MEDINA

Cages filled every conceivable nook and cranny of the Medina County SPCA, which had gone into “disaster mode,” according to executive director Stephanie Moore.

The SPCA’s rescue team brought more than 100 dogs to its offices Feb. 11 after forcibly entering a Chippewa Lake home.

The Medina County Prosecutor’s Office filed charges against the homeowners – Glenda Curtis, 54, and her daughter Danielle Tschappat, 27. Both women received 20 counts of animal cruelty – a misdemeanor in the state of Ohio.

After receiving anonymous tips of horrible smells and lots of noise coming from the house, the rescue team, headed by Mary Jo Johnson, made its way to Chippewa Lake.

The homeowners didn’t answer when Johnson and her team knocked on the door. When the team returned with a search warrant and still no one answered, it forcibly entered the house.

Inside, they found an uninhabitable den filled with small dogs – mostly Cairn terriers and similar breeds. According to Moore, there was little to no furniture in the house and the floors were covered with upwards of two feet of trash and feces.

“It was classic animal hoarding,” Moore said. “I’m treating this like it’s a disaster.”

Volunteers scrambled to accommodate the overwhelming influx of dogs. As the SPCA building on South Medina Street turned into a 24/7 relief center, volunteers and staff members did everything they could to help the undeserving victims of squalor.

“Some of the dogs had fought and killed each other,” Moore said of the chaotic environment from which they were rescued. Since taking custody of the animals, a few females had given birth to litters of puppies — one of the new mothers, however, died in the process. By Feb. 13, the total number of dogs was at 124.

Moore explained that the woman and her daughter had started off breeding dogs, but it got out of control over time. The home became a den of iniquity, where the dogs lived among piles of rotting garbage and their own feces. They were fed uncooked rice and raw kale. By the time the SPCA intervened, most of the dogs had bite marks, worms and terribly matted fur.

SPCA staff members referred to this situation as among the worst they’d ever seen. Earlier in the week, a Lafayette Township woman was sentenced to 30 days in jail for animal cruelty. She was arrested in November 2010 after the Medina County SPCA discovered 77 animals in her home.

Moore said that the local SPCA outlet will be working with nearby rescue operations for particular breeds. The adoption process will likely begin soon — after the dogs have been properly treated. Many will be spayed or neutered.

In the meantime, the flash influx has left the SPCA in desperate need. Agency volunteers have issued a request for newspapers, food, blankets, squeaky toys, puppy playpens (can be loaned) people to come and help clean cages and of course, money. Donations can be made at any FirstMerit Bank, online via PayPal or in person at the SPCA Animal Care Facility, 245 S. Medina St. The facility is open from noon to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The office number is (330) 723-7722.

See more Medina news at cleveland.com/medina

Contact Sandy at (216) 986-7543