More than 30 dogs rescued in Kent after owner's death

More than 30 terriers have been rescued from a bungalow after the owner died.

The property in Rainham, Kent, was thought to be home to six dogs, but the RSPCA found many more spread across heavily-cluttered rooms.

The animal charity set up traps and cameras to catch the more fearful dogs who had hid and fended for themselves for days after the initial visit.

The body of the homeowner was found on 15 January. Kent Police are not treating the death as suspicious.

Animal rescue officer Brian Milligan said: "All in all this was a difficult exercise, which saw the RSPCA deploy significant resources to clear the property and ensure we found all the dogs.

"We went to the house every day over a week to conduct extensive searches to rescue every dog. In the end we had to clear every room."

The dogs, aged from four weeks to 10 years, are being cared for at several RSPCA centres and a local charity.

Some have received medical treatment and all are being given vet examinations to make sure they are fit to be rehomed.

The owner's relatives, who had been unaware of the extent of the problems at the property, liaised with the RSPCA during the investigation.

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