LEXINGTON, Tenn. (WTVF) — More than 50 dogs were rescued from a Lexington home off N. Helm St. on Sept. 22 police said.
An officer with the Lexington Police Dept. said they received a call requesting a wellness check on a home that appeared to be abandoned.
When dispatch went to the house on Sept. 20, the officer said there was a 'foul odor' coming from inside and while the property appeared vacant, they could see a group of animals inside.
A national nonprofit animal protection organization, Animal Rescue Corps (ARC) then received a tip from the Lexington Police Department that resulted in the rescue effort they coined "Operation Breathless" due to excessively high ammonia levels inside the home, according to ARC.
“In addition to the presence of ammonia, we found inches of feces covering some of the floors and some dogs hiding in kitchen cabinets,” Woodward said. “During our initial examinations, we’ve already documented cases of eye and skin infections, parasites, blindness, corneal ulcers, pregnancy, fur loss, overgrown nails, dental disease, and mastitis. Many of these health risks are often directly caused by the toxic environment and neglect," said Animal Rescue Corps' Executive Director Tim Woodward.
The Lexington Police Dept. said it is currently compiling information for this case, with the intention of submitting it to the District Attorney's Office to file charges against the property owners.
"Our first priority was to rescue the animals and get them the medical attention they needed," the officer told NewsChannel 5. "We couldn't have done it without the Animal Rescue Corps...I have nothing but great things to say about them."
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