The dogs, a mix of adult canines and puppies, are now receiving medical treatment from the San Diego Humane Society

The San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) is spending New Year’s Eve helping dozens of dogs rescued from neglect.

According to the nonprofit organization, the La Mesa Police Department contacted SDHS for assistance on Dec. 29 after conducting a welfare check at a 500-square-foot apartment in California, where officers found about 40 dogs and puppies living in filth.

“Our Humane Law Enforcement team responded to a call that no animal welfare organization ever wants to receive. Following a welfare check by the La Mesa Police Department, our Humane Officers arrived on-scene to discover approximately 40 dogs and puppies inside a 500-square-foot apartment,” SDHS shared in a Dec. 30 Facebook post. “They were living in severely unsanitary conditions, with floors covered in feces. The tenant hadn’t been seen for days, and the animals were in desperate need of help.”

A spokesperson for the San Diego Humane Society told PEOPLE that the nonprofit sent its humane law enforcement officers to the apartment, where rescuers believe the 40 dogs had been alone since Dec. 23. The officers immediately provided the canines with water and food, then began giving them emergency medical care.

“Each dog received a medical exam, vaccinations, dewormer, and microchip before being settled in to decompress in their kennels,” the SDHS spokesperson said about the rescue process, noting that it was “one of the worst hoarding situations our humane officers have seen.”

SDHS’s rescuers wore goggles and PPE to protect themselves from the home’s unsanitary conditions. After providing the dogs with nourishment and medical treatment, the rescuers move the pets to one of the organization’s shelters.

Now that the dogs’ immediate needs have been met, SDHS plans to focus on their emotional needs, as many appeared “shaken to the core.”

SDHS shared with PEOPLE that the “medical, behavior, and animal care teams will take over now, to ensure these dogs receive the support they need for a second chance.”

“Many of these dogs have medical and behavioral needs that will take time and resources to address. They have skin, dental, and eye conditions that require treatment. Their nails are overgrown, and they are so fearful they’re trembling,” the organization added.

In the face of the expenses required to get these dogs happy, healthy, and adoption-ready — and with hundreds of dogs already in its care — SDHS is asking animal lovers for support to ensure all the pets get the support they need.

“Before these dogs arrived, we were already caring for 725 dogs and puppies. Every available space is filled, but we’ll never turn away an animal in need,” SDHS wrote on Facebook, concluding its post with a request for donations. “Your support will help care for the dozens of dogs coming through our doors right now, along with every other animal in our shelters.”

 

The San Diego Humane Society shared that the La Mesa Police Department conducted a welfare check at the apartment for the tenant living there, who was facing eviction. The unnamed individual has not been seen at the apartment since Dec. 23, according to SDHS.

To learn more about the San Diego Humane Society and the nonprofit’s work, visit the organization’s website.