BOCA RATON, Fla. (CBS12) — Fifty dogs rescued from dangerous and unsanitary conditions in Tennessee are now on their way to Florida with Tri-County Humane, marking the start of an extensive recovery effort for animals described by rescuers as severely neglected.
The non-profit based in Boca Raton said the dogs were removed from a property connected to Animal Rescue Corps, where conditions inside a home were reportedly hazardous. Rescue officials say ammonia levels inside the residence may have exceeded 200 parts per million — far above the normal level of around 25 — creating a toxic environment that posed serious health risks for the roughly 140 dogs.
Exposure to those conditions may have contributed to significant medical issues, including possible blindness in one dog, the non-profit said.
Volunteers described the rescue as both urgent and emotional. For many of the animals, the journey to Florida marked only the third time they had ever been outside. Rescuers said the dogs experienced grass, fresh air, and open sky. Simple things they had rarely, if ever, known…