EMBED More News Videos At least 276 dogs and counting were rescued in what's being called the worst case of animal hoarding in Monmouth County. 
 
 At least 276 dogs and counting were rescued in what's being called the worst case of animal hoarding in Monmouth County.The dog were found inside a home in Howell Township, New Jersey.A litter of puppies was born just minutes before help arrived.SPCA officials say the owners definitely cared for the animals, but things clearly got out of control.Crews set up a triage unit outside the home to evaluate the canines.They vaccinated and micro-chipped the dogs before sending them to the Monmouth County SPCA.It's requesting crates, blankets, food and money to care for them. ||||| Authorities have seized 276 small dogs from a New Jersey home in what one official described as "the worst hoarding situation" they had seen in Monmouth County. Brian Thompson reports. (Published Saturday, June 4, 2016) 
 
 What to Know Around 276 small dogs, about 20 of them pregnant, were seized from a Monmouth County home Friday 
 
 One of the owners, who was said to be in tears as the dogs were taken, had not been seen by neighbors in years 
 
 The dogs will be placed for adoption when they're ready. Information is below in the article 
 
 Authorities have seized 276 small dogs from a New Jersey home in what one official described as "the worst hoarding situation" they had seen in Monmouth County. 
 
 The house raised suspicions from an Associated Humane Society official as he investigated a report of a dog on the loose by Bennett Road in Howell on Thursday, authorities said. He was knocking on doors in the area when he came across the home, where a foul odor was emanating. 
 
 No one answered the door there, but he heard dogs barking inside and notified SPCA. Officers responded and investigated, then launched the rescue operation Friday. 
 
 Inside the home, officers found more than 270 Chihuahuas, Yorkies, pugs and mixed-breeds dogs inside. 
 
 Over 200 Puppies Seized from NJ Home 
 
 Authorities have seized more than 200 small dogs from a Monmouth County home, calling it "the worst hoarding situation" they had seen in the county. Brian Thompson reports. (Published Friday, June 3, 2016) 
 
 Many were sitting on bookshelves. One shelf was specially built near the ceiling of the living room, "like a hamster cage for dogs," according to Tierney Park, a Monmouth Sheriff's deputy. "They have steps that go up to the shelf and there were dogs looking down and barking." 
 
 There were others living under beds and even between walls. Many appeared petrified as they were brought out, having never been exposed to the outdoors. 
 
 "They're just undersocialized, fearful," said Heather Cammisa of St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center, who was assisting in the rescue. "They haven't been around a lot of people." 
 
 Despite that, most of the dogs were fairly well taken care of, according to Ross Licitra, chief of the Monmouth County SPCA Humane Law Enforcement Division. 
 
 The owners, Charlene and Joseph Handrick, are expected to face charges. One rescuer described Charlene as distraught and in tears, calling the dogs "my family." 
 
 Neighbor Suzanne DeGrande said she hadn't seen Charlene Handrick outside of the home in about five years. 
 
 "I would knock on her door and say, 'Charlene, open the door, you have a dog loose,' and she would never open the door," she said. 
 
 Another neighbor, Janine Prochnow, said her son used to play with Charlene's son. 
 
 "He would come to our house. My son reminded me today we were never allowed into their house," she said. 
 
 The Handricks declined to speak with NBC 4 New York outside their home. 
 
 The homeowners had told the SPCA and the Associated Humane Society there were about 80 dogs inside. But rescuers ultimately pulled out 276 dogs by Thursday night. 
 
 Rescuers vaccinated about 100 dogs as they were brought out. One dog gave birth to three puppies during the rescue, and an estimated 20 others were obviously pregnant. 
 
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 The dogs will be made available for adoption when they're ready. Anyone interested in adopting may contact St. Hubert's at 973-377-7094, the Associated Humane Society of Monmouth at 732-922-0100 or the Monmouth SPCA at 732-542-0040 or adoptions@monmouthcountyspca.org. ||||| CLOSE In June 2016, crews rescued 276 dogs from deplorable conditions inside a bi-level Bennett Road. It was the largest animal hoarding case in Monmouth County history. 
 
