PUTNAM COUNTY — The Putnam County Sheriff's Office is continuing to investigate after 33 dogs were seized from a property Friday.
Putnam County Corporal Scott Ducker tells WRTV the dogs were seized after a search warrant on the property, located in the southwestern part of the county. 32 German Shepherds and one rottweiler were found in "deplorable conditions."
"Our detectives and animal control are currently investigating this as a possible criminal case," Ducker said in an email. "As of right now, most of the dogs are located outside at the Putnam County Animal Shelter."
Several rescue groups have come to help with cleaning, feeding and finding shelter for the dogs.
Putnam County Animal Care and Control took in 26 of the dogs. Volunteer Tammy Eastham tells WRTV some of the dogs were malnourished and dehydrated. Like many shelters, Putnam County Animal Care and Control is over capacity.
"Anytime that this happens with any shelter ... you just don't know where to start," Eastham said. "It's so overwhelming, knowing you're already overwhelmed, because you're over capacity and then you have this scenario that comes into play."
Eastham and others spent Saturday contacting rescue groups and taking care of the dogs. One moment, though, had an emotional impact on her.
"Somebody took a ball and started throwing it. I'm gonna be honest, I teared up because again, they're so resilient, and everything that they've just went through — they still want to play, and they just want to be with people," Eastman said. "We're the voice for these animals, and we will jump in and we will do whatever we need to do to rescue them and save them and give them a chance to have a life and a loving home."
Eastham says she's noticed a change in the dogs already and their eyes are lighting up.
Three of the dogs are at a veterinarian getting emergency medical care, and the other four are at a rescue shelter in Owen County, according to Ducker.
Eastham says they've had an overwhelming amount of support and donations of kennels to house the dogs. If you'd like to help, the sheriff's office shared links to the shelter's Amazon wishlist and Venmo.
Last week, 28 dogs were seized from an Indianapolis home.
-
Creators sue Trump Admin officials for removing ICE monitoring platforms
Several app creators are suing Trump Administration officials, challenging the removal of ICE monitoring platforms on social media sites and citing their first amendment right to free speech.
Crews cleaning up after melting snow in Marion County reveal a lot of litter
Beneath the melting snow in Marion County, litter has been piling up, but crews are stepping in to clean it before we get to spring.
Indiana regulators launch inquiry into rising energy bills
As Hoosiers continue to see rising utility bills, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission announced Tuesday it is launching what it calls an "investigative inquiry" into energy affordability.
Westfield Police hope to strengthen relationships through new patrol model
Westfield police are changing how they patrol the city, moving to a district-based model that will station officers in four distinct quadrants for one to three months at a time.
