Inside a dirty Brooklyn hoarder home, neglected and suffering dogs were found along with the deceased elderly owner, sparking a rescue operation. The animal rescuers reported that the dogs were starting their journey to recovery on Saturday. Additionally, more dogs were found within the squalid property, further highlighting the dire situation.

From the Mill Basin residence, a total of 115 dogs were rescued, including five that were found dead. Most of the dogs were identified as terrier mixes, and the discovery was made while searching through piles of trash. Moreover, the remains of 73-year-old Eileen Horn were found at the scene as well.

Katy Hansen, the communications director for Animal Care Centers of NYC, shared that the dogs displayed signs of nervousness but seemed relieved to be out of the smelly environment. Many of the dogs had matted fur, a painful condition that occurs when the fur becomes tangled and pulls on the skin. The process of shaving the dogs was seen as a positive step towards their physical and mental well-being.

Hansen said it was likely the dogs were inbreeding with one another.

Neighbors at the 66th Street and National Drive home described it as a house of horrors, where Horn, along with her elderly sister, lived without electricity.

It’s unclear how long the duo lived in the single-family home, which is worth over $1.3 million today, according to real estate estimates.

The woman’s sister was reportedly alive and inside the home and treated by medical personnel when authorities arrived around 7 a.m. Neither she nor family could be reached.

Several pooches had to be put under anesthesia in order to shave them “because it was too painful otherwise,” noted Karen Lecain, who works for the Compassionate Animal Rescue Efforts (CARE) of Dutchess County. 

Lecain and her fellow CARE rescuers worked until midnight Friday shaving and cleaning up the 40 dogs they received from the Brooklyn home – one of whom gave birth to a dead puppy in the process, Lecain said. 

“I think it was the stress,” she explained. “Some of them were born in that house and never saw the light of day, so it will take time for them to trust again.” 

Jennifer Brooks, the president of NYC Second Chance Rescue, has six of the pooches at the rescue’s Long Island City shelter – where she had to “give them three or four shampoos until the water wasn’t yellow anymore,” she said. 

“The smell is really bad – rancid – and they’re covered in debris and filth and poop…Mercedes had poop stuck all over her – it took me 45 minutes to cut it all out of her fur,” said Brooks, explaining that Mercedes is the name she’s given a 5-year-old, 13-pound female terrier mix.

A 4-year-old, 15-pound Shih Tzu-Japanese Chin mix named Barbie has gone from yellow to “basically cream” in color in the last 24 hours, said Brooks. 

Barbie’s “outgoing and super sweet” behavior, as well as that of the other dogs, is surprising, Brooks explained. 

“Even though some of them are very scared, none of them have been aggressive with me at all – they’ve been very cooperative, which is unusual because you would think they would be scared to the point of maybe snapping, but they haven’t.

“They will be able to come around with some love, care and TLC,” Brooks said. 

People interested in fostering dogs can fill out an application at nycscr.org.

The cause of Horn’s death has not been determined. Police have not arrested anyone in connection to the incident.