CLEVELAND, OHIO - Just about 200 dogs and cats are safe now after being rescued from conditions investigators call “filthy” and a Cleveland rescue group is stepping in to help find them loving homes.
The video from The Humane Society of the United States showed an animal rescue team arriving to a rural property in Adams County on December 9. Investigators said they discovered 166 animals, 148 dogs and 18 cats, living in squalor.
The Humane Society of the United States said some were grossly underweight and in need of medical attention, while others suffered from broken bones and other severe infections. Investigators said the animals were fed deer carcasses, and literally hundreds of carcasses were found on the property.
“It really does break your heart,” said Amy Beichler, Executive Director of Cleveland-based Public Animal Welfare Society of Ohio (PAWS). The organization picked up four of the dogs on Friday and placed them in foster homes. It had previously placed some 8 others.
The owners, George Brock and Kitty Meyers, are now facing criminal charges. They told investigators that they ran a rescue, Sugar Bear Dog and Cat Rescue, for two decades but other people just started dumping animals and it got out of control. The local dog warden began to investigate.
“It’s a tough situation when you have that many for two people full time,” Brock said.
Assistant Adams County Prosecutor Dana Whalen said Brock and Meyers surrendered most of the animals, not all. The Humane Society was providing treatment at an emergency shelter to these animals, which were then put up for adoption through various placement partners.
“I had heard especially about this little girl who had been passed over, because of her age and cataracts and neurological problems,” said Sheila Heyman, who adopted one of the dogs. “No dog should be passed over.”
Whalen said she anticipates filing second degree misdemeanor charges against Meyer and Brock within the next two weeks or so, and they’ll face up to 90 days in jail for each charge.
“I don’t understand why people don’t see what’s going on around them and ask for help,” Beichler said.
About a dozen of the rescued animals are still in need of a foster home, according to Beichler. If you’re interested and able to fostering an animal with special needs, contact PAWS Ohio’s hotline at 440-442-7297.