Parsons Police Department and Code Enforcement have worked to shut down an illegal 'Animal Rescue' in the City of Parsons.

 On Wednesday, Parsons Police Officers along with CSO Thompson and Code Enforcement went to a residence in the 500 block of North 25th street in Parsons. During an investigation by Community Service Officer Ricky Thompson about the possibility of an illegal number of dogs in the area, Officer Thompson met with the homeowner who had claimed to be running a 'nonprofit animal rescue'. Pictures of the animals and living conditions of the dogs were gathered to evaluate with the City Attorney.

It was determined that any animal sanctuary or rescues in that location would be illegal due to zoning issues and not being filed with the city. There was also no paperwork that showed it was a registered not-for-profit organization. There was also no current running water at the location or working sewer system. 

The decision was made for the owners to remove all of the animals from the city so that they would not overburden the local pet hospital. No animals were in immediate threat of harm while officers were on scene. As of today, all of the animals have been removed from the house. This continues to be an on-going investigation.