23 Pit Bull Mixes rescued in Redmond, including 19 puppies suffering from heat exhaustion; dogs’ 2 owners face charges
Barney Lerten
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies rescued 23 Pit Bull Mixes – four adults and 19 puppies suffering from heat exhaustion – from a Redmond property earlier this week, and the two owners now each face nearly two-dozen counts of animal neglect, officials said Thursday.
The animal neglect case comes just days after deputies rescued 33 Toy Australian Shepherds, most puppies, from a Tumalo property where they endured what authorities called filthy conditions. Their owner also faces felony animal neglect charges.
In the Redmond case, the sheriff’s office received a report Monday of animal neglect involving 23 dogs at a property in the 3100 block of NE O’Neil Way in Redmond, DCSO Public Information Officer Jason Carr said in Thursday’s news release, which continues in full below:
Animal Control Technician Michelle White responded and located four adult dogs and 19 puppies, approximately 6–8 weeks old. The Pit Bull mixes were found in metal wire crates covered with thick blankets, and the temperature on Monday reached 100 degrees.
Sergeant Aaron Harding and Deputies Michael Dolan and Dean Marshall arrived to assist. The dogs were panting heavily and showing signs of heat exhaustion.
The owners of the dogs, Nicole Allison Sly, 45, and Jeremy Shane De France, 49, were not home at the time, and deputies could not reach them by phone.
Carr told KTVZ News the pair is staying in a fifth-wheel on someone else’s property. The O’Neil Way property owner made the call to authorities about the dogs in distress, he explained.
Due to the immediate danger to the animals’ health, deputies removed the most vulnerable puppies —some found crawling in dirt in direct sunlight — and placed them in an air-conditioned patrol vehicle. All 23 dogs were transported to BrightSide Animal Center in Redmond.
Shelter staff took immediate action to cool the puppies by providing fresh water, increasing air circulation with box fans, and applying cooling compresses. Staff documented that the puppies’ body temperatures ranged from 103 to 104.7 degrees, consistent with heat exhaustion.
“Thankfully, the puppies survived and are now doing well under the care of BrightSide staff,” Carr said.
Sly and De France later contacted deputies and agreed to surrender all the dogs. Both are facing 23 counts of Animal Neglect, Carr said.
How You Can Help
Members of the public who want to support or are interested in giving these dogs a safe, loving home can learn more about the adoption process, volunteering, or ways to give by visiting BrightSide Animal Center at 1355 NE Hemlock Ave. in Redmond, calling (541) 923-0882, or going online to www.brightsideanimals.org. Adoption hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Here’s a statement BrightSide Animal Center posted Wednesday to Facebook:
On Monday evening, we received a call that there were 19 puppies and four adult dogs seized from a home in Redmond. All 23 dogs made it to BrightSide and have been seen by our medical team. They are all doing well and recovering.
With these animals, we have received 75 animals from court cases since May. On top of these 75 animals we’ve helped community members with their animals and have had more strays than usual entering our program. Like shelters across the United States, and right here in Central Oregon, we have been operating at or above capacity for months.
At this time we are in need of donations, adopters, fosters, and volunteers. We’re so happy to be able to give these amazing animals a second chance but we’re unable to do it alone. You can visit the link in our bio to donate directly or shop our wishlist. Thank you to this community who always steps up to allow us to save lives! 
**These puppies are not old enough for adoption but we are actively looking for foster homes. Please contact foster@brightsideanimals.org or give us a call at 541-923-0882 for more information about our foster program!