29 dogs rescued from western Missouri, brought to St. Louis

29 dogs rescued from western Missouri, brought to St. Louis

PLEASANT HILL, Mo. – More than two dozen dogs rescued from western Missouri last week arrived at the Humane Society of Missouri’s St. Louis headquarters on Tuesday.

According to Gary Lowder, an HSMO spokesman, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office served a warrant on Dec. 22 at a property in Pleasant Hill, Missouri. Animal control agents from Harrisonville and Raymore took the dogs and kept them at a local shelter until the HSMO’s Animal Cruelty Task Forced arrived to bring them to St. Louis.

The rescued animals include German shepherds and other large, mixed breeds.

The St. Louis facility has the necessary resources to rehab the animals, HSMO President Kathy Warnick said.

“While our ACT team was not on-site for the rescue, from the news and images we’ve seen of these animals and the property they were kept on, it was clear this was not a safe, healthy environment for these dogs,” she said.

“We’re grateful for the efforts of Cass County law enforcement and the concerned citizens who advocated for the rescue of these animals.”

A deposition hearing is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2023, in Cass County, to determine custody of the animals. If the Humane Society is granted full custody, the dogs will eventually be available for adoption.

Missourians can report animal abuse or neglect via the HSMO Animal Cruelty Hotline at 314–647-4400.