171 dogs euthanized in Nye County animal abuse case

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has provided an update now on the hundreds of dogs found in an animal abuse case in Nye County.

FOX5 has learned that 171 dogs were euthanized out of a total of 276 dogs found.

Two people were arrested for animal abuse charges after the dogs were found living in horrible conditions.

Nye County authorities seize 300 dogs in animal cruelty case

Six dogs died outside the number of those euthanized according to the new information released by the ASPCA. The national organization took 82 dogs into its care.

Many FOX5 viewers reached out asking how to help the dogs. With Nye County Sheriff’s Office taking in thousands in donations from the public a total of 17 dogs were adopted.

Below is the ASPCA’s full statement to FOX5:

When the ASPCA stepped in at the request of the Nye County Sheriff’s Office in September, we provided daily care and medical and behavioral support for 276 dogs at the emergency shelter in Pahrump. ASPCA veterinarians conducted in-depth exams on the dogs and observed significant medical issues among the population that required urgent medical care. The ASPCA relocated 82 of the dogs to our specialized Cruelty Recovery Center (CRC) in Columbus, Ohio; an additional 16 dogs (15 puppies and one adult) have been placed with the Nevada Humane Society and several of those dogs have already been adopted into new homes; and one additional dog was adopted locally in Nye County.
The ASPCA views every animal as an individual and each dog was continually monitored, assessed, and provided both medical and behavioral support by credentialed medical and behavior experts to help determine the most appropriate outcome and placement option. Sadly, due to severe medical and behavioral issues, six dogs passed away and the remaining dogs rescued from this case had to be humanely euthanized. As victims of alleged cruelty, horrific living conditions and likely irresponsible breeding practices, many dogs suffered from a wide array of serious medical conditions, severe aggression and/or extreme fear that made them unsafe to place or caused a poor quality of life.
The 82 dogs relocated to our CRC are still recovering from medical issues or require additional behavioral treatment to prepare them for life in a home. They are safely settling into the shelter where we are providing treatment specifically for animal victims of cruelty and neglect so that they have the greatest chance of recovering. The unprecedented decision to commission a 747-cargo plane to fly these traumatized dogs to our facility was the safest method of transportation and spared them the additional stress of a lengthy trip by ground transport.
While there is still a long road ahead for these victimized dogs to heal and thrive, our hope is that many can be placed into new, loving homes in the future.
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals