KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City animal shelter helped rescue dozens of dogs from a breeder in northern Missouri.

Wayside Waifs and Animal Rescue League of Iowa responded to the breeder who surrendered 34 American Eskimos, Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers earlier this week.

Wayside Waifs said all of the dogs need to be vaccinated and either spayed or neutered. Some of the dogs will also need eye and dental surgeries before they can be adopted.

“We are happy to collaborate with others like ARL to help more animals. Wayside Waifs’ behavior teams are uniquely qualified to help in situations like this where the dogs will likely need extra support to really come out of their shells and thrive,” said Kathryn Mahoney, Wayside Waifs president.

The rescue organizations warn the dogs are being moved to shelters at a time when they are already trying to care for record numbers of dogs.

Wayside Waifs said they’re full. They have more than 250 animals right now.

That’s why they shelter is reducing adoption fees for dogs already in the shelter to try to make room for the rescued animals. All dogs and puppies are half price through May. The labs are originally $275.

“The most important thing is finding a patient home for them because they’re going to need a gentle place to land,” K-9 Behavior Center manager Debbi Scheloski said.

Scheloski said these animals might have some behavioral challenges after growing up in a puppy mill.

“They are going to be under-socialized, shy and fearful; they probably haven’t been around a lot of people,” Scheloski said. “They’ve been, you know, housed outdoors.”

“It’s like babies, they depend on us for everything,” rescue owner Samantha Moore said. “And anyone that could think of hurting a dog or neglecting a dog, it just breaks my heart. I’m just glad there’s places like this that can take them in and can take care of them.”

Source: https://fox4kc.com/