MORRISTOWN, Tenn. — Seventeen chihuahuas are recovering in Hamblen County after they were found in a storage unit. No suspect has been named in the case, and the Morristown Hamblen Humane Society said some of the dogs were so young that their eyes hadn't opened yet.
Now, the humane society said the dogs are recovering.
"They're growing into their own personalities, had their checkups. Some of them had minor, you know, hiccups. But, they're all doing great," said Stephanie Garza, the director of the humane society in Hamblen County. "It is very heartbreaking, you know, to see such small animals try to brave the cold in the storage unit."
She said the humane society often gets calls from people across the community concerned about the conditions animals may be in. She said they may get calls about a pet not having any food, access to clean water or not having shelter.
According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, more animal abuse cases have been reported across the state. In 2022, 647 cases were reported compared to 474 cases in 2020 — a 36.5% increase.
"We do want people to say stuff because we don't want animal control to go out on a call and there's a frozen animal. Because it's heartbreaking to see those kinds of calls," said Garza.
Last year Tennessee lawmakers passed a bill that defines the type of shelter animals must be provided with. It formally defined what kind of shelter is acceptable for animals and created clear expectations for how a dog should be taken care of. They must have access to a clean environment, shelters must be capable of protecting dogs from inclement weather, shelters must have a solid surface so that they can lie down and shelters must be sanitary.
"In the end, they're just the ones that are suffering, when they really had no choice at all in the fact of how they were, how their lives have been," said Garza.
Senator Jon Lundberg (R - Bristol) also said in a statement that lawmakers will continue to consider legislation to support the humane treatment of pets in the upcoming legislative session.