Thirty-one chihuahuas are now safe and recovering after they were rescued from severe hoarding conditions at a Tempe home on Thursday. Police say Jennifer Knutson was taken into custody for animal cruelty.
The Arizona Humane Society and Tempe police were able to get all the dogs out. With some as young as one-week-old puppies to others eight years old. The Humane Society says the dogs lived without air conditioning and ate off the feces-covered floor. Most of the dogs are between two and five years old.
Police say Knutson had given a dead dog over to police on Wednesday. Investigators found out Knutson didn’t give the dog medical care or the proper treatment, which caused the dog to die. Tempe officers say Knutson has had an extensive history with the Arizona Humane Society, which has taken over 20 dogs from her home over the last two years. Police say in the past. Several dogs also had to be euthanized because of a lack of medical care and treatment.
The Humane Society says some dogs are still undergoing exams and testing. Because of the conditions they were found in, Vets are testing the dogs for highly-contagious diseases. Some poor pups are shy and scared, but the Humane Society hopes to start working with them once vets medically clear them.
Despite all they’ve been through, all the dogs made it through their first night and were able to chow down on some food. The chihuahuas are 31 of over 15,000 animals the Humane Society takes in yearly.
