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Michigan Humane Society, DPD rescue 19 dogs from Detroit home

Posted at 12:53 PM, Jul 18, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-18 18:19:28-04

The Michigan Humane Society and the Detroit Police Department raided a home on Detroit's east side and rescued 19 dogs on Tuesday.

The dogs were living in filth, and some were without food or water.

"There were multiple dogs tied up on the outside in their own feces," said Andy Seltz, of the Michigan Humane Society. "Mud, many had fly strikes, open wounds, (and were) underweight."

After receiving a phone call from a concerned citizen, authorities removed five animals from the outside of the property and an additional 14 from inside the home.

A search warrant was issued for the property after MHS investigators found unsanitary conditions and multiple animals with health problems.

Officials say some dogs were in cages outside while others were in cages in the basement, full of feces, urine, with no air circulation.

"Absolute heartbreak that animals like these that don't have a voice were kept in conditions such as this (and) could not escape on their own free will," Seltz said.

The dogs are estimated to be between 1 and 5 years old. 

Those dogs are now being cared for at the Mackey Center for Animal Care in Detroit. 

Investigators say they believe the dogs' owner had good intentions but didn't have the resources to care for them properly. The dogs' owner did turn them over to the humane society, and he could face criminal charges. 

"He was definitely remorseful," Seltz said. "It took the intervention for him to understand the gravity of the situation."

MHS says some of the dogs may not have survived much longer had they not been rescued.

At this time, all of the dogs are in the care of MHS, where they are receiving medical attention.

The Michigan Humane Society has 900 animals in its care, which is stressing out its sheltering system. Now, having 19 ore in need of special attention underscores the need for people to adopt and foster. 

The humane society added that they'll post on social media when they're ready to be adopted.