ST. LOUIS — The Humane Society of Missouri's Animal Cruelty Task Force on Wednesday rescued 43 starving dogs and recovered nine dead dogs from the property of a former commercial shiba inu breeder in Douglas County.
The dogs were taken to HSMO's St. Louis headquarters on Macklind Avenue for emergency care.
HSMO's help was requested by the Douglas County Sheriff's Department, which issued a warrant to remove the dogs and place them in the custody of HSMO. A hearing to determine legal custody will take place on Nov. 9 in Douglas County.
The sheriff's department's request to HSMO included photos of the sick and emaciated dogs that were taken Monday. According to the humane society, one of the dogs photographed Monday died shortly afterward, and its remains were recovered Wednesday along with those of eight other dogs.
The surviving dogs were severely emaciated and suffering from various injuries and health conditions, the humane society said. A staff veterinarian from the Missouri Department of Agriculture was on scene to assess their condition before they were transported to St. Louis.
“The conditions at this property amount to one of the worst cases of animal neglect we’ve seen this year," HSMO President Kathy Warnick said in a statement. "The caring citizen who tipped off the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department undoubtably saved the lives of many of these innocent dogs and gave them a second chance at life. We’ll do everything in our power to ensure these sweet animals receive the care they need to fully recover and find loving forever homes.”
HSMO said donations to support the dog's care can be made at hsmo.org/rescue. It's also asking for donations of blankets, newspapers, dog toys, dog beds and other items that could be of use as the dogs recover.