Dozens of sick dogs rescued from home in Cleveland

HOUSTON, Texas (FOX 26) - On an examination table at the Houston SPCA sits a dog missing a large portion of its jaw due to an untreated infection.

"We are going to be first of all trying to keep him comfortable, getting some of the infection in his mouth under control and then we will asses whether he will be stable enough for anesthesia and surgery", says medical director Amy Crum.

He is one of dozens of dogs recently rescued and in need of medical care.

"These 67 dogs came from a home in Cleveland and Liberty county, the environment was really dirty, lots of urine and feces, really cramped quarters", says spokesperson Brian Latham.

The conditions of these dogs range from somewhat healthy, to those with skin infections, skin allergies and even some needing surgery.

THE SPCA will fight for the rights of these animals in court. Everyday the nonprofit has 8 full time investigators working these types of cases. "New cases unfortunately happen everyday so new work for us to look into and stop", says Latham.

Recently THE SPCA rescued 66 animals from a former rescue home in Montgomery County. While most cases aren't that large, they say even the smallest rescues are still important.

"There are so many animals in need of good homes, in need of extra care and if more people took the time to educate themselves and engage in responsible pet ownership issues and animal welfare issues, I think a lot of these problems could be solved before they start", says Crum.