I'm going to post this here- but might also post it in rescues -- this is just nuts yesterday - so like 2 days after the Court Hill Pet Palace is shut down in Ottumwa, Iowa - right outside Ottumwa more than 100 dogs are seized from a home!!!
Heartland Humane Society in Ottumwa has now taken in all the dogs from both seizures!! Here's their website again - I imagine that this small town rescue is going to need some big time help - their website is not the best designed, but
http://www.heartlandhumanesociety.org/
Here's the story about Friday's seizure :
http://www.ktvo.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=99485
More than one hundred dogs seized in Ottumwa
By Jill Kasparie
Posted: Friday, February 22, 2008 at 9:25 p.m.
OTTUMWA, IA. -- An anonymous call to the Wapello County sheriff's department has lead to the seizure of more than one hundred dogs and cats near Ottumwa.
Law enforcement pulled a total of 112 dogs and 14 cats out of a home just east of Ottumwa after a woman voluntarily released the animals to the sheriff's department. Officers wore full body suits to enter the house.
"It is the worse I've ever seen in my entire career. We're talking about two to three inches of feces on the floor," Ottumwa Police Officer Jeff Williams said.
"There are pet carriers inside the residence and looks to me [like] eight or nine dogs stuffed in there," Wapello County Sheriff Don Kirkendall said.
"[I] didn't see any food or water in there what-so-ever and the smell is just so overpowering, it's surreal," Officer Williams said.
Law enforcement took many of the dogs out of the house by the cage-full.
"We've got dozens upon dozens of dogs just running loose through the floor, the whole house," Officer Williams said.
Some of the dogs were very skinny, others had skin conditions and many had flees.
Sheriff Kirkendall said about three to five of the dogs have already been humanely euthanized due to their severe conditions.
For Heartland Humane Society Shelter Manager, Sandy Hudek, Friday's scene was all too familiar. Earlier in the week, 24 dogs were seized from an Ottumwa pet store on Iowa Avenue.
"It's amazing. I never thought I'd see, twice in one week, something like this in our city. This is just beyond words," Hudek said.
Humane Society workers are trying to find shelters for the dogs to stay in across Iowa because their shelters are full already. Hudek said most of the dogs won't stay in Ottumwa.
"What a horrible, horrible week this has been," Hudek said.
The owner of the animals declined to comment. Sheriff Kirkendall said charges against the woman are in the works.