The McCracken County Humane Society is struggling after taking in 65 dogs in two days.
The Paducah Sun reports it started on Sunday with the report of a pit bull puppy in bad shape. The puppy later died, and on Monday 10 dogs, most of them pit bulls, were removed from the residence. One of them immediately gave birth to a litter of 11.
Then on Tuesday, McCracken deputies learned that jail inmate Jennifer Campbell had dogs in her home that had not been taken care of since her arrest the previous Friday.
Campbell would not consent to an animal welfare check, so they had to obtain a search warrant.
Animal Control found more than 40 Chihuahuas in the home in extremely poor conditions, including some that had died.
Forty-four Chihuahuas made it to the shelter on Tuesday.
"Some of them are injured. They're flea infested. They're a mess," shelter director Terry Vannerson said.
Because all 65 dogs are part of court cases, the shelter cannot immediately put them up for adoption.
Vannerson said the situation is difficult. Before this week, the largest number of animals the shelter had taken in at once was 27 cats a few years ago.
Despite the difficulty of suddenly caring for so many animals, Vannerson has been heartened by the public's support. The phones are constantly ringing with people wanting to know when the dogs can be adopted.
Donations of food and money have come in, too. Vannerson said she was moved to tears when one man showed up with a $1,000 donation Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Campbell and her father, Harold Campbell, each face multiple counts of second-degree cruelty to animals, a misdemeanor. Authorities have not released information on any charges in the case of the pit bulls.
