Officials in Clark County Ohio rescued 349 dogs last week ... from an animal rescue organization.
On February 22, officials with the Clark County Humane Society and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty for Animals (ASPCA), with the backing of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), conducted a raid on One More Chance Rescue and Adoption, an organization owned and operated by Jeff Burgess, 56 of Piqua, Ohio. The facility was located at 8393 Lower Valley Pike in Bethel Township
There they found 76 dead and 349 surviving dogs living in a state of neglect amongst garbage and feces inside rat-infested hog barns. The rescue website says they have "over 150 dogs and puppies at our facility."
“The conditions these animals lived in were deplorable,” said James Staley, the executive director of the Clark County Humane Society, in a press release. “These dogs were forced to live in their own waste, alongside rats and other vermin. Add to that the stress of coping in a crowded and poorly ventilated environment, and you have animals whose overall health is severely compromised.”
This is the second raid this month on facilities owned by Burges. A hundred dogs were confiscated earlier this month, and several criminal charges, including animal cruelty charges, were filed in that case.
“This is an example of a ‘no-kill’ situation that spiraled out of control,” said Kyle Held, the ASPCA’s Midwest director of Field Investigations and Response in a press release. “The shelter operator intended to save animals at risk of euthanasia, but did not have the resources or capacity to provide adequately for these animals. Many of the dogs discovered on the property are in critical condition and in varying stages of illness; our immediate goal is to transfer them to a safe place where they will receive the care and treatment they so desperately need.”
The dogs were seized by the Clark County Humane Society and are being transferred to an emergency shelter at an undisclosed location in Franklin County, where they will be triaged by veterinarians from various groups including Ohio State University.
"These dogs are facing a very stressful transition in their lives, they've gone from communal living to a very structured environment as we separate them into kennels," said Gail A'Brunzo IFAW Emergency Relief Officer. "The good news is that they're getting plenty of food and water and a warm and clean place to live in. From now on, their lives will only get better."
To support the Clark County Humane Society for the ongoing care of these rescued animals, please contact Security National Bank to donate funds, or drop off clean blankets and towels at the Second Harvest Food Bank, located at 701 East Columbia Street in Springfield, Ohio.
You can find a list of rescue groups on the Rochester, NY area on my blog, BarkAroundTown.com
Read the press releases:
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