Nearly 50 dogs rescued, visibly shaken from Oakland pet shop

OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - Armed with a court order search warrant, Oakland animal control officers descended on Rosie’s Enterprise Pet Shop in East Oakland and loaded dogs into two vans. 

Many of the animals could be seen visibly distressed, shaking and shivering under the rain. 

As officers moved in an out, the shop’s owner, 70-year-old Rosie Hall, watched from a distance. She said she didn’t see a problem.  

"I don't do no crime. I take care of my business, but business is slow right now. I cannot get rid of my puppies or my adult dog's,” Hall said.

Hall has been at the Bancroft Avenue location in East Oakland for two years. Oakland animal control would only tell KTVU news that they were working on an action and the problem at the pet store had to do with a licensing issue.  

Close to 50 dogs were removed from the business that specializes in chihuahua adoptions.  Some who witnessed the incident came to the owner’s defense.

"Rosie's a very good person who trains her animals,” said Theresa Saldana, a neighbor and friend. “She sells them and don't abuse her dogs at all.”

The smell emanating from the building was so strong face masks had to be worn.

Alex Lobodovsky, who runs his business next door, said the problems here have been ongoing.

“I haven't called, but I know just about everybody else has and I think this is the fourth attempt that maybe looks like it’s going to stick,” he said. “It’s been going on for about a year.”

Hall doesn't deny the frequent visits by animal control and said she's been harassed over two years, to the extent that at one point she attempted to file a restraining order.  

"They harass me to try to take my dogs away. I invest over $100,000 they want to take my dogs away," Hall said.

Oakland police were at the building during the raid to assist with the removal of animals. The dogs will be taken to a shelter and checked out, as animal control takes over the investigation.

This all left Lobodovsky hoping that the ordeal is finally nearing its end. 

"The smell is horrendous,” he said. “You walk by to get something to drink and the smell is horrendous and sometimes the dogs get out.”

Another friend of Hall’s wondered if running the business by herself for two years may have been too much for the 70-year-old owner.

“Yeah, I really did think she was going to have a problem. It's too much too much for a little lady,”  Saldana said.

Oakland animal control would not disclose what if any charges the pet shops owner could be facing, only confirming that this is a continued ongoing investigation. Meanwhile, with all the animals now removed the future of the Rosie's Enterprise Pet Shop remains unclear.