More than 600 animals were rescued from a North Carolina
shelter this week in what one national anti-animal cruelty group said was among
the largest rescues in its history.
National and local animal advocates teamed up with local
police to recover hundreds of animals, including dogs, cats, horses and pigs
from the Haven, a private, no-kill shelter in Raeford, N.C.
“These animals were betrayed by the promise of going to a
place that is a safe haven for animals, and it is anything but that,” Tim
Rickey, senior vice president of field investigations and response for ASPCA,
said in a video posted by the group. “We’re finding lethargic and lifeless dogs
throughout the property and the same thing with cats.”
In a statement posted Wednesday, the day of the rescue,
Rickey called the operation one of the largest companion-animal rescues in
ASPCA’s 150-year history. At the time, the group said it recovered more than
270 dogs, 250 cats, 40 horses and several pigs from the 122-acre property. That
number has since risen: The group now says it rescued at least 600 animals.
The largest companion-animal rescue in ASPCA’s history came
in 2012, when it recovered more than 700 cats in Florida, according to the
Associated Press.
The shelter’s owners, Stephen Joseph Spear and Linden
Spear, were arrested and charged with several counts of cruelty to animals and
possession of controlled substances, the Hoke County Sheriff’s office said in a
Wednesday statement.
“We’ve seen open wounds on animals, we’ve seen no water for
the animals, we are seeing animals that seem to be malnourished,” Cpt. John
Kivett, of the Hoke County Sheriff’s office, told a local news station.
Animals were kept in “filthy kennels, cages, outdoor pens
and paddocks, many without protection from the elements,” the Asheville Humane
Society, which assisted in the rescue, said in a Facebook post. Many had
untreated medical issues, including “open wounds, severe upper respiratory disease
and emaciation.”
The shelter faced public scrutiny for years, with local
animal advocates even launching a Facebook page to document their concerns.
A September inspection by the state Agriculture Department
found several problems, including inadequate water and medical care, the
Associated Press reported on Friday. ASPCA became involved at the request of
the sheriff’s office and the Agriculture Department, the group said.
Several hundred animals are already being housed at two
40,000-square-foot warehouses run by ASPCA, according to AP. There, they are
receiving care from roughly 140 veterinarians, staffers and volunteers.
Despite the raid, the Spears still have some defenders.
Nancy Moore, at whose home the Spears are staying, told the AP that the shelter
always seemed well-managed.
“I think they have provided a tremendous service in terms
of the community, and certainly for animals. I would say they have dedicated
their lives to basically taking care of them,” Moore said.
And one volunteer told local TV station WNCN that she was
shocked by the news and felt the shelter provided adequate care.
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