COLDWATER, Miss. — Nearly 200 dogs were rescued after authorities were called to a home in Coldwater early Monday morning.
Rescuers with the Tunica Humane Society said at least 102 dogs were rescued out of a small building behind a home on East Tate Road. Dozens more were discovered in kennels on the property.
In all, authorities said they believe 170 were rescued.
Some of the animals were just a few weeks old. Many of them were reportedly matted and filthy.
“When you see dogs living this kind of life, you know they deserve so much more, it’s just heartbreaking,” Tunica County Humane Society Director Sandy Williams said. “It shatters you.”
Williams said the rescue started with a tip about a week ago.
“And I get a lot of tips, but this one really seemed to have some teeth in it,” she said. “It is definitely a full blown puppy mill. Some of the dogs are in horrific shape. The ammonia level was almost un-breathable.”
Because of that, they’re calling the raid Operation Breathe.
“Because when those dogs came out of that building, they got their first breath of fresh air, probably in their lives,” Williams said.
The Tunica Humane Society is now working with Sunny Meadows to get these dogs back to a normal life.
“We need to raise a lot of funds to give these animals the vet care they deserve,” Williams said. “They all need to be groomed, cleaned up. I’m sure they have all kinds of health issues.”
In a social media post on Tuesday, the Tunica Humane Society asked for patience as they continue to serve the animals in their care.
“I am asking everyone to realize it will take days for the Tunica Humane Society and Sunny Meadows to process all of the dogs that were rescued yesterday in Tate County. This was a huge undertaking for both of our rescues.
Please don’t show up at our doors wanting to adopt one of these dogs this soon. They have to be evaluated by our vets and their many health issues addressed before we even consider their future placements.
This will take time and I ask for your patience. I am on kennel duty today at our shelter and I won’t have time to answer the many calls that are already coming in.
We are doing the best we can with this situation and our first priority is to get the dogs the medical care they so desperately need. Your patience would be greatly appreciated.”
Tate County Sheriff Brad Lance said they plan to turn the case over to the district attorney so it can be presented to the grand jury. He would not release the homeowner’s name until charges have been filed.