175 animals rescued from Tennessee breeding mill

Fifty-nine dogs, over 100 chickens, three cats, two turkeys, and two rabbits were rescued from a property in Shop Springs, Tenn., after the animals were discovered in hazardous living conditions.

Animal Rescue Corps (ARC) transported the seized dogs and cats to its Rescue Center in Gallatin, Tenn., about 30 minutes east of Nashville. Many of the dogs were suffering from various medical conditions, including high ammonia exposure, severe matting, puncture wounds, mammary tumors, overgrown nails, pressure wounds, skin inflammation and infections, ear and eye infections and injuries, and internal parasites, pododermatitis, and urine scalding.

“This is some of the worst matting we’ve seen on any animal,” says ARC’s executive director, Tim Woodward. “Baseball-sized clumps of waste are hanging from their ears and legs to where they can hardly walk. Several of the dogs were living crammed three to a cage and with no way to escape from feces and urine.”

Many of the chickens that were being raised and sold for slaughter were underweight and injured, ARC reports. Along with the turkeys and rabbits, the chickens were taken to Redemption Road Rescue. Each animal will be receiving a thorough veterinary exam, appropriate vaccinations, and any necessary medical treatments.

Once full custody is won, each animal will be matched and transported to shelter and rescue partner organizations, which will ultimately adopt them out.

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