More than 30 dogs were rescued from a bungalow in Kent after their owner died.
The terrier dogs – aged from four weeks to 10 years – may have been left to fend for themselves for some time before police discovered their owner’s body.
The RSPCA was called to the home in Rainham where only six dogs were thought to have been living.
But it soon became apparent many more were spread across the property, where access to the rooms proved difficult because of the clutter.
It took officers from the animal charity at least a week to recover them all, and the entire home had to be cleaned up first.
They had to set traps and cameras to catch some of the more fearful terriers who had been hiding in all the nooks and crannies of the bungalow.
Animal rescue officer Brian Milligan said: ‘The last two puppies were caught using a cat trap, which proved a tricky process as the dogs were too light to set them off.
‘This was a difficult exercise, which saw the RSPCA deploy significant resources to clear the property and ensure we found all the dogs.
‘We went to the house every day over a week to conduct extensive searches to rescue every dog – in the end we had to clear every room.’
Officers even had to return to the bungalow this week to ensure there were no more dogs present.
They are now being cared for at several RSPCA animal centres and a small number are to be taken on by a local charity.
All have been given thorough vet examinations to make sure they are fit to be re-homed, while some had to undergo medical treatment.
Kent Police say they are not treating the death of the homeowner as suspicious.
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