When they were called in to inspect a case in Queens, New York, the team knew this would not be an easy rescue. But nothing could have prepared them for the scene they found on arrival.
Forty Belgian Malinois were trapped in a dirty apartment, malnourished and scared.
"Total confinement for their entire lives"
“These dogs have reportedly lived in total confinement for their entire lives”, Tara Mercado of Animal Care Center of New York (ACC), explained.“We found full-grown Malinois hidden in cabinets and crammed behind furniture.”
In collaboration with the ASPA, ACC removed the dogs, offering them the care they desperately needed.
Shockingly, it seems this isn't the first case they have been called in to assist with at this property. Two years ago the same owner contacted Lend-a-Paw rescue, asking them to take in 6 dogs. “Upon receiving these dogs, they were emaciated, malnourished, and undersocialized”, they shared on Facebook.
As a small rescue, Lend-a-Paw “couldn’t assist with all of these dogs, and additionally, this owner needed to be arrested” but they set the wheels in motion to get them out of the apartment as quickly as possible.
New beginnings
The 40 Belgian Malinois are now learning what it feels like to be loved and cared for. But years in a crowded, dark apartment have left their mark.
“They’ve likely never touched grass, walked on a leash, or met a stranger” director of shelter medicine Dr. Bianca Tamimi said. “Every new sound, every human interaction is overwhelming”.
A Shepherd cross named Sammie seemed particularly shut down, having to be transported into the centre on a cart as he was too frightened to walk. It wasn't until he was reunited with three of the puppies he lived with, that everything changed. He stood up and became fully mobile, overjoyed to be in the company of his closest friends.
The dogs' care has now been divided up between a number of different rescues, where they will receive behavioural support to help them grow in confidence as they adapt to their new surroundings.
