Nearly 100 Chihuahuas rescued from Socorro property
SOCORRO, N.M. — 98 Chihuahuas – including more than a dozen pregnant ones – were rescued from a property in Socorro Thursday.
The woman helping to lead the rescue is Chelsea Worley, director of operations for the East Mountain Companion Animal Project.
“It looked like a junkyard. It was – it was awful,” Worley said. “Poor things are just covered in ticks and fleas. It was awful. But then we went inside of the house. There was just dogs everywhere. They were covering the floor. They’re everywhere. So we just sort of started picking them up as fast as we could, moving them outside.”
Worley said it was a textbook hoarding case uncovered by Socorro Adult Protective Services. She said there are three adults living at the property.
“They were picking and choosing who they wanted to keep. They didn’t want us to take all of the dogs. They also had other pets, there was guinea pigs, birds,” Worley said. “All of them seem to be very physically able to take care of the animals and ask for help, and they just hadn’t.”
Protective services reportedly called a local lap dog rescue first, but it didn’t have the manpower.
“This is our fourth or fifth big case like this that we’ve done,” Worley said. “So when they, you know, sent me a message, we jumped on board.”
Worley said it was deja vu – this time last year she was treating and finding homes for more than 60 Chihuahuas she helped rescue from a crash near Vaughn.
Her rescue took 61 from this case in Socorro and paired them with more than a dozen fosters.
“It feels very similar where we are just scrambling, who can foster, who can donate, we, you know, we have to get our vets on staff ready for whatever might come in,” she said.
Animal Humane, Best Friends Animal Society, Española Humane, and a few other rescues took the rest of the Chihuahuas.
“Overall, pregnancy is gonna be the biggest issue,” Worley said.
Fifteen of the dogs are expected to give birth soon.
“Once all these moms give birth, we’re gonna have 30 to 40 more,” she said. “So that really could have been prevented just with spay and neuter.”
Worley said there are still at least half a dozen dogs on the property since the owners didn’t give permission to take all of them. She thinks Animal Control is getting a warrant to take the remainder.
Worley says they need donations right now – and will need adopters to step up in about two months when a majority of the dogs will be ready for homes.
Ways to donate: