Around 700 dogs and cats have been rescued in a massive Los Angeles County animal welfare operation.
The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control said it served a search warrant in Lake Hughes, California, Friday morning “for violation of animal welfare laws.”
An estimated 400 dogs and 300 cats were on the property and needed to be rescued, according to local officials. The Department of Animal Care and Control said it was the “largest number of dogs and cats” that it “has ever seized and may be the largest case ever in the United States.”
The animals were in the custody of Christine De Anda of Rock N Pawz Rescue, authorities said. It’s unclear whether any charges have been filed in connection with the rescue operation.
The Independent has reached out to Rock N Pawz for comment.
More than 70 animal care and control staff raced to rescue the animals with the help of spcaLA, Pasadena Humane and Kern County Animal Services.
“We’re working alongside DACC and partner agencies with a shared focus on getting these animals to safety and providing them with the care they need,” Pasadena Humane told The Independent. “As this ongoing effort unfolds, we are prepared to provide support in whatever way best serves the animals involved.”
Representatives from the Los Angeles County Departments of Public Works, Public Health and Regional Planning were also at the property for other alleged violations.
The Department of Animal Care and Control said in its press release posted on Facebook around 8 a.m. local time that the animals were being “triaged on site by veterinary medical staff.”
Animals in need of emergency care will be immediately taken to veterinary hospitals, and others will be taken to the department’s animal care centers, the press release said.
The department is experienced in these types of rescue operations.
In 2017, animal specialists rescued more than 100 venomous snakes and reptiles from an “animal hoarding situation,” the department said. In another operation that same year, the department rescued more than 7,000 birds during what it called the “largest illegal cockfighting raid in U.S. history.”
With the massive influx of dogs and cats from Friday’s operation, the department is working with rescue groups and other animal welfare agencies to transfer pets ready for adoption to make room for the rescued animals.
“We are urgently requesting the public’s help to support the rescue and rehabilitation of these dogs and cats,” said Marcia Mayeda, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control.
In a follow-up Facebook post, the department asked for help with the rescued animals’ medical care, housing and other support they may need, urging the public to donate to the LA County Animal Care Foundation.
