On a property in Lawrence County, Alabama, sits a small cinder block house with no electricity or plumbing. Until recently, the yard around this house was full of dogs – and all of them were in desperate need of help
These dogs almost looked like moving statues when county rescuers arrived last month. All of the 30 or so dogs had a condition that looked so bad it gave them a cast-like appearance.
“Almost every dog was hairless. The puppies were found looking for different mother dogs – they went to the one that was closest,” Guardians of Rescue, the organization that helps dogs recover and find forever homes, wrote on Facebook last week.
The dogs were covered in fleas and parasites and all suffered from sarcoptic mange. And many of the dogs were too scared to approach the people who were trying to help them. Animal control officers had to trap several of the dogs to catch them and get help.
“No one knows for sure why they let these dogs get to this point, but they will not suffer anymore,” Robert Misseri, president of Guardians of Rescue, told The Dodo, adding that the people who lived on the property were arrested and accused of animal cruelty.
Not all the dogs could be saved: “Several of the dogs were in such bad condition that unfortunately they did not survive,” Guardians of Rescue wrote.
The dogs that managed to survive still carry the physical and emotional scars of neglect. Even after being brought to safety, one dog seemed too scared to even lift its head.
Since there is no animal shelter in Lawrence County, Guardians of Rescue helps place the dogs where they can be treated for their condition and eventually, when fully recovered, adopted.
A mother was rescued just in time to give birth to her puppies.
“Dogs get better because of love and medical treatment,” Misseri added.
Even after so much suffering, the dogs finally start to hold their heads up, as if looking forward to a new life.
After a few weeks of treatment and regaining people’s trust, the dogs were almost unrecognizable. And many started to find families.
“Many of the dogs have been adopted and you can see how their skin has healed,” Misseri said. 