Jerome, Idaho (KMVT-TV) - The Jerome County Sheriff’s office is currently investigating a case where a county resident had 52 dogs and 2 cats in one home. Because this case has yet to be turned over to the prosecutor’s office, officials are not saying much. The dogs were turned over to the Humane society in Boise by the owner of the dogs. Jerome county deputies first learned of the excessive amount of dogs on August 14. Officials say the homeowner started turning the dogs over to the humane society the next day. By the 20th of August, all the dogs had been signed over. At this time, it’s believed the owner is facing only misdemeanor charges. Deputy McClure with the Jerome Sheriff’s office said he believes the owner of the dogs had good intentions but the situation just “got out of hand.” He described the condition of the dogs as fair to poor condition. As far as the type of dogs, McClure said “from large to small, every breed of dog you can imagine.” Because the case is still under investigation, officials are not releasing the name of the homeowner or his address.
According to the Idaho Humane Society, once inside the home, they found feces and urine coating every possible surface, trash heaped throughout the home and animals in very poor physical condition. “It appeared that the animals were living solely indoors without access to an outdoor yard. The only daylight the animals received was from the areas where the home’s roof was caving in. A 25 year veteran of the society described the conditions inside the home as the worst he’d ever experienced. The huge influx will certainly place a strain on the humane society in Boise who will be looking to adopt the dogs to homes. You can reach them by calling 343-3166. They have posted three photos of the dogs which are included with this story.