More than 40 maltreated Belgian Malinois dogs were found trapped together in a cramped, filthy Queens apartment, sparking an animal cruelty investigation, officials said Saturday.
So many dogs were stuffed into the small Rego Park home Thursday morning that some were found cowering in closets and kitchen cupboards, said officials from Animal Care Centers of NYC, who rescued the animals with the ASPCA.
“These dogs have reportedly lived in total confinement for their entire lives,” said Tara Mercado, ACC’s director of behavior and shelter operations. “We found full-grown Malinois hidden in cabinets and crammed behind furniture.”
The dogs were found alone inside the seventh-floor apartment on 62nd Rd. near Yellowstone Blvd. around 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, officials said. Community tips led animal rescuers to the apartment, officials said.
More than 10 of the large, pure-breed dogs were found climbing all over each other in the apartment’s hallway by the front door, a photo taken at the scene shows. The dogs, which ranged from puppies to fully grown adults, had never been outside, an ACC spokeswoman said.
Initial individual health assessments for all of the pooches were currently underway.
“Right now they’re decompressing. They’re being walked for the first time. Cared for the first time,” ACC spokeswoman Katy Hansen told the Daily News on Saturday. “They’ve actually slept a lot because you can imagine how noisy it was in that apartment with 40 other dogs.”
For the first time in their lives, each of the dogs has its own space at the Queens ACC center, where more than 30 of the pure breeds are being kept.
“We’re just doing our best to prepare them for rescue,” Hansen said.
The dogs didn’t appear starved or malnourished, ACC officials said. Their owner wasn’t in the apartment when city officials arrived. The NYPD Animal Cruelty Squad has launched an investigation into the matter.
Police sources said that 48 dogs were found in the apartment. At least three had to be euthanized at the scene because they were in such poor health, the sources said.
The ACC could not immediately confirm the deaths.
The ASPCA said the animals were “living in extremely unsanitary and overcrowded conditions.”
“This case required a strong collaborative effort to bring these dogs to safety, and we’re grateful they’re now receiving the care they deserve,” spokeswoman Alyssa Fleck said. “The ASPCA is providing medical and behavioral treatment for several of the dogs and supporting the NYPD with their investigation into this situation.”
On Saturday, the overwhelming smell of dog feces hung over the top floor of the apartment building where the dogs were found. A marshal’s notice was taped to the apartment door.
Neighbors were stunned to learn that nearly 50 dogs were found jammed into the apartment.
“All I hear when I go outside is the dogs: ‘Bark! Bark! Bark!’” said one neighbor, who would only identify herself as Sharon. “He throws poop out his balcony.”
Neighbors recalled seeing the owner walking at least two of the dogs. The canines were mean and had bitten and snapped at tenants in the past, they said.
“He doesn’t shower [the dogs],” Sharon said. “And then he takes them out in the elevator — it smells so bad. They pee in the staircase.”
The dog’s owner never lived in the apartment, but in an RV nearby, one neighbor said.
It took two days to safely locate, recover and transport the dogs to ACC and ASPCA shelters.
None of them, however, are ready for a new home just yet, ACC officials said. Most are extremely fearful, under-socialized and in need of long-term behavioral support.
“They’ve likely never touched grass, walked on a leash or met a stranger,” said Dr. Biana Tamimi, ACC’s director of shelter medicine. “Every new sound, every human interaction is overwhelming. But we’re already seeing glimmers of curiosity [from them] — and that gives us hope.”
Hansen said ACC was planning to coordinate adoption procedures with breed-specific rescues that focus on working with Belgian Malinois.
“They’re unique dogs,” she said. “They need a lot of attention. They’re super smart. Super motivated. Now the goal is to get them spayed and neutered before they go to a rescue group.”
The Belgian Malinois is a working breed known for its herding ability, intelligence, energy and need for stimulation, ACC officials said. Healthy dogs of this breed can be between 24 and 26 inches tall and between 60 and 80 pounds.
Many Malinois are used by law enforcement as K-9 dogs and in search and rescues, officials said.
“To deny a Mal activity and the pleasure of your company is to deprive him of his very reasons for being,” the American Kennel Club said about the breed.
The discovery of the captive colony of Belgian Malinois sent ACC’s dog population to “near triple capacity at Queens alone,” ACC Director of Placement Jessica Vacarro said. The Queens facility was already caring for 175 dogs, she said.
An additional 165 dogs were waiting for homes at ACC’s Manhattan and Staten Island care centers, she said.
Anyone wishing to adopt an animal at any of the ACC shelters can do so by visiting the agency’s website.
Originally Published: May 10, 2025 at 1:48 PM EDT
