Local humane society looking after 20 of the 40 dogs seized from a Sunbury home

Eric Halperin
·2 min read

SUNBURY, Ohio (WCMH) — Twenty of the forty dogs recently seized from a Sunbury property are being taken care of at the Humane Society of Delaware County.

The property owner is facing 30 charges. The seizure happened after video showing the dogs’ living conditions went viral on social media. The dogs were attached to metal chains, they were surrounded by mud and water, and their shelters were blue water bins.

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“They’ve all been really sweet, they’ve all been very nice, little scared, timid, I would be too,” said Jana Cassidy, Executive Director of HSDC, about the dogs in the shelter’s care.

Since the case is still active, NBC4 cannot see or get updated video of the dogs. But Cassidy said they are doing well.

“We’ve been very pleased with how they’re doing with their disposition, they’ve been  great with all the staff,” Cassidy said.

This is one of the largest dog cases HSDC has dealt with, according to Cassidy. She said space is the biggest challenge.

“Our capacity for care in this building when it comes to dogs is 29 and we’re sitting on 20 of these dogs from this case,” Cassidy said.

The other 20 dogs are with the Delaware County Dog Warden. Caring for the 20 dogs at HSDC would cost more than $13,000 dollars a month, according to the shelter. The shelter is not funded by tax dollars. Cassidy said the most impactful ways people can help are through adopting or fostering animals not from this case to create more space, getting things on the needs list, or donating.

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“We still have other activities that need to happen. Just because we have this 40 dog case, there’s still cat issues, there’s still other humane complaints, we still have the normal everyday activities that need to occur here,” Cassidy said. “We all love animals, we’re all trying to do the right thing by these dogs.”

There is a custody hearing next week, according to Cassidy.

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