In Jacksonville, Florida, more than 100 people arrived on Saturday at Animal Care & Protective Services, ready to volunteer, foster and care for 130 chihuahuas found neglected in a vacant home in Jacksonville.
After the tenants moved out after not paying the rent for the past two months, the owners went to the residence on Wednesday to find the renters had left all the dogs behind. The tenants had been living in the home for two years; neighbors complained about the smells coming from the home and noted an abundance of dog food deliveries.
Most likely the dogs had been deserted with no food or water for a few days. The owners immediately fed the dogs and gave them water before calling for help.
Animal Care and Protective Services carried the chihuahua mixes out of the home in Lackawanna; most of the dogs were reported to be healthy and are in need of new homes. The dogs had not been spayed and neutered – obviously part of the problem and illegal. There is no legal limit how many dogs an owner can own, however if there are more than five, the dogs must be spayed or neutered.
Area residents and animal rescuers lined up in the morning to offer help fostering and adopting. The rescue organization thanked the community for its support.
We’re also absolutely blown away by how many of you have reached out to us asking what we need. The BIGGEST thing we need from our community right now is foster families—bringing home dogs that have been in the shelter for a while will not only give them a much-needed break, but will also open up kennels and resources for this new team.
The shelter is also asking for donations of small size collars to help handle and adopt out the group of dogs from yesterday when they’re medically cleared. Those donations can be sent to or dropped off at the shelter as well.
If interested in adopting a Chihuahua or making a donation, please call 904-630-2489 or visit 2020 Forest Street.
Follow the National Pet Rescue on Facebook for the latest animal related news.
