In a Miami Township home near Milford, Ohio, 88 cats and one dog were found living in conditions so toxic that firefighters had to wear respirators to get inside. A court complaint says the animals had no clean food or water, and most showed clear signs of illness. The homeowner now faces a companion-animal charge, and the case is still pending. In the meantime, the animals are waiting in a shelter.

This was not a one-time event. Clermont County has seen several large animal seizures in recent years, including 11 dogs taken from one property in 2025 and 38 dogs and seven ferrets rescued in a Bethel case. Next door in Hamilton County, the dog warden handled seven cases involving six or more dogs from a single property in just three months.

The shelters taking in these animals are already full. Cincinnati Animal CARE reported taking in 112 dogs in a single week, 38 of them from animal welfare investigations, and said it had no open kennels left. Some dogs were being kept in temporary setups.

Animals rescued from hoarding often need more time and care. A study in the Journal of Shelter Medicine and Community Animal Health found that cats from hoarding cases stayed in shelters a median of 52 days, nearly twice as long as other surrendered cats, and more than half had dental disease.

The Clermont County Board of Commissioners and the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners can help fix this. They can set aside emergency funding and plan ahead for overflow space, foster networks, and veterinary care, so shelters are ready the next time dozens of animals are rescued at once.

Rescuing animals from cruelty is only the first step. Sign the petition to ask county leaders to make sure there is room and care for every animal saved.