Rescuer Saves 86 Animals From Northwest Side House
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Chicago man says he found no food or water, and animal waste everywhere, when he rescued dozens of pets from a Northwest Side house Thursday.
As CBS 2's Pamela Jones reports, the 10 chickens Larry Hammond found in the house were just the beginning of the problem. There were also 50 parakeets, and three macaws.
"The macaws, when I walked in, were on top of their cage. There was dog poo everywhere. There was bird poo everywhere. Nobody had food or water in their bowls," said Hammond, who owns the doggie daycare and animal rescue business Playful Pets at 3609 N. Ravenswood Ave.
There were also three dogs, a cat who Hammond named Rascal, and those 10 chickens. All were allegedly living in one home on North Lawndale Avenue.
Hammond says he took the 86 pets from the house on Thursday, after being notified they were allegedly being abused.
Hammond says if they could explain, many of the animals could tell a story of neglect.
Upon walking into the house, Hammond said his first thought was: "Why would anybody have that many animals – first of all, birds? They're not easy."
Hammond says he has found homes for all the animals but two – an older Westie dog, and the cat named Rascal.
Hammond said he knew he had to save the animals.
"My gut instinct was to get the animals out, and that's really all I was thinking about," he said.
Hammond has been rescuing animals for 10 years now. He hopes someone will adopt the dog and cat he saved soon.
To learn more about Larry Hammond and Playful Pets, click here.
