HENRY COUNTY, KY (WAVE) - Crews continue to clean and care for more than 200 animals after they were rescued for deplorable conditions inside a Henry County, Kentucky mobile home.
The rescue took several hours at 25 Allyson Lane in Campbellsburg, Kentucky. The two people who lived in the home are on the run; a third person is facing several charges.
Since the story first aired, there has been an outpouring of community support for the animals that were found living in feces-lined cages and inside a mobile home with walls and the floor covered in feces. It's the images of the pets after the rescue that have people suffering.
"Seeing all of this just breaks my heart. I don't understand why a human can do this to a dog I mean our pets are like our kids, like our family," said animal lover and volunteer Darlene Hedges.
The 200 animals rescued include more than just dogs. Officials say they rescued:
- 115 dogs
- 20+ cats
- 4 horses
- 54 rabbits
- 8 guinea pigs
- 1 wolf
- 1 screeching owl
- 4 geese
- 2 gerbils
- 3 birds
- numerous painted hermit crabs
After they were rescued, crews immediately went to work cleaning the animals and medicating the ones that needed medical attention.
"We're seeing a lot of matting and their feet are just completely raw from standing in their own excrement," said Blaire McDaniel with Shaggy Dog cleaners.
McDaniel and her husband are part of a zoo of volunteers; while they wash animals, postal worker Sharon Hedges has been collecting items for the shelter.
"If it's blankets, whatever you have, I will come to your home and pick it up," Hedges told WAVE 3.
They've come to the aide of the Henry County Animal Care and Control Staff, which is just made up of one full-time and two part-time employees.
Director Dan Flinkfelt's been up more than 24 hours, taking calls and taking care of all these newly-rescued animals.
"I'm getting calls from California with a donation. It's made national news," Flinkfelt explained.
One dog has died; it was dead in its cage when crews arrived.
"It had four other dogs with it and they're just stepping on it like it's not even there. We've seen animals come in with fur just literally matted and ripping apart from its chest," Flinkfelt said.
But despite the look of shock in the animal's tired eyes, the good news is all the animals are expected to make it.
Officials say they need more supplies and help. Henry County Animal Care and Control says it's already spent about $5,000 and is in need of monetary donations and items like animal food and cleaning supplies.
Officials say Terri and Ken Smith lived at the home. They're on the run, and are facing several charges, including federal charges for some of the exotic animals. A third unidentified woman living inside the mobile home will also face charges.
None of the animals are up for adoption to the public until this case goes to court. Officials are fostering the animals out in the meantime to select people.
For more information, you can call the Henry County Animal Care and Control at 502-845-8050.
Copyright 2011 WAVE News. All rights reserved.
Darlene Hedges
Blaire McDaniel
Sharon Hedges
Dan Finkfelt
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