Wagoner Co. Sheriff's Dept. Finds Elderly Man, 30 Animals, Living In Filthy Conditions

The Wagoner County Sheriff's Department found a 79-year-old man living in dangerously filthy conditions, along with about 30 dogs and cats.

Sergeant James Carver said a neighbor called the department Saturday, asking for someone to check on the elderly man. When deputies arrived at the home west of Wagoner, they found the man lying on the ground, barely moving.

Carver said emergency personnel took the man to the hospital, where he's currently alert and talking. He signed a waiver to allow the Wagoner Animal Guardian Society, a local foster-based animal rescue, to care for the pets.

Now, deputies say they're looking for whoever was supposed to be caring for the man. They said family members may have been living in a tent outside of the home.

WAGS volunteers said they vomited as soon as they approached the house.

"There was feces on the wall, the furniture, there's cockroaches and bugs everywhere, maggots everywhere," said Kadi Edwards, chairperson of WAGS. "It's a horror story."

Edwards and other WAGS volunteers have the task of looking for any other animals that could still be on the property. They trapped one of the last remaining puppies Monday.

WAGS will have to provide medical care, including vaccinations, heartworm tests and treatment as well as mange, flea and tick treatment.

The rescue is currently looking for volunteers to foster the healthy animals. Most of the pets were split up between area rescues.

Volunteers said, although their conditions were horrid, the animals were clearly being cared for.

"Most of the dogs are healthy, so whoever took care of them did a good job," Edwards said. "They are fat and healthy."

WAGS was at full capacity before receiving the call, but Edwards said after seeing the home, she couldn't turn the animals away.

The dogs are mostly Dachshund and Chihuahua mixes. They should be available for adoption in the coming weeks.

Those that test positive for heartworm, however, won't be available for several months.

"I have never dealt with something like this before," she said. "It's quite an eye-opener for me, for all of us, something I don't ever want to deal with again."

If you have any information on this case, contact the Wagoner County Sheriff's Department at 918-485-7799.

If you are willing to foster one of the pets, visit WAGS' website.

If you would like to donate to WAGS to help with the animals' medical care, click here.