Eighty-two chihuahuas found at Birmingham house

The dogs were in cramped conditions, the RSPCA said

Eighty-two chihuahuas were discovered at a house "which looked like an earthquake had hit" after police were called to investigate a death.

The RSPCA were called to the property in Birmingham after police raised concerns about conditions.

Some had matted coats and fleas, others had burns, an RSPCA inspector said.

The dogs were found in April 2017 but the discovery is to be shown in an episode of Channel 5's The Dog Rescuers.

The couple who lived at the house had started out with two pets but did not get the dogs neutered and, after four years, they had 82 dogs, the RSPCA said. They said it was a classic case of hoarding, but the dogs had been loved.

The dogs were taken to the charity's Newbrook Farm Hospital.

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"They [the dogs] literally started appearing from everywhere," Insp Herchy Boal said.

"We would move the washing machine and suddenly there'd be six faces looking at you. It was incredible where they were able to hide.

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"The house looked like an earthquake had hit it, everything was higgledy piggledy, it was really chaotic and dirty."

"We called out a vet who said the house was too hazardous and the dogs couldn't stay there, it was filthy and cramped. They were all hiding; barking and snapping at us."

Police launched an investigation after the woman living at the property in the Washwood Heath area of the city died, but found there were no suspicious circumstances and that she had died from complications after an accident.

Some dogs were hiding behind furniture and were in "cramped" conditions

The RSPCA helped the woman's husband to renovate and clean the home while the charity cared for the dogs.

Four dogs were given back to the husband and the rest were rehomed.

The story features in The Dog Rescuers on Channel 5 at 19.00 BST on Wednesday.