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Five Dogs Removed From Partially Collapsed Warwood House

Warwood House Considered ‘Not Habitable’

Photos by Scott McCloskey No injuries were reported Wednesday at this partially collapsed structure in Warwood. Five dogs had to be seized from the structure. BELOW: Ohio County Dog Warden Doug McCroskey carries one of five dogs Wednesday from the front of a partially collapsed house in Warwood.

WHEELING — The Ohio County dog warden removed five dogs from a home in Warwood after emergency officials responded to a call Wednesday afternoon to a partially collapsed structure.

Dog Warden Doug McCroskey said he came to the scene after Wheeling firefighters called him regarding the dogs. Although no one was injured in the collapse, he said firefighters told him the dogs inside the house may not have been cared for properly. McCroskey said conditions inside the home were “very unsanitary.”

“At this time, the animals are being seized,” McCroskey said.

It was unclear if anyone lives at the home at 434 Highland Ave., where the collapse was isolated to a porch roof and the porch. During the response, an elderly couple showed up and said they were the owners of the home. They declined to be identified, but the woman said she had recently been released from a nursing home.

McCroskey said the couple told him they now live in Martins Ferry. They said they wanted to take the dogs with them, but the dog warden said that would not be possible. He said the couple will have to appear before a magistrate in Wheeling who will decide if they will be allowed to keep the animals.

“Why they left the dogs here, I have no clue,” McCroskey said.

A man who identified himself as a city of Wheeling building inspector at the scene said he was still in the process of gathering information but that the house was “not habitable.” He declined to give his name.

The inspector said the house was being condemned. He also said he was trying to verify who owns the property and was unsure if anyone still lives there.

A neighbor, who also declined to be identified, made the emergency call late Wednesday afternoon. She said she witnessed the partial collapse happen throughout the day. During varying intervals, she said, she heard smaller pieces falling off the front of the building. When she heard the major collapse, she called Ohio County 911.

The neighbor said she believed someone was still living in the home, at least part-time, as of Wednesday.

McCroskey said the dogs’ overall health appeared to be OK. He said the dogs had some skin issues, but they appeared to fed and didn’t seem to be malnourished.

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