Eighty-eight dogs were rescued Wednesday from an unidentified breeding facility in rural northwest Iowa. The Sac County Sheriff’s Department seized the animals after seeing the conditions they were living in, which were described as “deplorable.”
The sheriff’s department was assisted by the Des Moines-based Animal Rescue League of Iowa. The dogs were taken to shelters in Sioux City, Carroll, Boone, Des Moines, and Cedar Rapids. The dogs are mostly cocker spaniels and one eastern Iowa veterinary clinic helping care for the dogs reported many had ear and eye infections, lesions and sores, fleas, and severe dental disease.
The rescue league is seeking donations of cash and dog food, while several shelters will work together to raise funds to pay medical expenses for the dogs, estimated at up to $500 per animal. Charges are pending as the investigation continues.
By Joel Hermann, KAYL, Storm Lake