70 dogs rescued from storm-damaged trailer in Merrillville hoarding investigation
Dozens of pets saved from hoarding situation in Merrillville
Police in Merrillville say the recent storms displaced a large number of pets. They found dozens of dogs in one damaged home.
MERRILLVILLE, Ind. - Merrillville police are investigating an alleged hoarding situation after 70 dogs were rescued from a trailer damaged during last week's severe storms.
The dogs were taken to Humane Indiana Shelter and Clinic, which had only recently reopened after losing power during the storms.
70 dogs rescued in Merrillville
The backstory:
Humane Indiana shared photos of the dogs, many of which appeared severely underweight.
The dogs had been living in a trailer when a tree crashed onto it during last week's storms. An initial report indicated about 20 dogs needed to be rescued, but officials ultimately found 70.
Humane Indiana took in the animals despite dealing with its own storm-related challenges. The shelter had lost power and was forced to evacuate animals before reopening.
After the organization posted about the rescued dogs on Facebook, dozens of volunteers showed up to help bathe and care for them.
The dogs now need medical treatment, vaccinations and food before they can eventually be placed in homes. The influx has also left the shelter at capacity.
"None of them are in fantastic shape. They all have some health issues and some are going to have more of a longer road to healing than others. But they’re all in need of some serious TLC. It’s definitely not what we thought we were signing up for. I will say that the community has rallied so much behind us that it’s actually incredible to me. And even though all these things, you know, these things keep happening. Like we’re losing power, we’re getting hit by storms, and we’re getting these hoarding cases, and all these things feel like a gut punch. But then all of our supporters are kind of coming in and they’re like, ‘Nope, we got you.’ And it’s making it easier and kind of empowering us to keep going and do more because we know our community is going to have our back." said Jessica Greer, senior director of Humane Indiana Shelter & Clinic.
What's next:
Humane Indiana is seeking donations to help cover the dogs' medical expenses. The shelter's power has been restored.
Merrillville police said the hoarding investigation remains ongoing.
The Source: The information in this article was reported by FOX Chicago's Joanie Lum.