Commerce City police raid unlicensed veterinary clinic, removing 3 children and 35 animals

Commerce City police officers removed three young children and nearly three dozen animals living in squalor at a home in the Dunes Park neighborhood on th Avenue just west of U S according to a release Thursday Police initially responded to a document that Demetrio Urbina had performed an unlicensed veterinary procedure on a dog that later died They obtained a search warrant on the house and discovered what they described as deplorable conditions that forced them to put on hazmat gear and call in for backup from other agencies Child Protective Services was brought in to care for three children ages to belonging to Urbina and his wife Araceli Urbina Working with Adams County Animal Control police officers removed dogs and puppies which were mostly housed in small cages in the garage as well as two cats and two guinea pigs The animals were relocated to area shelters They also commented officers determined the body of a deceased dog in a trash can outside with one of its paws sticking out Related Articles Denver Animal Shelter raises concern over number of emaciated dogs and cats Among the charges the Urbinas face are Felony Animal Cruelty Child Abuse Practicing a Profession Without a License and Operating a Pet Facility Without a License Police approved that they had responded to animal-related complaints and issued parking citations at the home over the past three years according to Denver The Colorado Department of General Vitality and Ecosystem and the Colorado Department of Agriculture are also assisting in the situation which the department reported remains an open inquiry and may effect in more charges