By Maria Hickey, KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – The Humane Society of Missouri says it's the largest animal rescue the organization has taken part in.
The agency, along with Polk County Sheriff's Department, rescued 315 animals from an 80-acre property near Pleasant Hope in southwest Missouri Tuesday.
There were more than 70 dogs, 51 rabbits, 40 exotic birds, 35 cats, 25 ducks, 25 chickens, 25 hamsters, 10 goats, 10 mice, 7 pigeons, 6 donkeys, 5 horses, 5 peafowl, 1 pig and an unknown number of fish.
Spokeswoman Jeane Jae was on the property Tuesday and called the conditions deplorable.
"You just can't believe that any living creature was there," Jae said. "It was filthy; debris and trash strewn throughout the entire property. Stagnant, filthy water for the animals. No fresh running water for the animals that we could see."
The farm animals will go to the Humane Society's Longmeadow Rescue Ranch in Union, Missouri. The other animals will be brought to the agency's headquarters in St. Louis, where they'll eventually be put up for adoption.
A September 2nd hearing date has been set in Polk County.