More than 80 matted, neglected and malnourished dogs were pulled out of a filthy Brooklyn home after their 73-year-old owner died, police and city animal care agencies said Friday.
One of the pooches was giving birth to puppies as police and animal rescue groups went room by room, recovering scores of dogs from the E. 66th St. home near National Drive in Mill Island on Thursday.
Cops from the 63rd Precinct were called to the address around 6:45 a.m. after receiving a report that the homeowner had died.
When the officers arrived, they found the woman dead on the floor and the small single-family home crammed with canines.
NYCACC
Police and animal rescue groups went room by room, recovering scores of dogs from the home. (NYCACC)
“ACC has just begun another massive rescue effort, this time in a Brooklyn apartment where we estimate 80+ dogs will need to be removed after their owner was found deceased,” Animal Care Centers of NYC said on Instagram Thursday as the agency posted photos of dogs of different breeds cowering in every corner of the home and among massive bags of dry dog food.
“Many are severely matted, most appear sick, and one was actively giving birth as our team arrived. All have been living in unimaginable filth,” the agency posted.
Responding NYPD officers called in their own Emergency Service Unit team, as well as ACC and the ASPCA, to assist in removing the animals, which were painstakingly placed in individual carriers.
Many were taken to area ACC shelters, where they were evaluated and prepared to be cleaned up and put up for adoption.
Once word spread of the discovery, animal rescue groups from throughout Brooklyn and beyond joined together to lend their services and facilities.
“In the face of heartbreak, the rescue community rose up,” ACC said proudly on Instagram. “We’re in awe of the outpouring of support following the Brooklyn rescue. From fellow shelters and rescue groups to fosters, transporters, groomers, and donors, you’ve stepped up for these dogs in ways we’ll never forget.”
Colin Mixson / New York Daily News
Rescuers continue to remove dogs from a home on E. 66th St. in Brooklyn on Friday. (Colin Mixson / New York Daily News)
Neighbors had known for some time that the woman had been hoarding dogs.
“What a smell! So toxic, that you can’t even breathe,” neighbor Leeora Bernstein told WABC Eyewitness News.
Other neighbors said they had repeatedly complained to police, but that the officers who responded to the location were never allowed inside.
“It’s hard to comprehend how anyone could live this way, or how animals could be left in such a state,” ACC said. “But anger alone won’t help these dogs. What will help is action.”
NYCACC
The rescued canines are placed in individual carriers before being taken to ACC shelters. (NYCACC)
An autopsy has been slated to determine how the dog owner died, officials said.
Last month, the ACC and the ASPCA worked together to recover nearly 50 Malinois dogs that were packed into a cramped, filthy Queens apartment.
Members of the NYPD Animal Cruelty Squad hit the dogs’ owner, Isaak Yadgarov, 37, with 48 counts of cruelty to animals and 48 counts of neglecting an impounded animal — one for each maltreated pooch, officials said.
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