More than 30 dogs and puppies who were rescued from a house after their owner was found dead are on the road to recovery.
The RSPCA is caring for the terriers after they were found in the property in Pump Lane, reigntwo weeks ago.
The animal charity conducted a large-scale operation to recover the canines when police officers discovered them after their owner was found dead following a welfare check on January 15.
The dogs were among a large number of Yorkshire terriers who were retrieved from the bungalow by inspector Clive Hopwood and animal rescue officer Brian Milligan.
Some of them were hard to find so officers had to install night cameras and lay down traps in the loft space of the property.
The rescued dogs are now being cared for at several RSPCA animal centres, a small number will be taken on by a local charity and some have been staying in private boarding facilities on a temporary basis.
Some of the animals have received medical treatment and all of have been given a thorough veterinary examination to make sure they are fit to be rehomed.
A spokesman at one animal centre, which is looking after 14 of the dogs, including four puppies, said: “We are letting the dogs acclimatise to their surroundings by paying good attention to their handling.
“They are being kept in pairs because they have been living in a multiple dog household. We need to spend some time assessing their individual personalities.
“They will all have their coats clipped, but as far as their health is concerned there was nothing major, although there were some with dental issues.
“However, many of these dogs are very fearful, which is understandable as they have endured such a bad experience.
“It is going to be a slow process to help them feel safe again and find them new homes, so we will be taking things at their pace.”
Initially, it was thought there were only six dogs at the bungalow when the RSPCA made its first visit.
But it soon became clear many more were spread across the property, “where access to the rooms proved difficult because of the amount of cluttered possessions”.
It is believed the terrier dogs may have been left to fend for themselves for some time. They range in age from three months to 10 years, while the puppies are around four weeks old.
One of the last dogs to be recovered from the loft was spotted when he poked his head through a gap in the rafters. RSPCA officers put a watch on the space for several days to ensure he was brought down to safety.
“The last two puppies we found were caught using a cat trap, which proved a tricky process as the dogs were too light to set the traps off,” said animal rescue officer Milligan.
“All in all this was a difficult exercise, which saw the RSPCA deploy significant resources to clear the property and ensure we found all the dogs.
“We went to the house every day over a week to conduct extensive searches to rescue every dog – in the end we had to clear every room.”
RSPCA officers returned to the bungalow this week to confirm that no other dogs were left on the premises.
During the operation, the charity liaised with the relatives of the deceased owner, who had been unaware of the extent of the problems at the property.
Neighbours told KentOnline they were aware the man kept dogs at the house but not how many.
He is thought to have lived in the bungalow at the top of Pump Lane for many years and was described as a good neighbour.
Police say they are not treating his death as suspicious.
The RSPCA is urging owners to seek help before letting problems escalate and it has opened a telephone helpline – 0300 123 0650 – to support people, while practical help can be found at a recently-launched cost of living hub for those struggling to look after their pets.
