Seventeen deceased animals were discovered at a location in the Crays Hill region of Billericay, leading to the apprehension of two individuals.
On Tuesday, authorities reported that 20 additional dogs were discovered alive at the same location.
After the operation conducted jointly by officers from Essex Police, the RSPCA, and Basildon Council, the surviving dogs discovered at the residence were transported to receive professional medical care.
Following the discovery, authorities set up an online platform for individuals to contribute potential evidence to aid the investigation; however, they cautioned against submitting "rumors or secondhand accounts," warning that such information might complicate the inquiry.
Two men were arrested after the raid on suspicion of animal cruelty offences and fraud related to the transfer of dog ownership.
Ovaeed Rahman, a 25-year-old man from Hope Road in Crays Hill, Billericay, has been charged with a series of offences.
This encompasses inflicting undue distress on a safeguarded creature, which contravenes Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, along with three charges of deception through misrepresentation.
With PA
