Animal-cruelty investigators Christopher West and Tami Murillo recently toted eight adult dachshunds and 11 puppies out of a northwest Phoenix home and into an Arizona Humane Society ambulance.  From a distance, the dogs appeared healthy. Then, West tugged a velvety brown ear up and revealed a series of scabs and cuts, and a coating of black ticks.  It's the kind of scene West sees all too frequently.  To try to reduce the number of such cases, Phoenix has launched a new task force dedicated to educating people about animal cruelty, improving animal-welfare laws and raising money to fund public-awareness campaigns.
Arizona Central