Volunteers help around 100 small dogs removed from hoarding situation

RHEA COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) – Trucks and SUVs loaded with crates of small dogs and puppies pulled into the Rhea County Animal Shelter Tuesday afternoon.

Around 100 small dogs and puppies were discovered after a concerned citizen called the shelter.

“I’ve seen some bad cases. I’ve seen some bad conditions. This is probably one of the worst that I’ve seen,” Rhea County Animal Shelter Director Cheyenne Swafford said.

Swafford said an elderly man took in the animals and tried to take care of them.

“They’ve got in to a situation where they’ve gotten in over their head and to care for all the animals had gotten overwhelming and expense and it just got out of hand.” Swafford said.

“It’s more of a sad situation, then really a cruelty.”

Volunteers helped clean the animals and get them groomed.

Many of the dogs were covered in dirt and filth.

Other volunteers, like UTC student Danielle Jackson, were on hand keeping the animals calm.

“I have like a really loving heart so it just really like gets to me, it makes me want to cry, because I hate seeing anything get hurt,” Jackson said.

Because of the amount of animals taken in, not all are staying in the Rhea County Animal Shelter.

The Hamilton County Humane Educational Society is taking 44 of the dogs and puppies back to Chattanooga.

“What I can see from just glancing at a few of them already a lot of skin problems which is traditional with a puppy mill situation, skin infections some bad teeth, eye and ear infections, that’s what I’m seeing and we’ll just see what else we get into. Usually they’re also full of parasites unfortunately too and we’re going to take care of all that,” Humane Educational Society Executive Director Bob Citrullo said.

As the dogs go through the process to get ready for adoption or head to foster homes, volunteers will be needed all week long at the Rhea County Shelter.

They also need donations for medical expenses, as well as items like small dog food.

For more information call the animal shelter at (423) 775-2029.

The animals in Chattanooga could go up for adoption as early as just a few days.