German authorities cracked down Thursday on a woman who was trying to provide a happy home for 263 stray dogs from all over Europe, reported Deutsche Presse Agentur (dpa). By-law officer Reinhold Mettlen of Duisburg city council in western Germany said of the house and garden surrounded by a high hedge: "It was unimaginable. It stank to high heaven." The running dogs had turned the whole garden to mud and the house was full of droppings. Juergen Brandt, chief executive of Duisburg, said many dogs were semi-wild. Vacationers had brought the strays home from holidays in southern Europe and left them with the woman, who had a "skewed" love of animals. She is to be prosecuted for cruelty, said dpa. After the clearance, the dog pounds in Duisburg and several neighbouring cities were full. Brandt appealed to anyone wanting just one dog to phone a local hotline for instant delivery. --SP 2336 Local Time 2036 GMT
