MCDOWELL COUNTY, W.Va (WDTV) – Fourteen neglected dogs were rescued from freezing temperatures in McDowell County Thursday.
The dogs were rescued from a property about an hour west of Princeton by Animal Rescue Corps (ARC), a national animal protection nonprofit, after authorities had been at the property and had concerns for the animal’s welfare.
The owner was arrested for animal cruelty and taken to jail, according to ARC officials, and all the animals are now safe and warm in middle Tennessee.
When ARC responders arrived on scene, they found 12 large dogs in outdoor pens littered with frozen feces and constructed out of scrap wire fencing, plywood and bits of tin roofing.
The dogs were huddled together to stay warm in the freezing temperatures.
Due to lack of veterinary care and the unsanitary, inhumane living conditions, the dogs are suffering from a range of medical issues, including overgrown nails, matting, fur loss, skin inflammation, ear and eye infections, untreated injuries and internal and external parasites, officials said.
Two additional dogs were removed from the house, which had wastewater flowing from beneath, across the property, and into a nearby creek. Several broken-down vehicles filled with trash, pens that needed to be cut open and icy conditions made the rescuer’s work to safely remove the animals challenging, officials said.
“This week’s previous blizzard will be the last these dogs will have to endure in these inhumane conditions,”’ said Tim Woodward, ARC’s Executive Director. “I’m grateful to the local good samaritans here who provided straw and blew the whistle, and to law enforcement for their swift action. These dogs likely would have eventually frozen or starved to death, and I’m glad ARC’s team could be here to get them to safety before the next blizzard arrives tomorrow.”
ARC transported half of the dogs from the property to ARC’s Rescue Center in Gallatin, Tenn., about 40 minutes east of Nashville. Each animal taken to ARC’s Rescue Center will receive a thorough veterinary exam, appropriate vaccinations, and any necessary medical treatments until they are matched and transported to trusted shelter and rescue partner organizations that will ultimately adopt them into loving homes.
To learn more about ARC, visit animalrescuecorps.org.
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