Mark Vaughn hoisted his newly adopted 3-month-old puppy into his arms. In a bustling adoption center lobby in Northwest Washington, surrounded by TV station cameras and other new dog owners, he cooed into the dog’s ear.
Washington, D.C
D.C. dogs, rescued from alleged abuse, find new homes
But before Moe was adopted by his new owner, his life had a frightening start.
Moe was one of 31 dogs that had been seized from a Southeast Washington home on Feb. 14, following an hours-long confrontation between the dogs’ owner and law enforcement officials. D.C. police were attempting to arrest the owner, Stephen Rattigan, 48, on charges of animal cruelty, officials said.
Rattigan barricaded himself inside with the dogs for the next 13 hours and fired on officers trying to take him into custody, according to D.C. police. Three police officers were shot when they forced the door open and were hospitalized.
Rattigan, who identifies himself as Julius James, was arrested and now faces several charges, including assault with intent to kill and cruelty to animals. When reached Saturday, Rattigan’s attorney declined to comment about the allegations at this time.
The Humane Rescue Alliance, which investigated the allegations of animal abuse, removed the dogs — 20 adults and 11 puppies — from Rattigan’s home. Many were found injured and confined to cages. The dogs ranged from two months to several years old and all appeared to be American bullies or “some mix thereof,” Lisa LaFontaine, president and chief executive of the rescue alliance, said in a statement.
According to an arrest affidavit, neighbors complained of foul smells and dogs “living in their own waste” to the rescue alliance. During the investigation, rescue alliance officers found evidence of Rattigan allegedly “striking and punching a dog,” LaFontaine said in the statement.
Chris Schindler, senior vice president of animal welfare, field response and rescue for the alliance, said the injuries on many of the dogs were bite wounds from the “chaotic situation” they had been living in, likely competing for resources. Their wounds were treated and not critical, and the dogs had not been involved in dog fighting, Schindler said.
On Saturday afternoon, the dogs would get a new beginning. At the rescue alliance’s adoption center, 14 of the puppies and dogs were up for adoption. Six had already been adopted by their caregivers and the remaining ones needed “a little bit more time” to address their care needs before they are ready, Schindler said.
Shortly before noon, families trudged in through the double doors, soggy from the rain, and waited in the lobby. Vaughn’s sister had called him earlier that morning so they could make it there early, as the dogs would be adopted on a first-come, first-served basis. She had seen the news of their troubled past and it brought her to tears.
“I was hoping that I’d get an opportunity to get my heart wrapped around one of these dogs,” Vaughn said. They arrived around 11 a.m., an hour before the event was scheduled to start.
When it was time, nearly a dozen people crowded the hallway leading to the dog kennels. They squeezed past each other to get a look at the available dogs and hurried back to the lobby with their choice. Some of the puppies laid on a blanket together inside one of the kennels as people peered at them through the glass. One by one, brown and gray puppies were handed on leashes to their new owners.
Vaughn wasn’t fast enough for Moe, at first, and thought he’d be leaving with another puppy. Then, he was told that his first choice was available after all.
Within 45 minutes, 7 of the 14 available dogs were adopted. One married couple took home a gray-colored puppy named November, which they shortened to “Ember,” to join their German shepherd at home. And, a mother and daughter pair left with a puppy named Asher to surprise the rest of the family.
“Saturdays are busy, but not busy like this,” Schindler said. “It’s a really incredible turnout. Every time we ask our community to show up, they always do.”
By evening, only two of the rescued dogs remained.
Vaughn carried Moe in his arms all the way outside to the car, with their next destination being home in Northeast. His previous dog, an 11-year-old Yorkshire terrier named Tyler, died about five months ago. He still has an unopened bag of treats at home, now waiting for Moe.
“They have a chance for a good life now,” Vaughn said, reflecting on the adopted pups. “All they need is unconditional love, and I’ve got a lot of that.”