Dozens of dogs, as well as several other animals, have been seized from two adjoining apartments in the Irish capital Dublin, where they were being kept in "inhumane conditions."
Officers with An Garda Síochána—Ireland's police service—searched the two apartments in the Citywest area on Wednesday in an operation that also involved officials from South Dublin County Council and the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA).
In total, 38 animals were removed, according to a police spokesperson. Most were dogs, including several puppies. They were seized under the country's Animal Health and Welfare Act.
After being removed from the property, officials took the animals to the DSPCA so they could receive veterinary medical treatment.
Police have yet to make any arrests and the investigation is ongoing, the spokesperson added.
The animals were being kept in small crates that were stacked on top of each other, with some of the dogs covered in excrement. They had no bedding and no space to walk around.
"Most of the adult dogs were completely covered from head to toe in excrement. Their little faces just says it all," the DSPCA said in a statement. "Completely heartbreaking to see any animal being treated like this."
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According to the DSPCA, the animals seized included 33 dogs (one of which was dead), one corn snake, two tarantulas (one dead), two large parrots, two adult cats, a dead scorpion and a dead centipede.
A DSPCA spokesperson told Newsweek that the deceased dog had been dead in its cage for "some time."
The seizure of the animals was part of a larger police investigation, the DSPCA added.
It is believed that the majority of the animals were being bred for sale, despite the fact that the apartments were not suitable or registered as a dog breeding establishment, making it an illegal puppy farm.
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All the surviving animals are now being cared for at a DSPCA shelter.
"They are all part of an ongoing investigation and we are not seeking homes for any of these animals at present," the DSPCA said.
The DSPCA spokesperson told Newsweek that the animals were "doing well" but more would be known about their condition next week.
This is not the only recent case of cruelty involving large numbers of animals. In late October, dozens of "extremely hungry" cats, including one with a broken leg, were rescued from a home in Weld County, Colorado.
In September, 46 animals living in filthy conditions were seized from a property in Flagler County, Florida. In August, animal shelter officials rescued 23 dogs from what they described as "deplorable conditions" at an address in Kentucky.
Update 12/03/21, 11:55 a.m. ET: This article was updated to add comments from a DSPCA spokesperson.
