The two-dozen starving Alaskan malamutes rescued Wednesday from a kennel southeast of Rapid City Regional Airport have responded well to a change in environment, the executive director of Humane Society of the Black Hills said Friday.

"They're doing fine, getting used to us, being a little more outgoing all the time," Phil Olson said. "It's really something to watch them come out of their shells. There's one in particular - I think he was probably the stud - who is very sweet. They're really coming around nicely."

The Pennington County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday arrested Chad Cooper, 35, who was charged with 24 misdemeanor counts of inhumane treatment of an animal, simple assault/domestic violence and two felony counts of aggravated assault.

Law enforcement investigating a criminal matter called animal control Wednesday to help remove the dogs, all very thin and in poor condition, from a property at 23354 Lone Tree Road.

"They were all emaciated. We found upwards of a dozen dead ones, puppies and adults, and the 24 we seized were in poor condition," Sgt. Greg Foster of the Pennington County Sheriff's Office said Friday.

Foster said the Rapid City Police Department asked sheriff's deputies to arrest Cooper on suspicion of a domestic violence incident alleged to have occurred within city limits. Deputies did not initially find Cooper at his home Tuesday, but did notice the dogs.

Sheriff's deputies and animal control officers returned the next day to seize the dogs. Foster said Cooper showed up, and before he could be arrested, he surged his vehicle toward two deputies, resulting in the felony aggravated assault charges. The officers weren't hit.

Cooper's first court appearance on the charges is scheduled for Monday.

According to an online search, Cooper and another individual run Ellas Kennel AKC Alaskan Malamutes. The telephone listing is no longer in service, but according to the kennel's Web site, dogs were for sale in the $1,500 to $5,000 range.

In addition to the dogs, a horse, goat, donkey and sheep were found on the property. Olson said the Humane Society is not equipped to properly care for livestock, so the organization is trying to find places for the animals now.

"The neighbors had been feeding them for some time, and the neighbors are a little tired of doing that. So we're going to find a place to put them," he said.

Olson said the malamutes were leery of the large group of people who showed up to transport them to the animal shelter, but only one dog has shown signs of aggression.

"It's a trust issue," he said. "When you get close enough and make friends, he's fine."

A couple of the dogs were taken to a veterinarian for blood work, which came back normal. The main thing now is to help the dogs gain weight and recover muscle tone, Olson said.

"We can tell from their toenails that they haven't had any chance to run because their toenails are curled like hooks," he said. "They've been confined to a small area, so they need exercise, too. Part of the process of getting so thin is the body burns fat and then starts to burn muscle, and they actually have lost some muscle."

Olson said he is uncertain whether the owners will get the dogs back or whether the dogs could be adopted by others. A lot will depend on the outcome of charges filed in court, but the Humane Society is keeping a list of people interested in adopting or fostering the dogs.

Olson said two people with big bags of dog food were waiting at the shelter when he arrived Friday morning, something that was much appreciated.

"That's very helpful," he said. "We have kind of a steady flow of food coming in, but because these guys are so big, it's tripling our food need. It's really helpful to have the donations."

People interested in fostering or adopting a malamute or who wish to donate money or dog food, should contact Humane Society of the Black Hills, 1820 East St. Patrick Street, Rapid City, or call 394-6906.

Contact Scott Aust at 394-8415 or scott.aust@rapidcityjournal.com