(NECN: Josh Brogadir) - Animal welfare officials are reporting one of the largest hoarding situations in Massachusetts they've seen in years.
Nearly 200 animals were rescued from a house in Lynnfield.
"It was a visual and sound, sensory, smell overload," Dr. Martha Smith-Blackmore of the Animal Rescue League of Boston says.
Dr. Smith-Blackmore, who is also vice president of animal welfare for the Animal Rescue League of Boston, says in addition to 27 dogs, there were 77 cats, 81 birds, eight reptiles and six hedgehogs. Most were in cages and crates stacked upon each other throughout the home, although some were loose throughout the house.
MSPCA says that many of the animals were victims of neglect, living in unsanitary conditions and needed to be nursed back to health.
"The animals were filthy. Many of them were very thin, and some of them were quite alarmed by the sight of new people in the house, so they were scared," Dr. Smith-Blackmore says.
But after 12 days of treatment, the animals are showing signs of resilience.
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"They're doing very well. They're responding very nicely to the medical care that they've received and the grooming care and they're starting to show happy personalities,"
The call originally came in for a body at the home and police say the death does not appear to be suspicious.
