100 Chihuahuas found in Seward, NE homesChihuahuas huddle together at the Humane Society in Omaha, Friday, April 6, 2012. More than 100 Chihuahuas have been taken in by the Nebraska Humane Society after a Seward breeding operation was shut down. They didn't mean to make a puppy mill, officials say, but members of the Bick family apparently got more than they expected with a chihuahua breeding operation at two houses in Seward. "I think that it got out of control," said Pam Wiese, a spokeswoman for the Nebraska Humane Society in Omaha. The Omaha shelter ended up taking 88 of 100 dogs found yipping and scratching inside the adjacent, one-story houses. The other dozen went to the Capital Humane Society in Lincoln. The Seward Police Department put the Bick family on notice March 19 after getting complaints about the number of dogs, according to a timeline from Seward city officials. The Bicks drove 63 of the chihuahuas to the Omaha humane society that Friday but held on to dozens more. Monday, they dropped off 12 more in Lincoln. When city and state officials returned to the houses Wednesday, 26 chihuahuas remained and were taken to the Nebraska Humane Society. And the Bicks, who own one house and rent the other, were forced to move out because of high levels of ammonia inside. Sherdon and Theresa Bick -- a mother and daughter-in-law -- have been cited for having unlicensed dogs and violating dog kenneling laws, said Seward City Administrator Brett Baker. "The city was very lenient with them," he said. "We thought they were gonna comply." Wiese of the Nebraska Humane Society said 20 of the chihuahuas have been adopted. The remaining dogs are not yet available. The dogs are mostly healthy, but some have fleas or treatable skin and fur issues from scratching, Wiese said. "In all honesty, these guys are in pretty good shape." Reach Zach Pluhacek at 402-473-7234 or [email protected]. Read more: http://journalstar.com/news/local/chihuahuas-found-in-seward-homes/article_705c7099-e295-5d49-b858-df38024f549a.html#ixzz1twoyw8Zq
