BRIDGEVILLE, Del. - Six dogs that were rescued from neglect in Bridgeville were adopted the weekend of Aug. 24-25.
The Division of Public Health Office of Animal Welfare’s Delaware Animal Services announced on Tuesday that a man and woman were arrested after 20 dogs were rescued from a home on Ida Lane. The dogs are now in the care of the Brandywine Valley SPCA.
The division says animal welfare officers were dispatched on Aug. 14 based on an anonymous tip. Upon arrival, officers found a dog lying unresponsive in the yard. The male dog was barely alive, extremely emaciated and missing most of its fur. The dog was rushed to a veterinarian, but his condition was so severe, he unfortunately had to be euthanized.
Delaware Animal Services executed a search warrant and found 19 additional dogs of varying breeds and ages inside and outside of the property. That includes a nursing Boston Terrier with six puppies, five alive and one dead.
Many dogs had severe skin issues and suffered from sarcoptic mange, a highly contagious infection caused by burrowing mites. Some were malnourished and underweight. Others were in cramped housing with restricted movement.
The Brandywine Valley SPCA says the dogs were riddled with mites and mange, and in need of serious medical attention. The organization says the timing of this rescue was critical, as the health of some of these survivors was rapidly deteriorating, three of which could not be saved.
"We have four Labrador Retrievers that came in and they're suffering from a really highly contagious skin condition that will need more than a month of care to get rid of that and they're super uncomfortable and itchy and so that's going to take a lot of care," says BVSPCA Director of Communications Sara Smith.
The Division of Public Health says 42-year-old Ray Anderson and 40-year-old Melissa Layton of Bridgeville were arraigned on Aug. 15. Delaware Animal Services charged Anderson and Layton with five misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty neglect, six dog housing violations and 13 dog license violations. Both were released on their own recognizance.
According to the Brandywine Valley SPCA, the survivors include Candy and her newborn puppies, who were likely born within days of their rescue, and four nearly unrecognizable Labrador Retrievers suffering from severe sarcoptic mange. That's a highly contagious and extremely irritating parasitic infection of the skin caused by burrowing mites. BVSPCA says they will all need extended and specialized medical care.
"We also have some Boston Terriers," Smith says. "Mostly they're in pretty good shape. They'll need surgery for spay and neuter and all their vaccines and everything and we'll care for them and get them ready for their new homes."
Smith says the large dogs are going to need months of care and the mom and her puppies are not going to be available for another eight weeks or so.
You can donate to support the survivors of this animal cruelty case at bvspca.org.
