Dozens of animals covered in filth rescued from University District town home



SEATTLE -- Police say they found dozens of animals cramped together and covered in urine and feces in a University District town home Wednesday. Those animals were confiscated and are getting checked out by a vet now.

“On a number of levels, it's disturbing,” Ann Graves, the manager of field services for Seattle Animal Shelter, said.

A few days ago, a property manager at the complex named Bridges at 11th filed a complaint with the shelter, saying there were a large number of animals being kept inside a town home.

“There were 44 animals on site, they've all been removed,” said Graves. “Most of them were dogs. There were unsanitary conditions. They're all being seen by a vet to see what their health conditions are.”

A total of 28 dogs were rescued, including retrievers, poodles and terriers. Investigators don’t know if the owners were trying to breed them, or were keeping them for a different reason.

“There are a lot of questions we have left to be answered tonight,” said Graves.

Q13 FOX News tried to talk to the owners, but they didn’t answer the door. Neighbors who watched the animals being taken away were surprised by what they saw.

“We saw all these cops so we thought someone broke in,” said nearby resident Luke Petersen. “But then we saw the animal van, so we were wondering if he was abusing his animals.”

Petersen said he toured the town home just a few months ago, so the owners couldn’t have been living there very long. A dog owner himself, he couldn’t believe how many animals were found inside.

“I have a German shepherd puppy, she's 8 months old, and even that, it's like a part-time job caring for them, taking them out,” he said. “So I can't imagine he was caring for them very well.”

The owners haven’t been charged with any crime yet. But investigators say many of the animals were being kept in cages, and were covered in filth.

“It’s unhealthy for the animals, there are a number of diseases that can be passed through living that close, living in their urine and feces. It’s inhumane.”

In addition to the dogs, there were six cats, five hamsters, four chinchillas and one guinea pig.