Our Animal Rescue Team is on the ground in Kansas right now, assisting the Kingman County Sheriff’s Office with the rescue of approximately 30 dogs, two cats, a horse and two burros from an alleged cruelty situation. The sheriff’s office sought our assistance after concerns surfaced about the welfare of the animals on this property.
Our staff on site reported this morning that there are animals everywhere: some were running around outdoors on the 56-acre property, several more were living in makeshift pens, and some were locked inside rooms in the house when our team members arrived.
The dogs, most of them herding breeds, appear to be suffering from varying degrees of neglect. Some are very thin and appear to be suffering from skin conditions and flea infestations. Several were missing large amounts of fur, with irritated, flaky skin.
The dogs living outside crawled under campers parked on the property in an apparent effort to find shade.
Inside the house there is an overbearing stench of urine. The environment is filthy with urine stains on the walls, the flooring has been ripped out in places, and clutter is piled up everywhere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W62vEi56c9k&t=13s
Despite their poor conditions, most of the animals seem friendly and happy to see their rescuers. One of the dogs is thin, covered in gnats, and has irritated skin with some missing fur, but she came right up to our responders when they arrived, eager for attention. The burros, curious about the goings-on, followed staff members around, and one of them eagerly sought forehead rubs.
Our Animal Rescue Team frequently responds to requests from local law enforcement agencies to help rescue animals from situations of animal cruelty and neglect. All too often, the size and scope of the cases at issue are beyond the capacity of local humane societies and law enforcement agencies to handle. That’s where we come in. We have years of experience doing this sort of work, and we are able to respond quickly and with the necessary resources to these dire situations because of you, our supporters. And our skilled staff, dedicated volunteers, and terrific shelter and rescue partners who are willing to take in animals make these vital rescues successful.
In Kansas, we’re now helping law enforcement officials to assess the condition of the animals, and to see that they are transported to a safe, undisclosed location for additional care and attention as needed. These animals’ days of suffering are finally behind them, and they’re going to receive a whole lot of TLC in the weeks ahead.
We’ll keep you updated on their progress.
