28 Dogs Rescued from Unimaginable Neglect and Near Death

On Saturday, June 29, our Animal Cruelty Task Force (ACT) conducted an emergency rescue to save 28 dogs from horrific conditions in a North St. Louis County home. A neighbor called the ACT (Animal Cruelty Task Force) hotline after hearing cries from inside the unoccupied house. With the help of law enforcement, we rushed to respond to this call. When our ACT team arrived they were overwhelmed with what they found.

• The house had no electricity, and the temperature inside soared above 95 degrees.
• Most of the dogs were kept in small crates, had no access to food or water, and were covered in urine and feces.
• Some of them were so weak they could barely lift their heads.
• And, unfortunately, our team found the remains of two dogs that had already succumbed to this horrific neglect.

“The smell of feces and urine, along with the recently deceased dogs was overwhelming,” said Ella Frank, Director of the Animal Cruelty Task Force, who led the rescue. “The air was absolutely stifling.”

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The 28 dogs were rushed to our headquarters for emergency medical evaluations and treatment. They received immediate care as all of them are severely emaciated and frail, due to starvation, dehydration and overheating. Most of the dogs have a Body Condition Score (BCS) of 1 or 2 on a scale of 1 to 9, and will require extensive medical attention. While an investigation is ongoing, no information about charges against the owner or whether a court will grant custody to HSMO is available at this time.

We remain committed to responding to all calls of animal abuse and neglect in St. Louis and throughout the state of Missouri. It is our mission to accept all animals that arrive at our doors. Our goal is to give all animals – like these 28 sweet dogs – a second chance at happy, healthy lives. These dogs would not have survived without the immediate action by our team, and they deserve the chance to recover and be adopted into loving homes. But we cannot do it alone. Can we count on you to support these dogs through their long recovery?

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