Nearly 300 dogs rescued from an intense hoarding situation at a home in Eatontown, New Jersey, have reportedly begun their recovery process.
Authorities investigated the home Friday; expecting to find about 80 small dogs inside, they instead ended up finding 276.
Several of the dogs rescued – which include Chihuahuas, Yorkshire terriers and pugs -- have since given birth to puppies.
276 dogs rescued from a single New Jersey home after hoarding nightmare ? by @glowgow https://t.co/YXDsdjA4cA pic.twitter.com/91I43Urly2
— Huffington Post (@HuffingtonPost) June 7, 2016
Now, volunteers are coming together at the Monmouth County SPCA to foster some of the animals prior to adoptions.
An interesting part of the case is that most of the animals appear to be in fair condition, despite the deplorable conditions inside the house.
When officials went inside, they found large amounts of feces and urine, they said. There were even some dogs inside the walls, according to The Huffington Post.
But the problems go deeper than that.
“The biggest problem is that they're shocked,” Monmouth County SPCA Police Chief Ross Licitra told local outlet News 12. “They've never had any contact with humans or ever been out of their house before. They've never been walked on a leash."
Currently the SPCA is seeking monetary donations to help with veterinary costs, as well as volunteer dog groomers.
As for the homeowners, they claim they simply lost control – they had eight dogs about three years ago, and it just escalated from there, they said.
“We’re not bad people,” Joseph Hendricks, one of the homeowners, told reporters outside his house. He lived in the house with Charlene Hendricks.
Despite that conviction, officials say the couple will be charged.
