40 dogs rescued from apartment with a foot of poop

By Ben Barry

Shocking footage captured the moment 40 dogs were rescued from a tiny apartment living in under a foot of feces.

The dogs and puppies - a mix of breeds - were found in an apartment in La Mesa, San Diego County, California, on Dec. 29, 2025, by La Mesa police officers who were performing a welfare check on a tenant facing eviction.

The tenant had not been seen since Dec. 23.

San Diego Humane Society Officers were called to the apartment, and upon arrival, discovered 40 dogs and puppies living in feces and unsanitary conditions. 

The dogs were living in "deplorable conditions" where there was at least a foot of feces on the floor, according to San Diego Humane Society.

After ensuring the animals had immediate access to food and water, Humane Officers and medical teams returned to triage the dogs and transport them to the Humane Society's San Diego Campus.

Each dog received a medical exam, vaccinations, dewormer and microchip before being settled in to decompress in their kennels.

Chief Jace Huggins, from San Diego Humane Society Humane Law Enforcement, said: "The conditions are pretty deplorable.

"There are many areas where there is at least a foot of feces built up and urine, which comes up to almost where you would sit on a coach.

"The dogs have feces all over their feet and paws.

"There was mixed food that had been scattered about, so it is very likely they had been eating contaminated food."