BIXBY, Okla. - After emergency crews rescued nearly 70 animals from a home in Bixby, the community reacted in a way that also helped save these animals' lives.
Officials are calling this an unusual case of animal hoarding.
"This was not a typical situation for us. We work with hoarders quite frequently, however, in this case a lot of the dogs were larger," said Humane Society of Tulsa Directory Evan Fadem.
A hoard of dogs and a few cats rescued from a Bixby home Tuesday morning are readjusting as veterinarians perform medical checks.
"Today is just the beginning of the journey for these animals," said Fadem.
Some dogs are worse than others, but the majority seem to be in stable condition. This rescue would not have been possible if it weren't for the generosity of the community, says those involved.
"We are very fortunate that we had this emergency shelter donated to us," said Fadem.
The building was previously a veterinary clinic that was up for sale. When the news broke of the hoarding situation, the owner donated it to the humane society.
The contributions haven't stopped there.
"We've had a ton of people come by to drop off donations, to bring food for the dogs, to bring us water," said Fadem.
Tuesday's rescue comes after 60 animals were taken from a home last week, adding to the burden of limited resources.
"We cannot go out and continue to rescue animals in these kinds of situations without the outpouring of support from the community," said Fadem.
Nearby residents stepped up as volunteers flocked to the shelter to lend a helping hand.
The animals will be available for adoption once they have had all their shots. Donations are still desperately needed to give these animals proper care.
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