LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – A Las Vegas animal shelter has taken in over 80 animals from multiple hoarding situations discovered late last week.
It all started when Boulder City Police received a tip Friday from an animal advocate, which led to authorities finding animals hoarded in three different locations across the valley.
Nevada Voters for Animals President Gina Greisen says she got the tip from a guinea pig rescue. She followed the tip all the way to Boulder City, contacting different agencies along the way, until Boulder City Police got involved.
“It’s a disease like many diseases, some people gamble, some people shop,” Greisen says. “Unfortunately, when it’s animals, we’re talking about living beings that are suffering.”
Boulder City Police say after receiving Greisen’s tip, they stopped an SUV for a broken taillight. Inside that car, they found 51 guinea pigs and rabbits, with 11 of the guinea pigs dead, inside a variety of plastic totes and luggage.
“This was probably the worst one that I’ve seen,” Boulder City Police Operations Divisions Director, Lt. Thomas Healing, says.
The discovery inside the SUV was only the beginning of law enforcement’s findings.
When a woman inside the vehicle expressed concern about other animals at a Las Vegas home and hotel, Healing says they notified the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Metro Police received search warrants and found 30 dogs inside a hotel room, with 10 of them already dead. The search warrant on the suspects’ house found 15 dogs and more guinea pigs.
The Las Vegas Animal Foundation took in 88 animals from this incident.
“In this case it was a lot of guinea pigs, about 25 dogs, hamsters, birds, even a few tortoises and a rabbit I believe,” the CEO of The Animal Foundation, Hilarie Grey, says.
She described the situation as all hands on deck for the shelter’s staff.
“Because, if you can imagine 88 animals at the same time, we have to prepare to set up housing for them, to make sure everybody can get eyes on them and get up their exams and anything that they need immediately,” Grey says.
Because the animals were seized, she says they will hold the animals for a minimum of 10 days. They hope to eventually help the animals find their forever homes.
Grey says this serves as a great reminder for why it’s so important for the public to stay vigilant, and report hoarding cases when they see them.
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