state declined to renew it because the house didn't meet physical facility standards under PACFA. He was forced to reduce the number of dogs in his care to 15, but during a follow-up inspection, he was found with 96 dogs, including 25 to 30 in a single room, authorities said at the time. He faced only a civil case, and no criminal charges, in that case.
Stephanie Wilde, director of Riverdale Animal Shelter, said 2025 has been an "extraordinary year" with an unusually high number of "mass impounds."
"It’s heartbreaking so many animals in our community, including these 33 dogs, have been found living in such difficult conditions," she said. "We’re grateful to our law enforcement and animal management partners for their work protecting these vulnerable animals and to our community for their ongoing support."
The shelter posted about the incident on Facebook, saying that thanks to adoptions and transfer support from other shelters, it expects the number of animals it currently houses to go back to normal.
Those who want to help are welcome to adopt, foster and donate, the shelter said.
Anybody who needs to report animal abuse or hoarding in Adams County is asked to call the sheriff's office at 303-288-1535.
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