Arizona Humane Society rescues 14 dogs left inside VRBO rental home
More than a dozen dogs were rescued from an Arizona rental home on Sept. 5, and now they need foster families while they are on the road to being adopted.
What they're saying:
"Matted, emaciated and covered in feces, more than a dozen dogs were rescued from a VRBO rental property by Arizona Humane Society Cruelty Investigators earlier this month. The surviving dogs are at varying stages of recovery, and the organization is seeking Foster Heroes to care for them on their road to adoption," the Arizona Humane Society (AHS) said.
The backstory:
AHS said investigators got word about several dogs being left behind at a VRBO rental in an undisclosed city after their owner checked out. Fourteen dogs, described as sick and matted, were found living in "horrific" conditions. Three puppies were found dead inside a freezer.
"The 14 dogs were rushed to the Arizona Humane Society’s Lazin Animal Foundation Trauma Hospital, where veterinarians found them malnourished and matted with urine and feces. All needed immediate medical attention," AHS said. "Two were in irreversible organ failure and humanely euthanized to prevent further suffering. The 12 surviving dogs range in age from 3 months to 5 years, with about half of the pups already recovering in Foster Hero homes and six more that will need fosters once they are medically cleared."
Dig deeper:
This case highlights more than a dozen active hoarding cases that the Arizona Humane Society's Animal Rescue and Cruelty Team is investigating. The team has rescued almost 300 pets from similar conditions in the last couple of weeks.
"The team responds to an average of 20 hoarding cases a month, defined as 10 or more pets in one home," AHS said. "The continued surge strains resources and capacity at the state's largest animal welfare organization, underscoring the need for community support for homeless pets with nowhere else to turn."
Resources:
Below are resources to help you keep your pet, learn more about fostering, and if you need to report cruelty to an animal.
- Click here for resources to keep your pet.
- Click here if you want to learn more about fostering.
- Click here if you need to report animal cruelty.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Arizona Humane Society Cruelty Investigators; Arizona Humane Society's Lazin Animal Foundation Trauma Hospital; and the Arizona Humane Society Animal Rescue and Cruelty Team.