Elderly Lamar woman found buried under pile of trash, dogs taken

Posted: Mar 30, 2010 8:30 AM by Elaine Sheridan
Updated: Mar 30, 2010 8:30 AM

Lamar - The Lamar Police Department is investigating a home full of dogs that was so filthy a hazmat crew had to be called in and the elderly woman living there was found under a pile of trash.

According to the Lamar Ledger, last week the police department arrived at the rental home with at cleaning crew at the request of the homeowner after a code enforcement visit the previous week.

When code enforcement first arrived on the scene they say the home had at least 18 dogs inside and the floor was super saturated with feces and urine. When officers responded with the cleaners they found the man who occupied the residence had departed with the animals, leaving the elderly woman.
"The smell was just unbearable," one of the cleaners told the Lamar Ledger.
"We couldn`t breathe anymore, so we had to get out," Sgt. Dave Reid, field training officer with the Lamar Police Department said.
It was so bad the Lamar Fire Department and Ambulance service arrived on scene, along with the Hazardous Materials Response Team.
The woman was removed from the home and given medical attention after being placed in a decontamination shower.
The dogs were found and taken to The Humane Society of the South Platte Valley in Littleton. Charges are pending the completion of the investigation.

The photos and information are courtesy the Lamar Ledger.