38 dogs with badly matted coats, taken from hoarder, up for adoption

Nearly 40 dogs rescued from a hoarder in Phelan last week -- some with coats so badly matted that handlers couldn’t tell one end from the other -- have had grooming makeovers and are now ready for adoption, officials said.

The 38 Shih Tzu-like dogs, along with 17 cats, were surrendered by what officials described as a “dog hoarder” and taken to a veterinarian on July 2.

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FOR THE RECORD

An earlier version of this post incorrectly identified the spokeswoman for San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control as Consuelo Lopez. Her name is C.L. Lopez.

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Some dogs were covered with their own excrement, and in some cases the fur was so matted that the front of the canine was not easily distinguishable from its rear, said C.L. Lopez, a spokeswoman for San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control.

“These dogs are very lovable. They’re very friendly,” Lopez said.

On July 4, staff with county Animal Care and Cutie Pie’s Grooming spent nearly two hours grooming dozens of the dogs.

The dogs are available for adoption at the Devore Animal Shelter in San Bernardino. More information is available on Facebook or by calling (909) 386-9820.

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