Nearly 80 animals rescued from ‘deplorable’ living conditions in Jeannette home

JEANNETTE, Pa. — Nearly 80 cats, dogs and other animals have been rescued after they were found living in deplorable conditions in Jeannette.

“Covered in feces, urine, raw sewage; every single surface of the house was covered in filth. It was horrendous,” said Ninth Life Rescue Center President Jen Johnson.

PHOTOS: Dozens of animals rescued from ‘deplorable conditions’ in Westmoreland County home

A total of 77 animals were rescued Monday night by animal rescues Ninth Life Rescue Center and All But Furgotten in Westmoreland County.

“Forty-six dogs, 23 cats, a chinchilla, a ferret, a pigeon and five guinea pigs,” said All But Furgotten’s VP Alissity Rosner.

The rescuers say the animals had no food or water.

“There were a few unopened bags of dog food that the cats were trying to scratch through to eat because they were so hungry,” Johnson said.

Both Johnson and Rosner said this was the worst animal hoarding case they’ve seen in years.

“A lot of them would not have been alive for very much longer,” Johnson said.

They said it took them hours to get all nearly 80 animals out. Sadly, they said some pets in the home were found dead.

“There were animals in every single crevice of the house,” Johnson said. “Cages inside, outside, tied to dog boxes.”

All of the cats and dogs that were saved have fleas, are matted and are just filthy. Many of them have parasites, eye and ear infections, and upper respiratory infections. The animal rescues are asking for donations to keep up with treatments and surgery.

“We have cats that need eyes removed and dogs that have four to five inches of feces on their backs,” Johnson said. “We are in desperate need of donations, volunteers, foster homes, supplies. These animals are going to cost thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars to fix.”

Because of limited space, all the dogs but one terrier mix are being boarded in a kennel.

“We’re essentially racking up a bill at another facility. It’s a huge financial hit on us,” Rosner said. “It’s all such a huge help to us being completely donation, volunteer-based.”

They say the cats and dogs have a long road ahead of them, but should be up for adoption and ready for a new home in a couple of weeks.

To donate to Ninth Life Rescue Center, click here.

To donate to All But Furgotten, click here.

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