Hamburg, N.Y. (WBEN) – The SPCA Serving Erie County has its hands full following the rescue of several dogs from a home in the Town of Hamburg on Wednesday.
According to chief investigator at the SPCA Serving Erie County, Lindsey Wood, they got an anonymous call late Wednesday afternoon in regards to some animals that may not have been cared for in some time at a residence.
“Upon arrival to the residence, our lead officer, officer Melina Homsi, she attempted to make contact at the residence, and in doing so, was greeted by a pile of dogs in a window,” said Wood in an interview with WBEN. “The smell of unsanitary conditions was just so overwhelming, she immediately contacted the local Hamburg building and code enforcement to have them come and look into the situation. When they arrived, they deemed the property uninhabitable, and we were able to obtain a search warrant for the residence.”
Members of the SPCA Serving Erie County’s Investigations team and other staff members then worked late into the night, rescuing 32 dogs – adults and puppies – from deplorable conditions the residence.
“When we made entry into the residence, unbeknownst to us, we thought it was maybe only about 10 or 12 when we started looking. All of the dogs are black, Newfoundland mix-type dogs. So once we started digging a little deeper into the piles of dogs inside there, we ended up coming out with 32 dogs,” Wood said. “We have about 14 puppies that are approximately anywhere from 8-to-12 weeks old, I believe, right now. We have a small pile, maybe eight or so, that are about 4-to-5 months old, we have a few in the one year [range], and then we have a couple older adult dogs as well.”
At this point, Wood says all of the dog seem to have good body conditions, which mean they were being fed. However, she considers their living conditions were one of the more significantly worse situations they’ve seen in a while.
“These dogs were being housed in a very small space,” Wood described. “So imagine, let’s say, they were locked into a living room and a bedroom, and that was all. The space that 32 animals had to live. There was very little furniture, it was just waste on the floor.”
The owner, whose name is not being released by the SPCA, was compliant and signed over all the dogs to the SPCA. He has been charged with animal cruelty, and will be arraigned in April.
At this time, the dogs are being assessed by SPCA staff members for adoption, so that they can get the help they desperately need. They’re also are currently receiving baths, examinations, any immediate treatments necessary, and any appropriate medications.
Wood says if anyone ever feels overwhelmed with a situation involving animals in your home, she advises those to reach out to the SPCA for assistance before the possibility of your situation unknowingly becomes a crime.
“Sometimes people may not know where to look for help when they get into these types of situations, but it’s good for the public to know help is available, but you have to give us the information. If you call and you say, ‘I have 10 dogs, I can’t do this. I need help,’ we’re going to send an outreach team person out to assess and see what we can do to help you,” she said.
Those wishing to contribute to the ongoing care of these 32 dogs are encouraged to visit YourSPCA.org/DonateNow, and mention “32 dogs” in the comments section of the form.
“When you take in 32 dogs at one clip, especially dogs that need a ton of medical care – we’re doing vaccines, we’re going to be needing spay and neuter surgery, they’re going to need behavior help, socialization – we can definitely use donations,” Wood added.
There is no information available at this time as to when these animals may be placed up for adoption. Those wishing to inquire about foster care can call the SPCA’s Foster Care Department at (716) 875-7360, ext. 216.
“If you are willing to open your home to maybe help assist in the socialization process of some of these animals, we could desperately use a foster home too,” Wood noted. “A lot of people may not know this, but three quarters of our facility is actually shut down right now because we are renovating our kennels. So we currently are extremely tight on space. After last night’s seizure of 32 dogs, we have not a single kennel anywhere in this building to house a dog. So if people could step up, come to the shelter, fill out an application to be a foster parent, open up your home, it doesn’t cost you anything but your space. We’re willing to give you all of the food and the care that it needs. All you have to do is give it the love and your home.”
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
