Authorities in Illinois have rescued forty-eight cats and forty-three dogs from a home that caught fire on Monday in Northbrook, a suburb of Chicago. Firefighters responded to the scene and discovered the domestic animals living in deplorable conditions.
After being rescued, the 43 dogs, which are all Chihuahuas, were accepted into Border Tails Rescue, an animal rescue and welfare organization in Prospect Heights, Illinois. According to Fox News, most of the dogs had some type of health issue. However, Border Tails Rescue could not take the 48 cats because it is a dog shelter.
The dogs weigh between five and nine pounds except one, who weighs seventeen pounds and was considered to be the mom. The mother dog, who was estimated to be 12 years old, was named Meryl Streep. According to the shelter, Streep apparently has never received medical care. She was suffering from a severe heart murmur and has a large mass about the size of a plum in her abdomen.
Many of the other canines have skin, hair, and dental issues. Border Tails Rescue explained that they did not hesitate to accept the dogs when they first heard about the situation. Needless to say, taking care of 43 dogs is not cheap. In fact, the shelter which is funded through donations and adoption fees estimates it will cost them approximately $25,000 to give the dogs the care they need.
