Dogs Rescued From Cape May County Home Need Your Help

Donations are needed to help care for the rescued canines.

The State Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals raided a Middle Township home around 10 a.m. on Saturday, finding 57 dogs on the property, including the dead bodies of six and at least 20 living in terrible conditions.

Now, the rescued dogs need your help.

The local shelters and animal hospitals that are fostering the canines are asking for donations -- which are needed to continue boarding and caring for the animals.

When the dogs were found, they were malnourished, the pens were filthy and they had no fresh water, according to Frank Rizzo of the N.J. State SPCA Police.

"The conditions inside the home are what you'd typically see in a hoarding situation," said Rizzo

According to authorities, the house, located on the 700 block of Goshen Road, smelled of ammonia and was covered with the feces and urine of the animals. Various breeds were found, including pit bulls, collies, labs and shih tzus.

Police arrested the homeowner, 46-year-old Dawn Scheld, who was not present when the house was raided. Police plan on charging her with various cases of animal cruelty. She is being held in custody at the Cape May Courthouse on $50,000 bail.

Authorities say that Scheld used Internet sites to find animals to adopt from adoption groups and animal lovers. Some of her dogs were shelter animals.

"We've been here repeatedly since August of this year," said Rizzo. "We tried to remediate the problem with the homeowner. We were unable to get any cooperation."

Donations can be made to the following locations:

Animal Orphanage
421 Cooper Rd.
Voorhees, NJ 08043

Shore Vetrinarian Hospital
73 Hope Corson Rd.
Seaville, NJ 08230

Columbus Animal Hospital
3025 Rt 206S.
Columbus, NJ 08022
Dr. Lingley, DVM

Cape May County Animal Shelter
4 Moore Rd.
Cape May Court House, NJ 08210

Cumberland County Animal Shelter
1244 N. Delsey Dr.
vineland, NJ 08360

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