47 Dogs Rescued From Mercer Co. Home, 10 Dead Dogs Also Found
PULASKI, Pa. (KDKA) -- More than 50 dogs, some dead, were found in a Mercer County home Friday.
Humane police officer Courtney Ivan says they were called to do a welfare check Thursday at a home on Grange Road in Pulaski.
Officers tried to get into the home Thursday then returned Friday with a search warrant.
When they got into the house, they found a total of 57 dogs. Ten of those 57 dogs were dead.
Ivan says none of the living dogs were emaciated and several of them were pregnant.
About 14 dogs were in crates. The rest were running free throughout the house.
Humane officers did have to use hazmat suits inside the home due to the large amount of feces.
"In 15 years of EMS -- I'm a paramedic during the day -- and five years of the Humane Society, it's absolutely the worst residence that I've ever been in," Ivan said.
Dr. Tammy Clark of the Greenville Veterinary Clinic told KDKA, "Just the conditions these animals were obviously living in. Excessive matting, some of them had dreadlocks hanging off of them were 6 to 8 inches in length because of the filth that they were living in."
Humane Society Police Officer Wendy Salcedo said, "Some of them will go to rescue. Some of them will hopefully go to be adopted out."
But first, nearly all of the 47 dogs that were rescued need some kind of medical treatment.
"They're going to need a lot of socialization," added Clark. "These animals were not being handled. They're all very fearful. They didn't have a lot of human contact. I don't think most of them have seen the outside."
The woman who owned the dogs will be charged on Monday with 94 misdemeanor counts and 10 felonies.
Anyone who is interested in the dogs can contact the Humane Society through their Facebook page here: facebook.com/HumaneSocietyofMercerCounty
One person, who has not been identified, is facing multiple felony charges.
