Nearly 80 dogs were rescued from deplorable living conditions in a house in San Diego's East County Thursday, San Diego Humane Society officials said.
The Humane Society stepped in to help remove the dogs and puppies - mostly terrier and chihuahua mixes - from the home, though investigators could not stay inside the home for longer than 45 seconds without full hazard gear due to the intense smell of ammonia.
Stephen MacKinnon, Chief of Humane Law Enforcement, said the home had the worst living conditions he has seen in his 30 years.
When the Special Response Team arrived on scene, they started assessing the situation and removing animals from the home in order of urgency. Officials said the living conditions were deplorable, and 78 dogs were removed from the home.
Humane Society officials said they rescue dogs from houses once a month on average, but what makes this case unusual is the number of dogs rescued. Typically, homes considered to be under "hoarding conditions" have an average of 10 to 12 dogs.
The first batch of dogs removed was taken to the San Diego Humane Society's San Diego campus, where state licensed veterinarians and technicians will examine the dogs for medical issues, as the dogs were living in potentially unsanitary conditions.
"At the end of the day we want to have all these dogs examined, vaccinated, microchipped and whatever needs that they have, at least have a list of those," said Cyndi Mitchell, medical director of the San Diego Humane Society.
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MacKinnon said the floor had a solid foot of dog feces.
The owner is cooperating with authorities, according to the San Diego Humane Society.
El Cajon officials have flagged the house and it will likely be knocked down, MacKinnon said.
It could take up to two weeks before the dogs become available for adoption, depending on their health.
