Nearly 50 animals are finally safe after authorities removed them from a disturbing Tennessee property linked to an animal rescue organization now under investigation.
A total of 47 animals were surrendered on Monday, Aug. 11, including 37 dogs, seven chickens, two turkeys and one pig, according to Animal Rescue Corps.
Six of the dogs were still nursing puppies when rescuers arrived.
The large-scale rescue operation was dubbed Operation Money Trail.
The animals were taken from a Cheatham County property connected to Cane-9 Rescue and Sanctuary, which has recently faced allegations involving animal cruelty and fraud.
Animal Rescue Corps, a national nonprofit that specializes in major cruelty and neglect cases, stepped in to help care for the animals.
The rescue came as investigators in Georgia served search warrants at separate Cane-9 properties and arrested founder Jennifer Lovette Caneup and her brother-in-law, Joshua Caneup, according to WKRN.
Authorities are continuing to investigate exactly what happened and whether the organization was a legitimate rescue that spiraled out of control or something more sinister.
“The nature of this case is deeply disturbing,” ARC Executive Director Tim Woodward said.
Woodward said cases like this can involve groups presenting themselves as animal rescues and soliciting donations from compassionate people while allegedly failing to provide even basic care for the animals they claim to be helping.
But he cautioned that investigators still do not know the full motive behind this particular case.
“We don’t know for certain if we’re looking at a ‘rescue gone wrong’ or individuals posing as a rescue with malicious intent from the beginning to take money from people who believed donating was the only way they could help the animals,” Woodward said.
“Unfortunately, the tragic result is the same.”
Woodward said both types of situations happen more often than many people realize, with well-meaning donors sometimes giving money to organizations they know very little about.
What rescuers reportedly found at the Tennessee property was grim.
Animals were being kept in pens and makeshift kennels surrounded by waste, bones and debris.
Investigators also discovered the remains of multiple animals on the property.
Those remains reportedly included several birds, four goats and a piglet.
One rescued turkey was in such poor condition that veterinarians determined its injuries had gone untreated for so long that euthanasia was the most humane option.
Conditions inside the home were also alarming.
Many of the dogs had reportedly been kept indoors, where responders measured dangerous ammonia levels in the air.
The levels were especially concerning near the floor, where dogs and puppies would have been breathing.
Veterinary examinations found signs of prolonged neglect throughout the group.
Some animals were underweight and dehydrated.
Others suffered from ear infections, eye infections, internal parasites and ringworm.
Since Wednesday, Aug. 13, the rescued animals have been undergoing extensive veterinary examinations to determine exactly what treatment each one needs.
Fortunately, Animal Rescue Corps said all of the surviving animals are responding well to care.
The dogs arrived covered in filth and smelling strongly of urine, making baths one of the rescuers’ first priorities.
And the transformation reportedly happened almost immediately.
An ARC representative said the dogs became “ecstatically grateful and joyous” after being cleaned and cared for.
Some began jumping up for attention.
Just one day earlier, rescuers said many of them had been standing almost motionless “like statues.”
The dogs are now being cared for at Animal Rescue Corps’ rescue center outside Nashville.
There, they are receiving veterinary treatment, vaccinations, nutritious food, behavioral support and a safe place to recover.
The surviving farm animals are also getting a fresh start.
The chickens, remaining turkey and pig were transferred to Piccolo Farms Animal Sanctuary, an Animal Rescue Corps partner that specializes in caring for farm animals.
For dozens of animals that had allegedly been living in filthy and dangerous conditions, the rescue marked the beginning of a very different life.
And while the investigation into Cane-9 Rescue and Sanctuary continues, the animals themselves are finally getting the care rescuers say they should have received all along.