HSMO’s Animal Cruelty Task Force Transports 29 Dogs Rescued from Cass County Property

On Dec. 27, 2022, the Humane Society of Missouri’s (HSMO) Animal Cruelty Task Force (ACT) transported 29 dogs of varying ages and breeds from Cass County to HSMO’s St. Louis headquarters. The dogs being transported were initially rescued from a property in Pleasant Hill, MO.

Harrisonville and Raymore Animal Control recovered the dogs, acting on a warrant executed by the Cass County Sherriff’s Office during last week’s extreme winter weather. The dogs were temporarily kept at a local shelter from Dec. 22 until the morning of Dec. 27, when members of HSMO’s Animal Cruelty Task Force transported them to its St. Louis Headquarters at the request of the Cass County Sheriff. As a larger shelter, HSMO has the resources needed to support the rehabilitation of these rescued animals.

“While our ACT team was not on-site for the rescue, from the news and images we’ve seen of these animals and the property they were kept on, it was clear this was not a safe, healthy environment for these dogs. We’re grateful for the efforts of Cass County law enforcement and the concerned citizens who advocated for the rescue of these animals,” said HSMO President Kathy Warnick. “Now that the dogs are in our care and keeping, we can focus on supporting their recovery.”

The rescued dogs include German Shepherds and various other large mixed breeds. A disposition hearing for this case is currently scheduled for Jan. 12 in Cass County. At this hearing, HSMO hopes to be granted full formal custody of the rescued animals. If granted custody, HSMO expects to make these animals available for adoption once they have recuperated.

To help support the care of these animals, please visit hsmo.org/cass.