The Humane Society of Missouri’s Animal Cruelty Task Force, one of the USA’s largest animal-rescue and disaster-response teams, rescued 22 dogs, including several pups ranging in age from five days to six months old, from Coonies Coonhounds, an unlicensed breeder in Gasconade County, Missouri, on Thursday.
The emergency rescue was prompted by concern from the Gasconade County Sheriff’s Office. The task force removed the dogs under a warrant. The dogs, mostly large-breed Coonhound mixes, were transported to the Humane Society of Missouri’s Macklind headquarters in St Louis for health evaluations and emergency veterinary treatment.
The sheriff had also seen a dead puppy on the property prior to execution of the warrant, but the remains were removed before the operation took place.
The team had rescued one dog from the same property earlier in the week. The dog had a Body Condition Score of 1 on a scale of 1 to 9, with 1 being the lowest. Suffering from an ear infection and wounds both old and new, the dog is severely underweight due to neglect and malnutrition.
All the dogs recovered on Thursday are also malnourished and experiencing a range of conditions from wounds to respiratory issues. “These dogs lived in horrific conditions, and had we not intervened, many more may not have survived,” Humane Society of Missouri President Kathy Warnick said.
“We are grateful for the alert actions of the Gasconade County sheriff and their assistance in helping us rescue these animals from such a dangerous and heart-breaking situation,” Warnick continued. “Now that they are safe, community support is critical to ensure these dogs receive the care and treatment they deserve and a new chance for a better life with a loving family.”
A date for a disposition hearing to determine whether the Humane Society of Missouri will assume legal custody of the dogs is scheduled to take place on June 10. If awarded custody, the society will make the dogs available for adoption after they get a clean bill of health from its veterinarians and are evaluated by its animal behaviour team.
As the animals recover medically and behaviourally, they will be made available for adoption on a case-by-case basis. There is no timeline for when the dogs will be ready for their forever homes, but interested adopters can check the Humane Society of Missouri website to see when they become available. Donations to help support the care of these animals can be made on the society’s website at hsmo.org/rescues.
The society is also asking the public for assistance through donations of blankets, newspapers, dog toys, dog beds, or anything else that can make these animals’ recovery more comfortable. Needed items also are available to purchase directly from Amazon on the society’s wish list.
The Humane Society of Missouri’s Animal Cruelty Task Force is one of the largest animal rescue/disaster response teams in the USA. For more than 40 years, it has worked with state, local, and city law enforcement officers to investigate and help prosecute animal abusers. The society’s animal cruelty investigators understand the nuances of animal abuse law and the criminal justice process for documenting and filing evidence and work directly with sheriff’s offices, police departments, and prosecuting attorneys to help ensure animal cases are handled in an expedient and professional manner. Humane Society of Missouri investigators also provide expert testimony in legal cases and before legislative bodies and provide consultation and training workshops for law enforcement, state agencies and local animal care and control workers.
Source: PR Newswire
Note: The Snout encourages its readers to adopt street animals and rescued animals. Street dogs, for instance, are hardier and just as intelligent as pedigree dogs. Rescued animals deserve a second chance at a better life. Besides, the trade in pets acts as an incentive for criminal elements to try and make a quick buck by skirting legal provisions for breeders.
