Dogs rescued in Carroll County

CARROLL COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - Four abandoned dogs who were living in filth with no food or fresh water for seven months are now free, with the help of News Channel 18 and Tricia's Dog House.

The rescue comes in the nick of time, since their owner planned to have them euthanized today if no one could be found to take them in.

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"I was in shock, I'll be honest with you," said Tricia Davis, owner of Tricia's Dog House, a no-kill shelter which agreed to take the dogs in. "I've seen a lot of dog rescues. I've never seen anything like this."

To call the area overgrown would be an understatement. The dogs were audible from the approach to the backyard, but not visible.

"Bear" is the name of one of the dogs that have been living in a cage for the past seven months. The owner of this house left him behind when the home was foreclosed on in January.

Neighbors say there were as many as 10 dogs living there, but only four remain.

The only food they have eaten has been gifts from concerned neighbors. The only water they have had to drink is whatever falls in an old swimming pool and filthy water bowls.

"It's just very frustrating. It's very upsetting, you know," said Davis. "Nobody cares about the animals. It's craziness, you know. They need to be cared for and loved. These are sweet, sweet animals."

Tricia Davis got permission to save these dogs. She says she only got the go-ahead after concerned residents called after seeing a story on News Channel 18.

"It's not like this has just happened, it's been going on for months," said Davis. "And until you (TV 18) took initiative and you put it on the air, we couldn't get permission to do it."

For all Davis's earlier troubles, getting permission was the easy part. Rescuing the dogs and making sure that they recover from their experience will be difficult.

Tricia and the rest of her dog rescue team had to brave an overgrown back yard just to get to the cage that had the dogs in it.

A set of bolt cutters were brought in to complete the 'jailbreak.' As soon as the lock was cut, the dogs stepped over each other trying to get out, with a speckled terrier named Scooter being the first out the door.

Davis eventually managed to get all four animals into the back of her car. They were taken to her "no-kill" shelter and began the first steps down their road to recovery.

Tuesday the dogs were cleaned up and checked for fleas. Wednesday they will be given a medical check-up and vaccinations courtesy of the Wildcat Valley Animal Clinic. The four will now stay at Tricia's Dog House for two weeks before they can be adopted.

If you are interested in adopting these animals, you can contact Tricia's Dog House at (765) 742-6605.