Over 70 Dogs Saved from Flooded Properties Where the Pets Were Left Tied Up and Stranded for Days

BISSELL Pet Foundation and Animal Rescue Corps is focused on helping the dozens of rescue dogs heal so they can find forever homes

Dozens of dogs are warm, safe, and dry again after days in the elements.

In July, the Newton County Sheriff's Department sent deputies to a property in Newton, Mississippi, reportedly overseen by an animal rescue organization called Second Paw Dog Rescue after receiving a troubling complaint claiming that no one was caring for the dogs on the property and that the animals had allegedly been left alone in the elements for days, according to a release from the BISSELL Pet Foundation.

At the property, the sheriff's department reportedly found numerous dogs chained to trees, locked in cages left outside, and running free around the flooded trash-covered property. After discovering the severity of the situation, the Newton County Sheriff's Department contacted Animal Rescue Corps — a national nonprofit animal protection organization — for assistance in rescuing the dogs.

Second Paw Dog Rescue did not respond to PEOPLE's rescue for comment.

Animal Rescue Corps quickly went to work putting together a plan to remove the canines from the property the Newton County Sheriff's Department visited and a second property associated with Second Paw Dog Rescue nearby. Thanks to support from other rescue partners, Animal Rescue Corps assembled the needed equipment, supplies, vehicles, volunteers, and veterinarians to help the dogs as soon as possible.

The rescuers' work at the property led to some heartbreaking discoveries. According to the BISSELL Pet Foundation, rescuers at the Newton properties found over 70 dogs who had gone without food, clean water, and vet care for days and more than a dozen dead dogs. Many of the living dogs that were saved during the rescue effort — operated by BISSELL Pet Foundation, Newton County Sheriff's Department, and Animal Rescue Corps — were emaciated, filthy, and covered in ticks, leading animal rescuers to call this mission Operation Skin and Bones.

"At the first property, we found dozens of large dogs running loose and about a dozen confined in pens and tethered to trees. All of them were very dirty, and many had obvious wounds, emaciation, and broken teeth from trying to chew their way free. Several had mange, and one had a broken leg that had been broken for a long time," Michael Cunningham, the shelter director and public information officer for Animal Rescue Corps, tells PEOPLE of what he saw during the rescue mission. The dogs saved from the Newton properties were transported to Animal Rescue Corps' Rescue Center in Gallatin, Tennessee, where they received medical exams, vaccinations, and any necessary treatments for pre-existing health issues. Once the canines recover from their ordeal, Animal Rescue Corps plans to work with their rescue partners to find forever homes for all of the dogs. According to Cunningham, Second Paw Dog Rescue's operators have been charged with six counts of felony animal cruelty.

Despite what he saw at the Newton properties, Cunningham encourages animal lovers not to jump to judgment.

"It's easy to point a finger at a person and say, 'It's all their fault!'" Cunningham says.

"But the fact is that most shelters in this country are bursting with homeless animals, and perfectly adoptable animals are being put to death every day, and that is all of our responsibility," he adds.

Cunningham is optimistic about what the rest of life will hold for the dogs saved from the Newton properties, primarily based on the sweet personalities he met during the upsetting circumstances.

"I was expecting some to exhibit negative behavior, which I'm used to in cases like this, but most of them greeted us with tail wags and were very sweet. Several jumped into our truck when we opened the doors to unload our equipment or climbed into our crates willingly. Overall I was pleasantly surprised with how sweet they were to complete strangers," he says of the rescued dogs.

The dogs are enjoying their time out of the woods and in the arms of loving caretakers.

"I can tell they're feeling much better. Our groomers have been giving them multiple medicated baths to address the skin issues caused by fleas, ticks, mange, and exposure to the weather. Our animal care volunteers have been spoiling them with treats, toys, a clean enclosure, and of course, lots of love. They're also starting to play with toys, which fills our hearts to see joy return to them," Cunningham adds.