Jackson, Miss. Animal advocates are racing to rescue more than 200 dogs from a rural Mississippi property before… Huge winter storm It is scheduled to hit the country on Friday.
Paws of War, a New York-based nonprofit that rescues animals and places them with veterans and first responders, is helping to lead the charge.
Robert Misseri, co-founder of the organization, said his team arrived at the property in Tupelo, Mississippi, on Wednesday.
He described it as a “house of horrors,” with the skeletal remains of dogs decomposing in the yard and feces everywhere. He said the dogs live inside and outside the house.
“It’s rewarding to see them walk off the property for the first time, knowing that they’ll eventually end up on someone’s couch. But to think that they’ve suffered there all these years in silence,” Messeri said before walking away.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office asked Paws of War to help rehome the animals, Miseri said. As of Thursday evening, nine shelters had received about 60 dogs. Paws of War sent several trucks to the property to return 45 dogs to New York.
There are now thirteen dogs at the Northshore Humane Society in Covington, Louisiana. The Humane Society team traveled more than 300 miles (483 kilometers) to the Tupelo, Mississippi, area on Wednesday in what they called “Operation: Tupelo Tails.”
“A lot of these dogs have scars on their faces, which is evidence that they may have been fighting with other dogs for food,” said Scott Bernier, CEO of the Northshore Humane Society. “So it’s a bad case. Not something we like to see at all.”
Some dogs suffer from upper respiratory infections and skin diseases, said Scout Cannizzaro, a veterinary technician with the Northshore Humane Society. Bernier said he also expects some dogs to be infected with heartworm.
The Humane Society is now trying to get as many dogs into foster homes as possible because their building is old and does not retain heat well. However, Bernier said any animals left at the shelter when the storm hits will be warm and safe.
Paws of War will be working through the night trying to find shelters for the remaining dogs before the storm hits, Misseri said. His team is also still searching the area for skittish dogs that escaped, and he said the number of dogs needing rescue could reach 300.
He said no matter what happens, he won’t allow dogs to be left outside during the storm. He’s asking other shelters to step up and take in some of the dogs.
“We were not prepared for this,” he added.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately return a message Thursday.