Animal Rescue Corps removed 146 animals from a hazardous home, owned by an elderly couple, after finding dozens of pets living in dangerous conditions
NEED TO KNOW
- Animal Rescue Corps removed 146 animals from a Tennessee home, including 133 Chihuahuas living in dire conditions
- The elderly homeowners faced health crises and surrendered the animals after a family intervention and an ultimatum from animal control
- The rescued animals are receiving medical care and some have already been transferred to adoption partners in Florida
When the daughter-in-law of an elderly Tennessee couple first called Animal Rescue Corps (ARC) for help, she told them her in-laws had “a few dogs.”
What the rescue teams actually found inside the Rutherford County home stopped even seasoned responders in their tracks: hundreds of Chihuahuas, along with a dozen cats hiding under outdoor sheds, living in conditions that had long since spiraled beyond anyone’s control.
“From the moment we arrived, it was clear these animals were in crisis,” ARC executive director Tim Woodward tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview. “Our priority was getting the most vulnerable animals to safety as quickly as possible while ensuring those remaining could be rescued humanely and responsibly.”
The initial call came through ARC rescue coordinator and director of administration Michael Cunningham, who first heard from the daughter-in-law that both of her in-laws were facing serious health crises and needed to be moved out of their home immediately. The family had relocated back to the area to help, expecting to find a manageable number of pets. Instead, they discovered a house transformed…