“They’ve likely never touched grass, walked on a leash, or met a stranger.”
When rescuers walked into a New York City apartment this May, they knew that the scene was unlikely to be good, but they had no idea it would be “one of the most disturbing” cases they’d ever seen.
Forty Belgian Malinois dogs were living in the small, filthy apartment in Queens.
The dogs were malnourished and had likely never been outside. Healthy Belgian Malinois need at least an hour, if not more, of vigorous exercise each day.
Both adult dogs and puppies filled the hallways, and they were tucked away in cupboards and closets too.
“These dogs have reportedly lived in total confinement for their entire lives,” Animal Care Center of New York’s (ACC) Tara Mercado said. “We found full-grown Malinois hidden in cabinets and crammed behind furniture.”
Rescuers from the ACC worked with the ASPCA to remove 40 dogs from the property and to bring them in for medical evaluation.
But this wasn’t the first time this apartment had been the source of trouble. Two years ago, the person keeping all the dogs texted a local rescue, the Queens-based Lend-a-Paw, who promptly stepped up to save six dogs.
“Upon receiving these dogs, they were emaciated, malnourished, and undersocialized,” the rescue wrote on its Facebook page.
When the same person contacted Lend-a-Paw again in late 2024 saying that he had 25 dogs, the rescue knew something was very wrong and reached out to the ACC, the ASPCA, and the Manhattan and Queens animal cruelty units for help. As a smaller rescue, “we couldn’t assist with all of these dogs, and additionally, this owner needed to be arrested,” they wrote.
After this month’s rescue of 40 pups, they noted: “We can’t even begin to imagine what kind of condition these dogs were in or what they have been through.”
Safe at the ACC and ASPCA, the 40 dogs (some whom are thought to also be German shepherd mixes) received medical care and treatment. Some were clearly relieved to be in good hands.
But because they had little to no socialization and had never received proper care, many were frightened and closed off.
“They’ve likely never touched grass, walked on a leash, or met a stranger,” Dr. Biana Tamimi, the ACC’s director of shelter medicine, said. “Every new sound, every human interaction is overwhelming.”
“Even walking was hard for them, as they had likely never had so much room to move,” the ACC said in a video.
And some pups were so terrified that they were scared to move. One of the most heartbroken dogs was Sammie, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois-German shepherd mix, who was picked up from the ACC by Zion’s Mission Animal Rescue. Sammie had to be gently transported out on a cart, as he was too nervous to walk. Sammie was “timid, shy, and shutdown,” the rescue wrote. “Our hearts immediately went out to [him].”
Even after leaving, he refused to move — until something amazing happened.
“All these dogs were in this apartment, all together, mostly their entire life, right?” said Sloane Quealy, cofounder of Zion’s Mission. “Then all of a sudden, they’re separated. So, another factor is probably like, Sammie was shut down because he was separated from the other ones.”
Zion’s Mission took in five adults and five puppies, and Quealy says that when Sammie saw his friends again, something amazing happened.
“We reunited Sammie last night with three of the pups, and as soon as he saw the pups, he stood up and he’s been mobile ever since,” she said.
After Sammie took a spin around the room to see his friends, “he went back near us and sat down and let out the biggest sigh I’ve ever heard,” Quealy said. “And I almost burst into tears because … a lot of them do that when they realize they’re safe.”
Zion’s Mission was just one of the rescues who stepped in to take some of the 40 pups. Other rescues who had a hand in saving the dogs were Almost Home Rescue & Adoptions, ASPCA, Char-Wills German Shepherd Rescue, Every Last One, Greenfield Pets Animal Rescue, Korean K9 Rescue, Malinois & Dutch Shepherd Rescue, Posh Pets, and Stacy Hope Rescue.
“One of the adults, now lovingly called Gracie (formerly known as Guy Smiley), has already started to show signs of hope,” Posh Pets wrote on its Facebook page. “Though she arrived shut down and terrified, she comes alive when she’s around the puppies — her gentle, nurturing side shining through. That spark gives us such hope for her future.”
The Belgian Malinois rescue came at an especially challenging time for the New York shelter community, as shelters are at capacity, and dog fosters and adopters are desperately needed across the city.
The ACC has recently waived adoption fees for dogs over 40 pounds in the hopes of finding more pups homes. Search for your new best friend, or you can also donate to their wishlist.
For more information on the Belgian Malinois and when they’ll be available for adoption, you can reach out to individual rescues or keep an eye on their social media.
Quealy says that the Zion’s Mission pups are currently working with a professional on basic training and socialization, but that they’ll probably be adoption-ready in a few weeks. They will only be adopted to homes where they’ll have a canine buddy.
“They want to be with another animal,” Quealy said.
Even though it may take time before the dogs are ready to meet their forever families, these pups’ lives are already on a new and promising path.
As the ACC’s Dr. Tamimi said right after the rescue, “We’re already seeing glimmers of curiosity, and that gives us hope.”
