Authorities in Southern California rescued 22 dogs, eight of which were puppies, on Monday after police discovered the pack near a homeless encampment in El Rio. The dogs had been observed roaming close to a busy road, interfering with operations at a nearby oil field, and straying onto private property.
Oxnard Animal Safety Unit was alerted to the situation and subsequently contacted the Ventura County Animal Services and the nonprofit Dog Days Search and Rescue for assistance. Officials were able to secure all the dogs, who are of mixed breeds and varied ages.
Dominic Wassil of Ventura County Animal Services stated that the shelter is currently at capacity. "We went down there, we were able to secure all dogs, and now they're here at the shelter," Wassil said in a Facebook post. "Our shelter is very full at the moment; once they are ready for adoption, people can come on down and check them out."
All the rescued dogs will be spayed or neutered, vaccinated, treated for fleas, and microchipped before being made available for adoption. "They are scared and will need patience, time, and love," according to a shelter post. Currently, adoption fees are being waived due to the shelter being over capacity.
A member of Dog Days Search and Rescue expressed that the dogs will now have the opportunity to find loving homes. As of the publication of the initial report, four adult female dogs were available for adoption.