Dozens of dogs, including puppies and older animals, were found abandoned in a Houston neighborhood Tuesday night.
It happened near Shady Lane and Bantum Street at about 10 p.m. Tuesday.
According to rescuers, an estimated 30 to 40 dogs were found roaming the area.
A concerned resident initially contacted Grizzy’s Hood News after spotting the large number of animals. Word quickly spread online and several community members arrived to help.
Volunteers used traps and caught some dogs by hand, working for hours.
Rescuers described finding male and female dogs of various ages, including puppies and dogs of breeding age.
“It’s madness, and this is an absolute horrible scene. Whoever did this is just a horrible, horrible person,” said rescuer Rhonda Butler.
Danna Fullen, another rescuer who responded to the scene, said the dogs were understandably frightened, making it challenging to catch them.
“It’s never a happy situation when you have to catch a dog on the streets regardless of how happy that dog is or how beat up they are; it’s not a happy situation ever,” Fullen said.
Fullen suspects the animals may have been abandoned by a breeder because of the large number of dogs found together.
“It’s a possibility that a breeder is dumping them. To have dumped this many dogs, at one time, that’s the only conclusion I can have,” Fullen said.
However, that theory has not been confirmed, and it remains unclear who abandoned the animals.
Rescuers also said the area is already known for animal dumping, with dogs, cats and even dead animals reportedly left in the area in the past.
Houston police responded to the scene and confirmed that BARC, the City of Houston’s animal shelter and adoption facility, was handling the situation.
BARC was expected to respond Wednesday morning to help collect any dogs remaining in the area.
As of early Wednesday morning, the exact number of dogs recovered was not confirmed.
What should you do if you find an abandoned dog?
Rescuers are urging residents who encounter stray or abandoned animals to report them rather than ignore the situation.
Houston residents can call 311 to report stray or abandoned dogs and request assistance from the city’s animal control services.
