'Deplorable, Inhumane:' 45 Animals Rescued From NJ Home, Officials Say (PHOTOS)

By Sam Barron & Cecilia Levine From Daily Voice

Cats in crates filled with inches of feces, untreated injuries, and no clean food or water — that’s what rescuers say they found inside a New Jersey home where 45 animals were seized this week.

On Monday, Aug. 18, investigators executed a search warrant at 197 Sidney Rd. in Annandale, removing 37 cats and eight dogs from the property, according to the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office. Seven animals were taken for emergency treatment at Crown Veterinary Specialists, authorities said.

A crate from the Annandale hoarding case.

Animal Alliance NJ

Cat from the Annandale hoarding case.

Animal Alliance NJ

Animal Alliance of New Jersey, which was on the scene, said the animals were living in “deplorable, inhumane conditions,” including “severely matted fur, untreated injuries, and limping” along with “advanced eye infections and visible signs of suffering.” The group said there was “no clean food, water, or sanitation in sight,” adding: “These animals were betrayed by the very organization meant to protect them.”

One of the rescued dogs, Jane, is a young terrier mix described by Outcast Rescue in Pennsylvania as having been removed from “a horrific hoarding situation.” Jane is pregnant and due any day. Her possible pups’ fathers “range from a large handsome pit bull to tiny havanese mixes,” and rescuers are preparing for a possible emergency c-section.

“When she arrived, she was completely shut down,” Outcast Rescue said. “Today… she wagged her tail and asked for belly rubs. That little spark gives us hope.”

Cat from the Annandale hoarding case.

Animal Alliance NJ

Cat from the Annandale hoarding case.

Animal Alliance NJ

The rescue operation involved the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office, Franklin Township Police, the Hunterdon County Health Department, Hunterdon County Haz-Mat, Animal Services of Independence, Animal Control Solutions, Animal Alliance of NJ, Outcast Rescue, Tabby’s Place, Somerset Regional Animal Shelter, and South Branch Emergency Services.

Animal Alliance of NJ says it still has custody of 26 of the cats and is responsible for their ongoing medical care and recovery.

“The medical and rehabilitation costs for these severely neglected animals will be astronomical,” the group said. “Every dollar donated will go directly toward giving them the care, love, and dignity they were cruelly denied.”