Two sisters from Culemborg, Gelderland, were discovered to own 125 Chihuahuas in a 112-square-metre house. The dogs have now been removed — to the neighbours’ delight and the sisters’ disappointment.
Residents from the quiet neighbourhood in the central Dutch province had been complaining about unbearable noise and odour since March.
Neighbours suspected the sisters to own around a dozen poorly kept dogs. But they were wrong: there were 125 of them.
Too many to care for
Authorities finally gained access to the sisters’ house after a failed first attempt. They were shocked to find that the situation was much worse than they had expected.
Evacuation operations ended up requiring 34 animal ambulance workers, seven ambulances, and two veterinarians.
The 125 Chihuahuas, more than one per square metre, lived in dire conditions: the house was soiled with urine and faeces, and many dogs showed evident health problems.
The two women barely walked any of them, residents tell AD — which explains the dozens of smelly bags that kept coming out of the house.
Good intentions weren’t enough
Locals talk of a “sad story”.
They say the sisters treated the dogs as their children, often asking neighbours for help taking them to the veterinarian, and even sparing themselves food to make sure the dogs were fed.
Apparently, the pair had been renting the house for years, with one working and the other caring for the pets full-time.
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Many of the dogs were rescues, and they were not spayed or neutered. Unsurprisingly, the situation got out of hand over time, and the sisters’ good intentions weren’t enough to care for over a hundred pets.
A new home, for dogs and owners
The authorities declared the house “unlivable” and forced the women and Chihuahuas to relocate. The sisters were only allowed to keep five dogs.
A court ruled keeping that many pets in one house is not only illegal, but also unmanageable, as the sisters’ struggle has shown.
Hopefully, the dogs will find new loving homes, and the sisters will be able to give their five remaining furry children a better life.
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