A total of 35 animal were rescued from dangerous conditions at a Henderson County residence.
The Animal Rescue Corps (ARC) and the Henderson County Sheriff’s office made the rescue Wednesday.
Most of the animals were found contained in two separate residences on the property both of which had dangerously high levels of ammonia inside the structures; some animals were also found running loose and in feces-strewn kennels around the property.
The partial remains of one dead dog was visible in a kennel with live animals.
The Rescue Corps was notified of the situation through a tip from a partner organization Redemption Road Rescue.
The organization had removed a horse from the property after the horse sustained injuries from an attack by the dogs.
The sheriff's office issued a search warrant and they along with rescuers found 20 adult Rottweilers, seven Rottweiler puppies, several small breed dogs, a cat and three birds.
Rescuers said the number of the animals were exhibiting obvious signs of distress, and all the animals were deemed by a veterinarian and law enforcement to be living in inadequate and unsafe conditions in violation of Tennessee state law.
“We take animal abuse very seriously in Henderson County and we will do everything we can to ensure animals are cared for in the appropriate way.” Said Investigator Danny Crownover of the Henderson County Sheriff’s Department. “We are grateful to have the help of Animal Rescue Corps on cases like this involving a large number of animals.”
Each dog from this rescue, dubbed Operation Mayday, will receive a thorough veterinary exam, appropriate vaccinations, and any necessary medical treatment. ARC will provide daily care, until legal ownership is determined and then each will be placed with ARC’s partner shelter and rescue organizations who will ultimately adopt them into permanent loving homes. For people wishing to foster or adopt, ARC will publish its list of shelter and rescue placement partners on its Facebook page once the dogs are transferred to these groups.
