23 dogs rescued by Hardeeville shelter from Columbia home ‘filled with’ urine, feces
Hardeeville got 23 new residents Wednesday: dogs that were rescued from the home of an elderly couple outside of Columbia and brought to local rescue Lovable Paws.
Manuela Schafer, one of the three people who conducted the six-hour-long rescue Wednesday, said the home was “full of urine; it’s full of feces; it’s full of trash from the dogs.” But she emphasized the situation was “not abuse or neglect.”
“This elderly lady and her boyfriend got a dog, and the dog started to multiply,” Schafer said Thursday. “She got in over her head. She had no idea about properly spaying and neutering.”
Schafer said she learned about the situation from a friend in the animal rescue community, and tried to quickly, but quietly, assemble a rescue team. She didn’t want to involve a shelter, which she said might have led to the dogs being euthanized, and was aware that some rescuers “can be very nasty” to people in situations like this.
“We’re caring for the animals, but we also need to care for the humans involved,” she said. “She did her best to maintain this house.”
The group found 25 dogs in the residence, with one escaping during the rescue and one that needed to go to the veterinarian, Lovable Paws owner Steve Allen said Thursday. The other 23 came back with him to Hardeeville — a far cry from the six to 10 he expected to go to Lovable Paws.
He said the dogs are “riddled with fleas, and some of them need a meal,” but he’d “seen worse.” They’ll likely be ready for adoption after “a week or two to just be dogs,” he said.
In the past day, the community has stepped up with donations of food, sheets, towels and money, he said. He said anyone that wants to help should consider volunteering, giving money or adopting a dog.
“I hope that they’re all going to loving homes, because they’re all beautiful dogs,” she said.
In the meantime, Schafer said, the rescue isn’t over. She’s gathering a group to go back to the home this weekend to clean it. A Dumpster is arriving Friday, and a donated bed and couch will follow. She encouraged anyone interested in the cleanup to contact Lovable Paws.
“You shouldn’t have fear when you need help,” she said. “Reach out if you’re in a situation where you’re overwhelmed with animals and are worried about contacting the shelter.”
This story was originally published January 10, 2020 at 3:27 PM.