When homeowners in Jacksonville, Florida, rented their property to a couple and their dogs, they didn’t think twice. Initially, everything seemed fine.
However, when rent payments stopped coming through, the owners grew concerned and repeatedly called, only to be met with silence. Worried, they decided to visit the property. What they discovered was shocking.
There was no trace of the tenants, but inside the house were 130 chihuahuas. The property was overrun with the tiny dogs, who tried their best to survive the overcrowded home.
A Big Extraction
The second the homeowner saw who was living in their home, they contacted Jacksonville Animal Care and Protective Service for some much-needed assistance.
Michael Bricker, the chief of Jacksonville Animal Control, arrived swiftly at the scene. Though the sight left him completely shocked, he quickly composed himself and got to work.
After the reporter asked him how bad the situation in the house was, he assured him that with 130 dogs running around in an enclosed space, things were quite messy.
And, he was right. The smell alone in the house was so horrendous that any rescuer who stepped inside had to have a special mask to prevent inhaling anything dangerous.
Because the number of pups was so high, animal control needed all hands on deck. Luckily, thanks to all the incredible workers and volunteers, every single pup was brought out from the home and given a thorough checkup.
Every single pup was immediately vaccinated and microchipped. Since the shelter was already overflowing with 300 animals, it was important to get them into loving homes as soon as possible.
“We are taking care of them now and they will be ready for foster or adoption real soon,” Bricker said in an interview.
Everyone Gets A Cute Pup
After posting about the situation on their social media, the shelter hoped that people would answer their calls and open up their loving homes to these sweet pups.
So, when they arrived at work in the morning, they couldn’t believe all the people outside their facilities. Over 200 people lined up, waiting to adopt a pup.
That Saturday, every single pup was able to go to their new, loving home. The shelter took to their social media to thank everybody for their incredible efforts.
“We’re proud to say that all of them have found new foster or permanent homes. This was a monumental task and we truly thank all of you who helped out. Thank you to our ACPS team for coming together so fast – Your dedication to these animals is heart warming and should be recognized. We appreciate you,” they wrote.
This story alone proves to everyone that when a community comes together, there is nothing they can’t do.
It makes me so happy to know that the pups who once lived on top of each other with no food or water are now leading happy and healthy lives. And, all of this is thanks to kind-hearted people.
A big thank you to this unbelievable community, you are an inspiration to the whole world!