Animals Rescued From Filthy Home

SANTEE, Calif. -- It was some of the most horrific conditions some officials said they've seen.

That was the assessment of veteran animal control officers on the scene at a Santee home where 26 animals were rescued from deplorable conditions.

"It was filthy, there was urine and feces everywhere; very poor ventilation. And when our officers were able to get into the home, there was no evidence of food or water available for the animals," said David Johnson of the County Department of Animal Services.

One female chow was seized from the home last week and prompted the search warrant and seizure of the other animals on Saturday.

"It (the chow) has a very severe infection around the face and the eyes. We're also dealing with a draining skin lesion on the side. It's under our medical care by our staff veterinarians and we're running further diagnostic tests," said Johnson.

The other animals are being treated at the Bonita facility, and although it's still too early to tell hopes are high for their recovery.

"Many of the animals, because of the deplorable conditions they were in ... the fur was urine soaked, a lot of feces and debris is trapped in their fur. We're going to be bringing in professional groomers to start cleaning up the animals and that will allow us to assess their conditions even further," said Johnson.

The animals are in the care of an animal rescue group from Southern California.

The homeowner faces possible charges after a completed investigation.