CONCORD, N.C. — Cabarrus County animal shelter workers are trying to find new homes for more than 20 dogs after investigators found them in a case of animal hoarding.
Deputies said the dogs were living in deplorable conditions inside a home on Valley Street NW in Concord, describing it as the worst they've seen in nearly 20 years.
"I've been inside puppy mills with over 100 dogs, I've been inside plenty of animal hoarder homes, and this by far, is the worst I've seen," Brian Eggers from Animal Control said. "Oh, the smell was incredible, just the stinging smell of ammonia.
Eggers said he was the first officer inside the home Monday.
"The first room we went in just tamped down feces and a bunch of unused furniture, garbage, trash strewn all about the house," Eggers said.
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Officers said they were able to get the owner to voluntarily surrender all 23 dogs, most of which were suffering from skin ailments.
"Big patches of fur missing, some of them developed some scabs from where they have been scratching," Eggers said. "He didn't see an issue with how they were being kept, he told me they were fine they were happy."