Dog Finds New Home After Being Rescued From North Bergen Hoarder Last Month

BERGEN COUNTY, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A dog rescued from a hoarding house in North Bergen last month has now found a new owner.

Bear, a lab-mix puppy, was one of more than 50 animals found inside a Hillcrest Road house with no heat and filthy living conditions.

A dead dog and several dead cats were also discovered in the home.

Debbie Provencher, Bear's new owner, remembers the news coverage from that day when the animals were rescued.

"I saw people carrying out the dogs and I saw some of them. Some of them were so young and to think that no one was caring for them, and then some of them just looked really frightened," she told CBS2's Valerie Castro.

That's when she decided to step into action and give one of the dogs a forever home.

Provencher and her husband reached out to one of the shelters that took in the animals, and that's where they found Bear.

"The sheet about him that first assessed him said that he was so scared they had to carry him out," she explained to CBS2. "He wouldn't come out on a leash or anything like that, so just thinking they were all traumatized."

Despite the emotional obstacles, Bear has become part of the family.

"We're going to go to obedience classes, starting next Saturday actually" Provencher said.

There are still several other dogs that were saved that are up for adoption at the Second Chance Pet Adoption League in Oak Ridge and at the Ramapo Bergen Animal Rescue.