It’s always sad to discover pets whose owners have recently died. Not only is the person’s death a tragedy, but to find their dog, cat or another kind of pet left alone is yet another gut punch. What about finding 82 dogs, however?
The shocked dog rescuers from the RSPCA recently found 82 Chihuahuas after the police called them to a dead dog owner’s home. Even after 18 years of experience at the RSPCA, the inspector was still stunned at the sight of so many tiny Chihuahuas crammed into a single house. It was something that she would always remember.
Inspector Boal said: “When I arrived at the property I found 82 dogs inside.
“They literally started appearing from everywhere. We would move the washing machine and suddenly there’d be six faces looking at you. It was incredible where they were able to hide.
“We called out a vet who said the house was too hazardous and the dogs couldn’t stay there, it was filthy and cramped. They were all hiding, barking and snapping at us.”
All 82 dogs were collected and transported safely to the RSPCA’s Newbrook Farm Animal Hospital in Birmingham, UK.
There, the staff worked tirelessly day and night to check them and provide treatment. A lot of the pups had matted coats and flea infestations.
After their separate investigation, the police force found out that the woman that owned the dogs had died after complications from an accident. In the meantime, the RSPCA worked with the widower to renovate and clean the property. After all their hard work, 4 of the 82 dogs were returned to the widower where they settled back down.
Inspector Boal continued: “Two of the dogs that went back had serious behavioural issues and were extremely aggressive and unhappy.
“We were seriously considering our options with them because they were completely unhandleable, but when we returned them to him they were like different dogs and were so much happier.
“This was a really sad case but it was also a really memorable one for me due to the sheer number of dogs involved.
“I really hope we can use this story to make it clear why it’s so important to neuter your pets not only to avoid unwanted litters but also to avoid inbreeding which can result in serious health and behaviour problems in puppies.”
