LEWISTON, Idaho — A day means a new chance of finding loving homes for 25 Great Danes rescued in Lewiston.
“The dogs actually were in decent spirits inside the garage," Idaho’s Animal Rescue Network’s spokesperson Nick Woods said.
In decent spirits, despite the unsanitary conditions they were living in.
"The garage -- there are pictures -- was covered in feces, the ammonia smell in just the garage was almost unbearable,” Woods said.
On July 22, the Nez Perce County Sheriff’s Office responded to a neighborhood complaint.
“They met with the owner of the dogs at that time and gave her some time to get things cleaned out and get things taken care of,” Nez Perce County Sheriff Bryce Scrimscher said.
After the second follow up, things did not change. That’s when 13 dogs were removed from the garage and surrendered by the owner.
"She understood that 25 Great Danes were a lot for her to take care of. She wanted to reassure us that she loved them, they were her family and that she wasn't just abusing them,” Woods said.
The Nez Perce County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant on August 3 for the remaining 12 dogs in the home.
"The house conditions were worse than the garage. The house did not have any ventilation, opened windows and the ammonia smell was pretty drastic,” Woods said.
Authorities say the owner of the property was charged and is now expected to go to court.
"It falls under the code of cruelty to animals and so that's what she was eventually charged with 12 counts of cruelty to animals,” Scrimscher said.
The dogs were examined by local veterinarians before being sent to local shelters, including Lake Lowell Animal Rescue based in Nampa.
"The dogs were divided. Any dogs that showed aggressive tendencies were taken to the shelter. The non-aggressive dogs were taken to fur family cinema which is a local business that works with the rescue anytime we need it. The goal is to get the animals into specialized rescues or fosters. That way they get independent care that they need, said Woods.
For updates on the dog’s adoption journeys visit the Idaho Animal rescue Network’s Facebook page. They are also accepting donations for kennels, vet care, food and other necessary equipment on their Facebook page.
If you suspect animal hoarding in your neighborhood, Scrimsher suggests calling the local sheriff's office.
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