25 dogs rescued from hoarding situation on Long Island after years of complaints from neighbors, officials say
Over two dozen dogs have been rescued from a Long Island home that officials say has been deemed unsafe.
Hoarding was happening for over 10 years, neighbors say
Twenty-five dogs, including two puppies that are just 6 months old, were rescued from the home on Richland Boulevard in Bay Shore.
The dogs were allegedly abused and starved, and they are now being treated and vaccinated inside the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Mobile Hospital at the Islip Animal Shelter.
Neighbors in Bay Shore say for over 10 years, they separately called the hamlet, the town, the county and the health department for help addressing the alleged hoarding situation. They said rats were seen in the backyard, and they could hear screeching and yelping.
"They told me she didn't kill any dogs, so she's still entitled to have dogs," Bay Shore homeowner Debbie Bracco said.
In 2017, the woman who lived at the home, Robin Mills, was arrested, but she was eventually able to return to her house and regain her dogs.
Bay Shore home condemned after dogs rescued
This week, however, investigators say Mills told them she lives in the backyard with her dogs and denied any abuse, and a judge had enough probable cause to sign a search warrant.
"The conditions inside were heavily hoarded — ammonia, feces, deceased rodent life," said Suffolk SPCA Det. Sgt. Joseph Galante.
Mills' house is now condemned.
Suffolk SPCA is taking the lead on the case, and the chief says criminal charges are pending.
"We thank the community for stepping up, for making the call," Suffolk County SPCA Chief Roy Gross said.
The neighbors hope Mills gets mental health support and the animals are able to be adopted into loving homes.
"You take animals out of an environment like this, which I've done, they make the best pets in the world," Gross said.