WHITLEY COUNTY —More than 60 dogs are being carefully checked out by health officials after they were removed on Monday under a court order.

An investigation at the home near Crooked Lake found deplorable living conditions for the animals and their human owners.

At a shelter run by the Humane Society of Whitley County, veterinarians with the State Board of Animal Health on Tuesday were busy examining more than five dozen puppies and dogs carted away from a home on East Gatesworth Drive.

The animals were in various conditions.

“If they’re sick enough that it’s inhumane to keep them alive then they need to be euthanized but I don’t believe that there’s too many of these right now that we have,” said Scott Wagner, Whitley County’s Health Department Director.

People living near the older couple called in complaints that they were hoarding dogs and at times were letting them run loose.

Armed with a court order, the health department on Monday paid the property a visit, along with representatives from the county planning and building department and sheriff’s deputies.

They were found in violation of a zoning ordinance for having kennels and for dog breeding on site.

The Whitley County prosecutor will get a full report on how the dogs are doing to decide if animal neglect charges are warranted.

The environment the people were living in at the home was not good either.

“There was feces of every sort and every kind on every floor in every room, beyond what you’d even see in a barnyard sometimes, Wagner said.

The shelter housing the seized dogs currently overwhelmed with animals.

If you’d like to donate money or materials to help out, you are urged to contact the Humane Society offices at 260-244-6664 as soon as possible.

Source: WPTA