Humane society asking for help after dozens of dogs found at Owen Co. home

 OWEN COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) – Some are calling it the worst dog hoarding case Owen County has ever seen.

Officers seized more than 50 dogs on Wednesday and Thursday from a home in Freedom, Indiana.

Now, the Owen County Humane Society is nursing the dogs back to health and figuring out what’s next.

Officers declared the home on Shepard Road an emergency hazardous situation. When officers arrived, they found more than 50 dogs on the property, and they said that number has the potential to rise.

“It’s disgusting, it’s deplorable, it’s bad,” said Chief Deputy Matt Miller.

Sheriff Sam Hobbs said he’s never seen anything like it.

“There’s not words to describe the situation,” Hobbs said.

The Sheriff’s Office worked with pest control and several other agencies to seize the property and deal with the contamination.

“I believe 25 to 30 dogs Wednesday. We have another 25-30 dogs on the property that we are going to evacuate,” said Hobbs.

The Owen County Humane Society is labeling dogs by the number they come in.

Becky Brown, the Vice-President of the Owen County Humane Society said, “It’s totally out of our element taking 55 to 75 dogs. It’s one day at a time, one moment at a time. We will take help wherever we can get it.”

While the State Veterinarian and volunteers evaluate for health conditions and malnourished.

“It’s not about us, it’s about the dogs and taking care and getting them in a better situation,” said Manager Jessica Franke.

The Sullivan County Humane Society, along with several other Wabash Valley shelters have decided to lend a hand.

Officials at the Terre Haute Humane Society said they are going to reach out to the Owen County Humane Society to see where they can help out.

“Because we’re a small community, we do the best we can. We might not have as many dollars as others do, but we have some of the biggest hearts,” Brown said.

Working together for more wagging tails. A sign of hope, that better days are ahead.

“We get what you’re going through, and we’re there for you. It means everything,” said Brown.

Paul Purcell is the owner of the property. Purcell did cooperate with the Sheriff’s Office while they seized the animals from his home. He is expected to be in court on Friday.

There’s a list of donations items that the Owen County Humane Society needs.

• Cash donations for surgery expenses
• Cleaning products: bleach, paper towels
• Dog food
• Towels, laundry detergent

You can also contact the Owen County Humane Society at (812) 829-6247 or 2014 Romona Road, Spencer, IN 47460

The Humane Society is open:

• Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Friday 12 p.m. – 7 p.m.
• Saturday 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.
• Closed Monday and Tuesday