When rescuers stepped into a Queens apartment this May, they were prepared for a tough scene. But they weren’t prepared for what they found: 40 Belgian Malinois dogs packed into a tiny, filthy space, some hidden in closets, others crammed into cabinets. Most had never stepped outside.
“It was one of the most disturbing cases we’ve ever seen,” said Tara Mercado of Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC). “We found full-grown Malinois trapped behind furniture; dogs that had lived their entire lives in total confinement.”
The rescue was a joint operation between ACC and the ASPCA. The dogs, ranging from puppies to adults, were underweight, unsocialized, and clearly traumatized. Healthy Malinois need intense daily exercise. These dogs had barely room to stand.
Shockingly, this wasn’t the first warning sign. Two years earlier, the apartment’s occupant contacted a local nonprofit, Lend-a-Paw, about rehoming six dogs. The rescue stepped in, and found the animals emaciated and withdrawn. When the same person reached out again in late 2024, now claiming to have 25 dogs, Lend-a-Paw alerted the authorities.
By the time help arrived this spring, the number had ballooned to 40.
“We can’t even begin to imagine what these dogs have been through,” Lend-a-Paw wrote on Facebook.
Once removed from the apartment, the dogs received medical treatment and evaluations. Some, like Sammie, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois-German shepherd mix, were so shut down they refused to move. Zion’s Mission Animal Rescue, one of the organizations that stepped in to help, had to wheel Sammie out on a cart.
“He was timid, shy, and completely shut down,” said Zion’s Mission cofounder Sloane Quealy. “But everything changed when we reunited him with three of the puppies he’d grown up with. As soon as he saw them, he stood up and started moving.”
What followed was something quietly miraculous: Sammie took a lap around the room, then returned to Quealy and let out a deep, exhausted sigh.
“A lot of them do that when they finally feel safe,” Quealy said. “It almost made me cry.”
Zion’s Mission took in 10 of the rescued dogs: five adults and five puppies. Other organizations, including Posh Pets, Almost Home Rescue, Char-Wills German Shepherd Rescue, Korean K9 Rescue, and several others, also stepped up to help.
One dog, now named Gracie (formerly Guy Smiley), arrived terrified and frozen. But when placed with puppies, her gentle, nurturing instincts kicked in. “That spark gives us such hope for her future,” wrote Posh Pets.
The rescue comes at a challenging moment for New York’s animal shelters, which are operating at capacity. In response, the ACC has waived adoption fees for dogs over 40 pounds and is calling on New Yorkers to consider fostering or adopting.
As for the 40 rescued dogs, their recovery will take time. Most had never felt grass under their paws, walked on a leash, or met a stranger. Now, they’re slowly learning what a safe, happy life can look like, some for the very first time.
“They’re scared of everything because the world is brand new to them,” said Dr. Biana Tamimi, ACC’s director of shelter medicine. “But we’re already seeing glimmers of curiosity, and that gives us hope.”
For updates on when the dogs will be available for adoption, follow the participating rescues on social media. Zion’s Mission says their pups are currently in training and will only be adopted into homes with other dogs because, after everything, they still find comfort in each other.
“They want to be with another animal,” Quealy said. “They’ve already lost so much, we don’t want them to lose that, too.”
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