More than two dozen animals living under what’s described as “horrendous conditions” were recently rescued after being discovered by Nye County Animal Control officers at a Pahrump home.
Dogs and cats
The animals, mostly dogs, were transported to A Path 4 Paws, a Las Vegas-area animal facility owned and operated by Naomi Yaussy, who told the Pahrump Valley Times that at least 27 dogs were living inside the home, along with three cats.
Three of the larger dogs were located in the yard.
Due to a lack of space at the Nye County Animal Shelter in Pahrump, officials opted to transport the animals to an alternate facility.
Overwhelming odor
“They were not emaciated and they were in good condition as far as their weight, but they had runny eyes from the very strong ammonia smell inside the residence,” she said. “We all had to wear masks, just to be able to walk around in there, but they all seemed to be in good condition, health-wise.
Yaussy also said that most of the dogs had overgrown nails and filthy, coats matted with feces.
“They were walking around in poop and laying down in poop because the floors were covered in feces,” she said. “I believe maybe one of the dogs was also deaf and there were about four or five dogs that are completely blind, or blind in one eye, so I’m going to assume there was a lot of inbreeding going on. Their eyes were white, while the other ones had an undeveloped eye which was a lot smaller. They were not spayed or neutered.”
Carnival of animals
The dogs, Yaussy said, consisting of various breeds, ages, shapes and sizes, were transported to an animal care facility, where they will all be medically examined by a veterinarian.
So far, none have met the criteria to be euthanized due to their respective conditions.
New surroundings
“Right now we’re trying to let them decompress, and I did their intake vaccines, but I’ve got to get them all to a vet so we can listen to their heart, lungs and things along those lines, but they need time to decompress,” she said. “They were locked in a house, and now they are getting to see the real world. I expect most, if not all, will receive some sort of medical treatment.”
Health concerns
One serious health issue Yaussy spoke about was dental care and tumors present in some of the dogs at the home, along with the costs associated with medical care.
“One of the dogs has some major mammary tumors, and a bill like that is $3,500 just for the mammary tumors,” she said. “I have to get rabies shots completed and a lot of dental examinations that need to be done.”
Owner of the home
As far as the homeowner, Yaussy said that she hasn’t learned much about the woman, while noting she wasn’t being prosecuted for alleged animal abuse or neglect.
“She’s not out of it and she has a job,” Yaussy said. “I would contact law enforcement if I found dead dogs, but there weren’t any at the house. The woman was living alone. She’s older, but she’s not elderly.”
Yaussy noted that the incident was not the worst situation that she’s experienced.
“That’s their entire world and that’s where they eat, sleep, poop and pee,” she said. “There were dogs that were locked in crates at that home. Those crates were filled with feces. I asked the animal control officer if this was the worst case that he has witnessed, and he told me no.”
Donations appreciated
Further, Yaussy noted that her facility is operating only on the generosity from the public.
“We receive no funding, other than for donations which puts a terrible strain on our facility,” she said. “For the past couple of years, it’s been worse because I’m probably, on average, receiving about 20 phone calls a day, but we’re not adopting out 20 animals a day. I honestly I don’t know why some people hoard animals.” To make a donation to A Path For Paws call 702-591-6469.
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes