On July 22, the Licking County Humane Society carried out the biggest rescue in its history, saving 80 dogs from a condemned home in Ohio. The rescue operation took several hours to complete, according to Elycia Taylor, the program and communications director at the humane society, who communicated the news via email to PEOPLE. One person was living in the house, which was in a terrible state due to the large number of dogs living in unsanitary conditions.
The humane society was alerted to the situation by a probation officer who visited the home after an individual had removed their court-ordered ankle monitor. After discovering the number of dogs and the poor living conditions, the officer immediately contacted the local dog warden, who turned the case over to the humane society due to neglect.
Lori Carlson, the executive director of the Licking County Humane Society, explained that they initially expected to rescue around 30 dogs and carry out the operation in about an hour. However, it took five hours to search the entire home and locate all of the dogs, which ranged in age from a few weeks old to fully grown. Most of the dogs had fleas, while others had skin infections.
The humane society will provide shelter, food, water, and medical attention to the dogs until they are adopted. They will also vaccinate the dogs, perform spay/neuter surgery, implant microchips, and offer complete behavior assessment and training for the puppies.
Elycia Taylor revealed that the dogs are doing well and getting to know the staff at the agency. Veterinary intake exams, including first-round vaccinations, flea treatments, and microchipping, have been completed for all 80 dogs. Some of the dogs, including five nursing moms with young puppies, are now in the care of foster families. While some of the dogs will be ready for adoption in the next few days, others will remain with the humane society until more complex medical issues, such as skin lacerations, dental disease, and eye problems, are treated.