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Anonymous tip leads to removal of 30 dogs from Fuquay-Varina home

More than 30 dogs were taken from a house in Fuquay-Varina after an anonymous call to authorities prompted a welfare check.

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WAKE COUNTY, N.C. — More than 30 dogs were taken from a house in Fuquay-Varina after an anonymous call to authorities prompted a welfare check.

The Wake County Sheriff’s Office received an anonymous tip on Feb. 7 about a home at 306 Depot Street. According to a search warrant, the caller believed there was an elderly woman living with her daughter and at least eight dogs.

After several visits to the home, authorities were able to remove all the dogs from the house. Seven of the dogs were brought to the SPCA holding facility.

Tara Lynn with the SPCA said the organization doesn’t always have access to the details of neglect or abuse cases, but there are telltale signs.

“It is very heartbreaking when you see a dog, like some of them you can see they want to get a little bit closer but they’re just not quite sure if it’s safe,” she said.

According to the warrant, officers noticed a strong odor of feces and urine coming from inside the home when Teresa Jones answered the door. Officers also reported seeing feces on Jones’ feet and shoes.

Jones refused several times to let authorities inside the home or let the animals go before the dogs were finally removed from the house.

“A lot of times, people have the best of intentions and they really want to help these animals and sometimes it can become overwhelming. That’s what we typically see in those hoarding cases,” Lynn said. “It’s very easy to get overwhelmed so we want to make sure we not only have compassion for the animals coming, but also have compassion for the people who sometimes end up in these situations and don’t necessarily mean to.”

Neighbors in the area said they knew there were quite a few dogs inside the home, but never expected more than 30.

The other dogs removed from the home are spread throughout Wake County and other neighboring counties.

The case remains under investigation.

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