Union City officials ended up rescuing 31 dogs, 3 cats and two cages of birds in an apartment after responding to a water main break earlier this evening.Â
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“The conditions were horrible, this was a hoarding apartment, two-bedroom apartment: no bed, no stove, no sink, everything was piled on top of each other, the poor dogs were running around all over the place,” said Union City Animal Cruelty Investigator Geoff Santini.
“They were fully matted, eye infections, we’re gonna take ’em to the vet and get them checked: I believe we’re up to 31 dogs,” adding that the home also had 3 felines and two cages of birds – likely parrots.
Santini also said it was too early to tell in animal cruelty charges would be filed against the unidentified tenant at 216 48th Street, a four-story apartment building, noting that the number one concern at the moment was caring for the animals.
While the press was not allowed inside the home, one of the mother dogs, who had recently given birth, had her carry crate infested with roaches and each of the canines had a very pungent aroma to them.
All of the dogs were smaller mixed-breeds along the lines of Poodles, Shih Tzus and Pomeranians, according to responders on the scene.
The dogs were taken to the New Jersey Animal Control & Rescue shelter, owned and operated by Santini, in West New York – located at 6412 Dewey Ave. – for further grooming and any potential medical treatment.
A video from the scene, which streamed live on our Facebook page, can be viewed here:
