UPDATE: The Wichita County Humane Society has updated that the total number of animals rescued from Little Critters Pet Shop to 407.

BURKBURNETT (KFDX/KJTL) — The owner of a long-time local pet shop in Burkburnett is facing criminal charges after more than 300 animals were seized from the shop due to several reports of the condition of the shop, including the animals inside.

Executive Director for the Humane Society of Wichita County Cheryl Heineken said she was asked to assist the Burkburnett Animal Control but when she heard how many animals they were going to be picking up, she had to call in reinforcements.

Guinea pigs, snakes, birds, mice, and rats, are just a few of the species seized from little critters pet shop which has been open for decades after reports of poor and unsafe conditions inside.

“We were asked to help since we have the extra building out at the humane society so we agreed to help Burkburnett with this situation,” Heineken said.

And with more than a hundred animals to haul off, Heineken called in air support or the Animal Investigation and Response Team to assist.

“They have the bigger trailer, it’s heated they brought 12 people down with them, and of course the Burkburnett Animal Control they have three officers and they were all on stand-by at the humane society and we brought a few of our employees,” Heineken said.

The animals were transferred to the humane society where they will be assessed, and Heineken said they could use all the help they could get.

“It’s an awful lot of animals to have to feed and to house. We’ll need bird seed or bird feed and we’ll need shavings for the guinea pigs and so forth because we’re just not used to housing these kinds of animals. We also have some rabbits that we’ll need help with,” Heineken said.

As well as cages for the dozens of birds, something that the community has already started helping with.

“I read the story about them bringing in all these hoarding animals and we just lost our bird and so we had an extra bird cage and I figured I’d drop it off here because they can use it,” Tonia Machado said.

And when it comes to fostering these animals, Heineken said they will need help with that but for the time being, asks the public to be patient.

The humane society, more than ever could use monetary donations, all the volunteers they can get, as well as food for a lot of these animals as well.

As of 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, Heineken said at last county, they have seized 367 animals and still aren’t done.

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