Rescuers save 2,000 animals from ‘appalling’ conditions in California warehouse
Nearly 2,000 birds, fish and reptiles were rescued from a warehouse where they were being kept in “appalling conditions”, officials said.
But in the squalid warehouse in Montclair, California, east of Los Angeles near San Bernardino, another 1,000 animals were found dead, said the Inland Valley Humane Society and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
The rescued animals included fish, chickens, parakeets and lovebirds, including some exotic species. They “were being kept in appalling conditions”, the organisation said in a Facebook post. It also said there was little ventilation in the building and no food or water for the birds.
The animals were found when officers responded to reports of noise and putrid odours coming from the building in an industrial estate.
The warehouse was filled with “faeces and trash”, James Edward, operations manager for the Inland Humane Society and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said.
“There were what appeared to be hundreds of chickens running loose throughout the facility,” Edward said. “There was a strong odour of ammonia from the urine as well as debris, garbage, faeces (human and bird) all over the ground.”
Edward said the animals were taken from the site on Thursday and Friday and are recovering.
The Montclair Police Department could not be reached for comment about the investigation, including whether arrests have been made.
