Six of the 36 border collies rescued from a Palm City hoarding case last month have found new homes, and shelter officials say the rest of the dogs are showing steady physical and emotional progress, according to Sarah Fisher, spokesperson for the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast.
Martin County deputies removed the 36 border collies from a Palm City home on Southwest Alligator Street on Aug. 10 after neighbors raised concerns about a suspected hoarding situation.
Applications to adopt the dogs opened September 1, and Fisher said six border collies have been placed in homes so far, with more adoptions scheduled throughout the week. Citing adopters' privacy, the shelter is not releasing information about the individuals or families who have taken in the dogs.
Ongoing training classes will also be available to adopters whose dogs need extra support adjusting to life in a home.
The border collies who have not yet been adopted are continuing to recover, Fisher said. Some are undergoing additional testing for possible internal organ issues, and the shelter expects a subset of the dogs will need to be placed as special-needs animals.
"They're all doing well," Fisher said. "Some of them, we think, have some internal organ issues, so we're sending them off for further testing, and once we hear back, we're just going to move forward from there. They'll be special needs dogs, but that's okay, too. We'll still adopt them out to loving homes that can handle that type of situation."
Fisher said the dogs' overall improvement has exceeded expectations.
"I really thought it was going to take months for them to feel better, both physically [and] mentally, and it's just been weeks, and they're doing really, really great," she said.
The Humane Society continues to ask for donations to its emergency medical fund, which Fisher said supports not only the border collies but the roughly 200 other animals currently in the shelter's care, including dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs.
"We're always looking for donations to our emergency medical fund," Fisher said. "We're still doing a lot of detailed diagnostic testing on the dogs, and the emergency medical fund also cares for all of the other animals ... that are in our shelter right now."
The shelter's "Name Your Price" adoption special for any dog or cat over one year old remains in effect until further notice.
Donations can be made at hstc1.org