When her very ill friend was taken to the hospital due to her stage IV lung cancer, a well-meaning woman contacted Troy Animal Rescue Project in Alabama about the pets left behind. She thought there were 15 or so, but that was a significant underestimation.

When T.A.R.P. got to the home, there were around 100 dogs and even some cats in unlivable conditions. They were in the walls, insulation, and flooring. Some pregnant dogs had dug into the dirt to have their puppies, and many were living in the woods around the rural home.

The home itself was also filled with up to a foot of feces in some areas. Due to their owner’s poor health, she is not expected to be charged.

Over the past week, the rescue has been working to trap all the animals, which has been a monumental task, as most of the dogs are scared of people, having only known their owner.

T.A.R.P. wrote on Facebook, “The lady is very very sick and is currently hospitalized without a clear timeframe of being able to come home. The conditions of the home are not fit for her or the animals to live there. Our program has committed to these pets. We know she loved them in her own way and we would never do anything to harm them. Our traps are safe. They will receive the best vet care available. And we have no intentions to euthanize them. Our crew is tired. We have worked around the clock trying to make sure these pets are safe.”

GreaterGood and The Animal Rescue Site are helping with the effort, primarily by supporting the medical care of the animals that have been caught. More than a week later, though, there are still dozens of dogs on the loose, including the puppies of nursing moms. Food is being left out for them, while fosters are urgently being sought for the dozens of scared and disoriented pets already moved from the property.

If you’d like to support the efforts to provide care for these animals, click below!