"A family got overwhelmed:" Couple fights to bring home 23 dogs surrendered to animal health officials



KANSAS CITY, Missouri -- A Kansas City dog owner who fell on hard times is now pushing to get his dogs back from the city.

The Animal Health Department took Chris Noble's dogs Wednesday, August 3rd -- all 23 of them -- because of sanitation concerns. Just one day later, the city gave them back, but at a steep price.

The initial call was regarding a pot-bellied pig running loose and brought officials to the home near 210 Highway and N. Arlington Road. They saw a slew of dogs scratching at the window, and then went inside and saw a mess.

Kansas City's animal health inspectors returned to the home Thursday.

Noble said he worked hard for 24 hours to make things right.

"He has made a lot of progress from (Wednesday)," said Derrick Jones with the Kansas City Animal Health Department.

All 23 of the dogs -- chihuahuas or mixes -- ended up at the city's shelter after the man's wife surrendered them for adoption.

The family's house sits on land that's zoned agricultural, where city law allows up to 25 animals. The issue wasn't the number of dogs, but how they were living.

"The smell of urine, manure in the house," Jones said.

By Thursday, Noble had fixed the smell and by nightfall, he had 10 of the dogs back home.

Noble said his wife has a love of chihuahuas and signed them over to the city in a panic, feeling pressured and afraid of arrest. He said he'd like to get all 23 back, but city officials said they need licenses and he can't foot the bill for all of them.

"I've been a farm boy all my life. I can absolutely manage any amount of animals. That's not the issue. I just don't have the money to pay the fees," Noble said.

There's been some dispute about whether he lives in Kansas City, MO, or in the town of Birmingham.

He said the shelter had been great about working with him to reduce fees, but he had enough money to get just six more dogs on Friday. Noble said he and his wife agonized over which seven to give up for adoption.

"I believe this is just a family that got overwhelmed. Their love of animals just overwhelmed them to the point where they really needed help," Jones said.

As for help, Noble said the shelter hooked them up with a place that will neuter the males for $20 each so the clan would not keep growing. But licensing fees are so expensive that they would take back just 16 of the 23 dogs and put the rest up for adoption.

Noble said he and his wife had been keeping things clean up until two weeks ago, when a surgery impacted his wife's ability to do so.

The animal health inspector said it's unlikely that any one person, even someone in good health, could keep up with cleaning up after that many dogs.