12 dogs rescued from home of DC standoff suspect adopted, 2 more available
WASHINGTON - Twelve of the dogs removed from the home of a man accused of shooting three D.C. police officers before an hours-long standoff have been adopted and two more are available.
Hercules and January are still waiting to find their ‘fur-ever’ homes, the Humane Rescue Alliance says.
They’re two of the dogs brought to the shelter after police seized them from the home of 48-year-old Stephen Claude Rattigan.
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In total, 31 dogs were removed from the home on Hanna Place, SE, on Feb. 14. The seizures of the animals came after Rattigan surrendered to police following a nearly 13-hour standoff.
Rattigan is accused of shooting three police officers who were at the home to serve him with a warrant for suspected animal cruelty.
He has been charged with animal cruelty, as well as assault with intent to kill while armed, assault on a police officer while armed, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for the shooting.
Since February, the dogs have been in the care of the Humane Rescue Alliance in D.C. All of the dogs, which are believed to be American bullies or a mix, have been spayed and neutered.
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The adoption event was held from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Humane Rescue Alliance adoption center Saturday.
"This has been an incredibly challenging case and there’s a lot of traumatic events that took place. Seeing these dogs be able to move on to the next steps motivates myself and all of our team. We’re able to see these dogs move on and find new families. That’s what it’s all about for us," Chris Schindler, the senior vice president of Animal Welfare and Field Response & Rescue, whose team picked up the 14 dogs that had been deemed ready for adoption.
The Humane Rescue Alliance says Hercules and January can also be adopted at 71 Oglethorpe St. NW.