Thirty-three animals, including thirty dogs, two chickens, and a cat were rescued by the San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) from a home in San Ysidro. On Wednesday, August 28th, the home experienced flooding due to a plumbing emergency. The San Diego Police Department arrived at the scene first and then alerted SDHS. The majority of the animals rescued were sent to various humane society locations throughout the county, with the exception of four animals seeking care from emergency veterinary hospitals.
There is not yet any information regarding the living conditions of the animals prior to the flood. An LJHS freshman, Wesley Harrison, said, “there should not have been that many animals in a single house.” Marissa Guzman, another freshman, observes that “harm to the animals could have been prevented if they were prioritized.” Some Instagram users have speculated that it could have been a hoarding situation but this has not yet been addressed by SDHS.
The San Diego Humane Society is pleading for donations and support. According to the SDHS Instagram account (@sdhumanesociety), they are currently at 162% capacity for dogs and have been caring for an average of 801 dogs everyday this month. It is important that the public take the measures to keep animals out of the shelters unless they absolutely need it.