 Buy Photo One of the rescued dogs receives oxygen at the scene. (Photo: Andrew Ford/Staff photo)Buy Photo 
 
 HOWELL – More than 200 dogs -- including at least one giving birth -- were rescued from deplorable conditions inside a bi-level home in what authorities are calling "an extreme hoarding situation," authorities said. 
 
 "Most of these dogs have never seen the outside of their house before," said Ross Licitra, chief law enforcement officer for the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. In all, 276 dogs were found inside the 1880-square-foot Bennett Road home, officials said. Many were located on book shelves and makeshift platforms; some were even inside the walls. 
 
 UPDATE: Howell dogs doing well; charges against couple coming 
 
 "This is actually the worst hoarding case that we've ever experienced ever here in the history of Monmouth County," he said. 
 
 He said most of the animals were in "fair" condition and authorities didn't find any dead dogs. However, some of the animals were taken to get emergency veterinary care; few of the dogs received oxygen at the scene. 
 
 Licitra stressed the residents of the home on Bennett Road, Charlene and Joseph Hendricks, were cooperating with authorities. The couple told authorities that they started three years ago with eight dogs. The dogs reproduced from there. 
 
 "They're just not stopping it," he said. "I think it's just completely uncontrolled." 
 
 As authorities were packing up and leaving, a weary-looking Joseph and Charlene Hendricks emerged from the house and walked down the driveway. When approached by an Asbury Park Press reporter, Joseph Hendricks asked, "Could you trim it down and not give us so much attention? We're not bad people." 
 
 When asked if the couple wanted to tell their story, Joseph Hendricks said: "Not much to tell at this point in time. I'm exhausted, I can't even think." 
 
 When asked to explain how this happened, Hendricks replied, "It's more than you think." 
 
 With that, the couple returned to the house. 
 
 WATCH: Dog-fighting broken up in Asbury, cops say 
 
 Earlier in the day, acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Chris Gramiccioni responded to the scene, and said criminal charges would hinge on the condition of the dogs. Dead or extremely malnourished dogs could warrant indictable offenses. The situation may only warrant a municipal court disorderly persons charge or possibly no charges at all. 
 
 "It really depends on the facts and circumstances," he said. 
 
 Officials from the SPCA, Associated Humane Society of Tinton Falls, St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center, township police, and the county sheriff's office, health department and hazmat team responded to the house on Bennett Road, Licitra said. Authorities set up a triage area to care for and vaccinate the dogs before they were taken to shelters. They were able to vaccinate about 80 dogs at the scene before they ran out of supplies. 
 
 MORE: You can help raise $12K for 'Aberdeen 5' dogs 
 
 Buy Photo Workers dressed in hazmat gear care for dogs in front of a Howell home where more than 100 of them were found. (Photo: ANDREW FORD/STAFF PHOTO) 
 
 Dozens of workers in hazmat suits pulled out dozens of dogs, including handfuls of puppies, of several different breeds, including pugs, chihuahuas and Yorkshire terriers. 
 
 As workers opened the front door to re-enter the house to remove more dogs, barking could be heard from inside. Some of the hazmat workers put on ventilators and air tanks, similar to what firefighters wear, before entering the house. Urine and feces were on the floor, and holes were torn through walls. A foul odor permeated the air. 
 
 Sheriff Shaun Golden said firefighters were using thermal imaging equipment to search for animals in cracks or crevices in the home. 
 
 "It’s a huge undertaking," Licitra said of the effort to remove the animals. "Everybody is trying to get this under control." 
 
 CLOSE Authorities address a case of extreme hoarding at a home on Bennett Road in Howell 
 
 Conditions in the house are "deplorable," Licitra said. 
 
 "Think about a house with 100 dogs living in it," he said, shortly after the dog removal began. 
 
 Buy Photo A rescued dog receives oxygen in Howell. (Photo: Andrew Ford/Staff photo) 
 
 The situation was discovered about 6 p.m. Thursday after an animal control officer was called to the location to chase down a dog that got loose, the chief said. The officer, with the Associated Humane Society, suspected more was going on, eventually made contact with the owners of the house and then contacted the SPCA, Licitra said. 
 
 "They called us, and this is what we’ve discovered," he said. 
 
 Some rescuers suffered minor injuries: cuts, bruises, respiratory issues, and heat exhaustion. They were treated at the scene. 
 
