Eighty-five dogs and eleven horses were pulled out of a single property in Groveland, Florida, after Lake County deputies said they found animals living in filth, some caged, some loose, and several dangerously underweight. Investigators reported that the inside of the home was covered in animal waste and garbage, with the smell of feces and ammonia noticeable even from outside. Most of the dogs are believed to be Rat Terrier mixes.

On August 18, the Lake County Sheriff's Office Animal Enforcement and Agricultural Unit executed a search warrant on the property. The property's owner then gave up custody of all 85 dogs and the 11 horses. Criminal charges are still pending the results of veterinary assessments, but the scale of neglect described by deputies raises serious questions about how long these animals suffered before anyone intervened.

The dogs are now at the Lake County Florida Animal Shelter, receiving medical care, but the shelter says it is overwhelmed. "With so many pets already at the shelter, we are urgently seeking rescue partners," the shelter wrote in a Facebook post, adding that organizations able to take in ten or more dogs are especially needed.

Animals used for breeding should not end up starving in their own waste. This petition calls on Florida's Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office to pursue the strongest available felony animal cruelty charges once the veterinary evidence comes back, and on Lake County officials to make sure the shelter gets the emergency funding and rescue support it needs to care for these 96 animals.

Sign the petition to demand full accountability for this owner and real support for the animals left behind.