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Solano County Sheriff’s deputies and animal control officers executed a search warrant Thursday, seizing 44 dogs from a central Vallejo residence as part of an active animal cruelty investigation.
Bay City News reported on the large-scale raid and ongoing law enforcement operation on October 15, 2026.
Law enforcement officers targeted the home of Susan Anthony on the 800 block of Carolina Street, removing 40 adult dogs and four puppies.
The massive influx of animals quickly strained local municipal facilities, forcing authorities to distribute the seized canines across multiple regional animal shelters while comprehensive veterinary evaluations remain pending.
Anthony, who operates California Carolina Dogs, has bred Carolina dogs—also known as American dingos—across various Vallejo properties for roughly two decades.
Neighboring residents and animal advocacy organizations have repeatedly filed complaints accusing her operation of functioning as an unpermitted puppy mill since 2013.
The seizure comes shortly after Anthony was convicted in Solano County Court in May on an animal cruelty charge related to a wild pack of dogs kept on an east Vallejo ranch.
Court documents revealed prior violent pack attacks on the property, including a 2023 incident that resulted in a dog being euthanized and a 2024 attack where a puppy was killed by other dogs.
Anthony was granted probation in June following her May conviction, yet she continues to defend her breeding business, claiming the seized animals are healthy and belong to her 99-year-old mother.
She is currently embroiled in a civil lawsuit filed by the Caru Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and is scheduled to appear in Solano County Superior Court for a civil hearing.
My thoughts:
- Unregulated backyard breeding and hoarding operations severely strain regional shelter capacities when law enforcement intervention becomes necessary.
- Continuous law enforcement oversight is critical when individuals with active probation status and prior animal cruelty convictions maintain live animals.
- Prompt veterinary assessments are essential to document housing conditions, medical neglect, and physical trauma for ongoing criminal prosecution.
- Community complaints and sustained advocacy from local animal welfare groups play a crucial role in bringing long-standing commercial neglect cases to court.
- Establishing strict legal limits on animal ownership during probation sentences helps prevent repeat cruelty offenses and protects vulnerable domestic animals.
- Regional shelter coordination is vital to ensure that sudden, massive intakes of seized animals receive proper medical triage, housing, and rehabilitation.
Source: Bay City News Service (Griffin Jones) and Solano County Sheriff’s Office
