Authorities rescued 263 dogs that were being hoarded by a former breeder in South Venice, officials said.
It took Sarasota County Animal Services three days to rescue all of the flea-infested dogs from a chicken coop behind the home, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Though the dogs were well-fed, many had open sores, hookworm and heartworm, officials said.
They said they found the animals after they received an anonymous tip.
“It was a horrible situation for them to be living in,” Lt. Scott Ortner, animal service director, told the Herald.
He said the owner of the dogs, 59-year-old Donna Faircloth, was a former breeder who did not want to euthanize the dogs when she was unable to sell them due to the downed economy.
Faircloth’s husband, Bernard Faircloth, told the Herald his wife was clinically depressed and had turned to hoarding, adding that the pair spent about $1,200 a month on food and medicine for the dogs.
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He said his was facing three misdemeanor charges, according to the Herald.
