9 sick dogs found in filthy home with owner who’d been dead for 12 days

TACOMA, Wash. — Nine shepherd-mix dogs were found inside a filthy, trash-filled home in the small Mason County community of Tahuya with their owner, who had been dead for 12 days.

The dogs were found in an upstairs bedroom close to their owner on Tuesday.

No dog food or water could be found inside the garbage-laden home, and one dog had a metal bucket stuck on its head, according to a news release from the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County.

The dogs were caught by staff from the Humane Society of Mason County and Pierce County Animal Control and taken to the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County for care.

Their fur and paws were caked with feces, and some had ear infections and dental disease.

“It was a heartbreaking scene, wading through a sea of trash to get these dogs out and get them care as soon as possible,” says Katherine Johnson, executive director at the Humane Society of Mason County.

Once at the shelter, the dogs, which ranged in age from 5 to 10 years old, immediately began receiving medical care, food, and pain medication from staff. One dog had severe and infected neck wounds.

The shelter is asking for urgent donations to help provide care for the nine dogs and others that come in needing immediate care. Donations can be made on the shelter’s website at: https://www.thehumanesociety.org/nine-dogs/.

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