courtesy Those Left Behind
Many malnourished dogs were found in this residence covered in feces, according to the nonprofit group Those Left Behind.
Friday, Sept. 5, 2014 | 10:20 p.m.
A local animal foundation says it removed 24 dogs from an unfit home Thursday afternoon in the northeast valley.
Rae Erickson, founder of nonprofit organization Those Left Behind, said volunteers from the foundation rounded up the dogs, mostly Chihuahuas and Chihuahua mixes, after receiving a phone call from a concerned neighbor.
“There are scrapes, cuts, extremely long toenails, malnutrition, dehydration,” Erickson said.
The dogs were found in a small residence covered in feces, where bags of food were sliced open and left out rather than being equally distributed, according to Erickson. She said that as a result, the animals, which range in age from about 3 to 11 years old, had to fight for nourishment.
Two puppies were also part of the group.
“They're doing OK,” Erickson said. “Several are extremely frightened, several are extremely thin.”
Of the two dozen dogs, four had been spayed or neutered, according to Erickson.
The dogs are being cared for by West Charleston Animal Hospital. One dog, estimated to be about 11 years old, has been euthanized due to a heart murmur, fluid near the heart and overall neglect, according to Those Left Behind’s Facebook page.
The foundation, which normally handles eight to 14 dogs at a time, decided to take in the animals after being told the neighbor had contacted other organizations without success.
“We're a small rescue,” she said. “She contacted a lot of rescues, she contacted all of the big ones in town, and none of them could take them.”
Family of the dogs' owner authorized the foundation to remove the animals.
Erickson said the organization relies entirely upon 30 to 40 volunteers to fulfill its mission, and it expects to pay hundreds of dollars in care for each dog. Because of that, it is seeking help from the community to care for the animals.
“We're just desperately in need of foster homes, donations, adoptive parents,” she said.
Donations can be made to the organization directly or to the West Charleston Animal Hospital.
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