- Ninety-seven dogs and a tortoise were rescued from a Salt Lake City home.
- Salt Lake County Animal Services and the Humane Society provided medical care.
- The younger dogs will be available for adoption in two to six weeks, and the adult dogs will be available sooner.
SALT LAKE CITY — Ninety-seven small dogs and a single tortoise are now safe after being rescued from a hoarding situation over the weekend, thanks to a concerned neighbor and swift action from Salt Lake County Animal Services, the Humane Society of Utah and several foster placements.
"We had foster step up right away, able to take in some of the younger ones that should not be in a shelter environment, dogs that still are growing and need that support," said Ashley Bales, with Salt Lake County Animal Services.
A shocking discovery
On Saturday, a neighbor called Salt Lake County Animal Services to report concerns about the number of dogs and their living conditions at a home near 200 B. Street.
"A neighbor called in, concerned about the conditions and the number of animals. And then from there, our officers assessed it and were able to help taking the animals into our facility," Bales said.
What officers found was heartbreaking: 97 Chihuahua-type dogs living in cramped, unsanitary conditions — many covered in urine and feces. One tortoise was also found among them.
"As far as their living condition, you know, one can assume a home is not suitable for 97 dogs," Bales said.
The owner voluntarily surrendered all the animals. While no arrest has been made, the case remains under investigation and could still result in citations or charges.
"So if you see something, say something. Our officers will come and assess it. We can't know everything that's going on unless the community tells us," Bales said.
Medical care and new beginnings
The dogs were brought into the county shelter on Saturday. Since then, staff have been working around the clock to provide medical care and emotional support.
"We bring them in, they get vaccines and they all get their own identity here within our facility. And then from there, it's monitoring them and seeing how they are. And getting them ready for adoption," Bales explained.
On Sunday morning, Salt Lake County Animal Services requested assistance from the Humane Society of Utah.
The Humane Society responded by providing 100 DHPP vaccines, pee pads and other supplies, and then transported 36 dogs from the county shelter to prevent overcrowding, 27 of which came from Saturday's hoarding case.
Despite the conditions the dogs were found in, the dogs are in better health than expected, according to Bales.
According to Guinnevere Shuster, director of marketing and communication for the Humane Society of Utah, 26 of the 27 dogs will need to be spayed or neutered, and a few require dental procedures, which are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.
Adoption timeline
Shuster said the dogs in the care of the Humane Society will be placed in foster homes until they are old enough for adoption in four to six weeks. But dogs from the case who are not going into foster homes are expected to be available for adoption within two to three days.
"Bringing in 97 animals makes it a little bit louder. You know, requires more staff, cleanliness and stuff like that. So anyone looking to adopt, please come in," Bales said.
Salt Lake County Animal Services expects the animals to be available within the next week or two. Updates will be posted on its social media pages.
For those interested in adopting, the Humane Society encourages the public to monitor its website, which updates every 30 minutes.
