17 dogs living in horrific conditions, rescued from Pennsylvania home

PHILADELPHIA - 17 dogs have been removed from a Schuylkill County home, after living in horrific conditions. The neglect they have suffered is unthinkable.

Their eyes tell their awful story, filled with sadness and fear, their bodies skin and bones.

Acting on a tip from a Good Samaritan, the Pennsylvania SPCA were called in to rescue 15 Great Pyrenees and two other dogs.

Nicole Wilson, the PSPCA’s Director of Animal Law Enforcement and Shelter Services, says the home was covered in urine and feces.

"The dogs were really subject to inhuman living conditions and then the medical conditions," Wilson stated.

Wilson says they actually got to the animals just in time. "I really think if it was too much longer, some of them would not have made it out alive."

Great Pyrenees are known for their fluffy, white coats. The rescued dogs barely recognizable with little, if any, fur and red, itchy, rough, bloody skin.

"To see them as depleted as they are, physically, it’s a sad sight," Wilson described. "They are impressive when you see them healthy and fully coated. They are just beautiful. Our Lancaster site has a healthy, wonderful, beautiful Great Pyrenees up for adoption and the comparison is stark."

The good news is they are safe now, at the PSPCA’s Philadelphia headquarters and their Mainline rescue in Chester Springs. Wilson added, "The first thing we did was provide them with pain meds and start treating the skin condition."

The dogs have sarcoptic mange, which is contagious and painful. They are getting special, medicated baths, are on a special feeding schedule and will need behavioral rehabilitation.

"Obviously, they were secluded, so we have to work with them on getting them back to a place of trusting people," Wilson said.

The dogs have much healing to do before they will be able to be put up for adoption. The PSPCA is in need of towels and blankets, as they can’t reuse the ones in the dog cages, due to the mange. They also are in need of fosters and adopters.

Anyone interested in donating, either towels or financially, can do so at the PSPCA website. Information on becoming a foster can be found on the website, as well.