40 Dogs Rescued From Home In Lakewood, NJ
LAKEWOOD, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) - An animal rescue group is treating 40 dogs that it found in an abandoned home in New Jersey.
The home now boarded up home is on Spruce Street in Lakewood. The animals are being taken care of at various shelters.
The rescue group Husky House said in a Facebook post the dogs were bathed and shaved "to help get rid of their terrible matting."
The group says some of the dogs were found living in the walls.
New Jersey's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was notified Thursday, and rescued 30 dogs.
A spokesman said that a local Lakewood Animal Control Officer had taken 10 of the dogs out during the week.
The situation was so bad that responders had to wear Hazmat suits, CBS2's Christine Sloan reported.
"When they opened the door you got a whiff of it, before you came to the doors. The whole block smelled," John Bergmann, Popcorn Park Zoo, explained, "Furniture was covered in feces. The dogs themselves were covered in feces."
The owners of the home have not been found, but neighbors said a woman lived in the house up until the rescue.
"I would hear barking. I would wake up, 4 in the morning," Solomon Grunberger said.
"I questioned her about it. I said, 'what do you have five or six dogs in the house?' She said, 'more than that,' I said, 'maybe 10,' she said, 'something like that,'" Tom Carruba recalled, "She spent a lot of time in her car. She had a couple of the dogs in the car with her."
The state SPCA was investigating Friday, and would not release the woman's name.
The dogs appear to be physically fine, even after fending for themselves in terrible conditions.
"The dogs actually scratched and chewed through walls to get from one room to another," Bergmann said.
Anyone interested in making a donation to help the animals can click here or here.
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