21 dogs die, dozens of others rescued from squalid conditions at Lake Los Angeles home
LAKE LOS ANGELES, Calif. (KABC) -- Animal control rescued dozens of dogs from a home in Lake Los Angeles over the weekend. Many of the dogs were sick and nearly two dozen died shortly after their rescue.
Around 60 puppies and dogs were discovered starving, sick and living in squalid conditions in a home.
Twenty-one puppies either died or were in such bad shape they had to be euthanized. Dozens of other dogs are either being cared for at shelters or remain at the home.
"Some of them are emaciated. Some of them had recent litters of puppies, so they are very emaciated," registered veterinarian technician Kathy Schroeder said.
Schroeder says the owner of the property housing the dogs was basically overrun with the animals when a nearby neighbor's house caught fire. They left the property, leaving the animals behind. She says those animals wandered onto the nearby property.
"They all have names and they love the woman on the property," Schroeder said. "She kinda got overwhelmed with dogs being dumped on her."
The problem now is where will all the dogs go? Shelters across Los Angeles County have little to no room as it is.
"They are bursting at the seams," said Teri Austin, president of the Amanda Foundation.
Austin says the county is in the midst of a crisis.
"There are cages in the hall. They are out of cage space," Austin said. "They have temporary cages in the hallways, just to house the number of animals they have. I have never seen it like this."
Linda Blair, who runs the Linda Blair Worldheart Foundation, has been calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom for months to allocate more money to shelters to alleviate some of the pressure.
In the meantime, Austin says the city needs to crack down on illegal breeders, shelters need to be fully staffed and everyone out there can help.
"Spay and neuter your pets. We have so many unwanted puppies and kittens," Austin said. "The harsh reality is that some of those animals are going to be euthanized, and they are healthy and young, but there just aren't enough homes."
If you'd like to help or are interested in adopting, here are resources available:
- Linda Blair Worldheart Foundation
