WI: Man wants new program for Milwaukee dogs seized during police raids

Man wants new program for Milwaukee dogs seized during police raids

By Charles Benson CREATED Apr. 19, 2012 - UPDATED: Apr. 19, 2012

MILWAUKEE- They are the innocent caught up in the middle of police raids, but they end up behind bars.

We are talking about dogs that end up as evidence in drug raids or dog fighting investigations.

David Mangold is pushing for a program that will allow people to take care of dogs seized by police. He owns two adopted dogs named Billy and Hero.

Right now dogs kept as evidence end up sitting in cages at the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission or MADACC.

"These dogs should be placed in homes of people that want them," said Mangold.

Mangold claims police place an investigative hold on dogs for weeks, months and sometimes up to a year. He says that's too long so he started a Facebook page called "Save Milwaukee's Court Case Dogs."

Mangold believes the dogs would be better served in homes of people who will take care of them.

"I think that we should find a way out for these dogs," said Mangold.

MADACC agrees dogs shouldn't be in cages for a long period, but says those cases are very rare.

"The average dog is going to be here 7 to 10 days or less," said John McDowell, field officer supervisor at MADACC.

McDowell says dogs on investigative hold get daily human contact and spend time outside their cages. But, by law, animals involved in dog fighting can't be released until the case is concluded. McDowell says the dogs are not forgotten.

"No, absolutely not, if we don't have a good reason to hold them we release them," asserted McDowell.

Milwaukee police told TODAY'S TMJ4 they have talked with the district attorney's office about alternate housing for the dogs, but for now they are following the law.

Man wants new program for Milwaukee dogs seized during police raids - 620 WTMJ - Milwaukee's Source for Local News and Weather