Raid on Billericay homes finds remains of 37 dogs
THE bodies of 37 dogs were removed from a property in Billericay alongside 20 living animals following a largescale raid on Tuesday.
Essex Police, the RSPCA and Basildon Council worked together on the raid at the Hope Road, Crays Hill property following numerous reports from campaigners who believe the property was running as a "fraudulent rehoming centre".
Raid - A number of police and RSPCA vehicles were on the scene throughout Tuesday (Image: Essex Police) Two men have been arrested on suspicion of fraud and failing to prevent unnecessary suffering to animals, while dozens of owners have expressed their heartbreak at learning of their pets' fate.
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The raid saw teams from Essex Police, Basildon Council and the RSPCA descend on the Hope Road property on Tuesday, with a presence remaining throughout Wednesday.
Safe - A husky was rescued from the property (Image: Tracey Whatmore) Inspector Steve Parry, of the Basildon neighbourhood policing team, said: 'As a result of a number of reports relating to dogs which were made through the Action Fraud system, officers from our neighbourhood team have worked alongside colleagues in the RSPCA and Basildon Council to piece together actionable information.
'That work resulted in Tuesday's joint visit.
'At this stage, we believe we have found the remains of 37 dogs and about 20 live dogs which are now being cared for.
'The priority for all our partners is to locate their last-known owners.'
Many of the dogs found dead and alive at the property had been given to the home owner by people from across the country looking to rehouse their pets.
Action - Michelle Clay and Tracey Whatmore have had concerns since October (Image: George Pizani) Some had travelled from across the country in the hope of securing a better life for their dogs, and were devastated to learn of the news.
Campaigners who have had suspicions regarding the "rescue centre" have been reaching out to individual pet owners since October and claim they have been inundated with complaints from residents across the country who rehomed their dogs only to hear nothing from the men allegedly running the centre.
One of those campaigners, Tracey Whatmore, played some of the desperate messages she's received from owners trying to find out if their dog was among the 20 or so to be rescued alive.
'I've got the owners messaging me constantly because they know I was here and they're sending me pictures of dogs and asking if they're alive - I know they're not but I've just not got it in me to tell them,' she said.
Action - Two people have been arrested following the raid on the Crays Road property (Image: Tracey Whatmore) Neighbours in the area have also reacted with shock and sadness at the discovery, and say that despite noticing a strong smell over the course of months, they could never have imagined the true horror of what lay inside.
The discovery has also been condemned by Basildon councillors including Labour's council leader, Gavin Callaghan, who said: "I'm aware of the deeply distressing reports following a police raid in Billericay, where a number of deceased dogs have been discovered. Like many of you, I am absolutely devastated by this."
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