 MORE: Do you live near an animal hoarder? 5 signs you do 
 
 Buy Photo Workers dressed in hazmat gear care for dogs in front of a Howell home where more than 100 of them were found. (Photo: ANDREW FORD/STAFF PHOTO) 
 
 Authorities started removing dogs about 9:30 Friday morning. 
 
 Across the street, Suzanne DeGrande, 60, watched from her front steps. 
 
 "Nobody expected something like this," she said. "Nobody expected this type of thing. I'm like in shock. I haven't been able to get out of my driveway all day." 
 
 She said she could hear barking, and her husband once went to the home to complain about the smell, but they never expected there to be so many dogs. 
 
 "Apparently they both had a problem," she said. "I don't know how they lived in a house like that." 
 
 "I just hope that they both get the help they need," she added. 
 
 MORE: SPCA: Animal hoarding a disturbing, growing trend 
 
 Those interested in adopting dogs or donating to the Monmouth County SPCA can visit the organization's website, or call 732-542-0040. 
 
 Buy Photo Authorities wore face masks and air tanks while rescuing dogs from the home. (Photo: Andrew Ford, staff photo) 
 
 Other cases of animal hoarding in the Shore area include: 
 
 Forty dogs found caked in their own waste and living in squalor in a home on Spruce Street in Lakewood last year. The resident of the home, identified as Laura Giacini, was fined $1,900 and banned from owning animals, SPCA officials said. 
 
 More than 300 dead birds found in 2014 stacked from floor to ceiling in the Little Silver home of Gretchen Rell, a former volunteer for the Monmouth County SPCA. Rell, 57 at the time, pleaded guilty to animal neglect and was placed on probation for five years. 
 
 Sixty-eight assorted animals left to die in what SPCA officials described as "a maggot-infested tomb,'' when former Toms River police dispatcher Matthew Teymant and his wife, Amanda, fell behind on the mortgage on their Barnegat home and moved out in 2008. Matthew Teymant, then 30, pleaded guilty to animal cruelty in 2009, was placed on probation for five years and ordered to perform 250 hours of community service. 
 
 On Wednesday, law-enforcement officers with the Monmouth County SPCA and federal agents rescued 17 pit bulls from a home in Asbury Park in what authorities said was an interstate, dog-fighting ring. The animals were seized from Mario Atkinson, 40, of New Street, Asbury Park, who was charged under a federal statute that makes it a felony to fight dogs or to possess them for dog-fighting. Authorities seized a total of 66 dogs, 44 of them from locations in New Jersey, in multi-state raids in the dog-fighting investigation on Wednesday. 
 
 Buy Photo A rescued puppy receives care. (Photo: Andrew Ford/Staff photo) 
 
 This is a breaking news story. Please visit www.app.com for updates. 
 
 MORE: New animal defender has a farm full of rescues 
 
 Buy Photo Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni (left) and Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden (center) speak with Ross Licitra of the Monmouth County SPCA outside a Howell home where over 100 dogs were found. (Photo: ANDREW FORD/STAFF PHOTO) 
 
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– At least 276 dogs have been rescued from a single 1,880-square-foot home in what one New Jersey official calls "the worst hoarding case that we've ever experienced," the Asbury Park Press reports. The problem was discovered Thursday by an animal control officer called about a loose dog, and rescuers started removing the pups Friday morning. According to NBC New York, the dogs—pugs, chihuahuas, terriers, and more—were found living under beds and on bookshelves. And a sheriff's deputy describes a contraption "like a hamster cage for dogs." Rescuers equipped with hazmat suits and ventilators used thermal imaging equipment to find dogs living in the house's walls. “We’re not bad people,” Joseph Hendricks tells the Press. Joseph and his wife Charlene say they started with eight dogs, but those eight reproduced. In fact, WPVI reports a fresh litter was born just minutes before rescuers got to the home. Charges against the couple depend on the health of the dogs. And despite "deplorable" conditions—urine and feces on the floor, a stench that could be smelled outside the home—the dogs seemed surprisingly well cared for. A handful required veterinary care or oxygen after being rescued, but no dead dogs were found. Charlene calls the pups "my family." The dogs, most of which had never been outside their house, will be put up for adoption when they're ready.