171 dogs euthanized following ‘horrific’ animal abuse case, ASPCA says – WAFB

Posted on: November 23, 2022 Posted by: Petsynse Comments: 0

NYE COUNTY, Nevada (KVVU/Gray News) – After nearly 300 dogs were found living on a Nevada property in horrible conditions, more than half of them have been euthanized.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, of the total 276 dogs found on the property:

171 dogs were euthanized
6 dogs died on their own
17 dogs have been adopted
82 dogs are under the care of the ASPCA

Regarding the dogs that were euthanized, the ASPCA said, in part, “As victims of alleged cruelty, horrific living conditions and likely irresponsible breeding practices, many dogs suffered from a wide array of serious medical conditions, severe aggression and/or extreme fear that made them unsafe to place or caused a poor quality of life.”

The investigation began in August when the Nye County Sheriff’s Office obtained a warrant for a property in Amargosa Valley. With the help of the ASPCA, the 276 dogs were seized from the property living in “horrific conditions.”

Vasili Platunov (left) and Oksana Higgins (right) were arrested on charges of felony animal... — Vasili Platunov (left) and Oksana Higgins (right) were arrested on charges of felony animal abuse and neglect.(Nye County Sheriff’s Office)

On Aug. 22, the sheriff’s office arrested Oksana Higgins and Vasili Platunov on charges of felony animal abuse and neglect.

The Nye County Sheriff’s Office is taking donations to help the dogs. You can contact the sheriff here. The ASPCA is also taking donations to help the animals.

Below is the ASPCA’s full statement to KVVU:

When the ASPCA stepped in at the request of the Nye County Sheriff’s Office in September, we provided daily care and medical and behavioral support for 276 dogs at the emergency shelter in Pahrump. ASPCA veterinarians conducted in-depth exams on the dogs and observed significant medical issues among the population that required urgent medical care. The ASPCA relocated 82 of the dogs to our specialized Cruelty Recovery Center (CRC) in Columbus, Ohio; an additional 16 dogs (15 puppies and one adult) have been placed with the Nevada Humane Society and several of those dogs have already been adopted into new homes; and one additional dog was adopted locally in Nye County.

The ASPCA views every animal as an individual and each dog was continually monitored, assessed, and provided both medical and behavioral support by credentialed medical and behavior experts to help determine the most appropriate outcome and placement option. Sadly, due to severe medical and behavioral issues, six dogs passed away and the remaining dogs rescued from this case had to be humanely euthanized. As victims of alleged cruelty, horrific living conditions and likely irresponsible breeding practices, many dogs suffered from a wide array of serious medical conditions, severe aggression and/or extreme fear that made them unsafe to place or caused a poor quality of life.

The 82 dogs relocated to our CRC are still recovering from medical issues or require additional behavioral treatment to prepare them for life in a home. They are safely settling into the shelter where we are providing treatment specifically for animal victims of cruelty and neglect so that they have the greatest chance of recovering. The unprecedented decision to commission a 747-cargo plane to fly these traumatized dogs to our facility was the safest method of transportation and spared them the additional stress of a lengthy trip by ground transport.

While there is still a long road ahead for these victimized dogs to heal and thrive, our hope is that many can be placed into new, loving homes in the future.

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