More than 60 dogs were rescued from a Hemet-area property where some were running loose, and seven others were found dead, after a fire Thursday, March 5. Riverside County Animal Services has placed them up for adoption at the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus. There is no adoption fee through the en d of March, and the dogs will come spayed or neutered and microchipped. About 30 had been placed in new homes by Friday afternoon. The dogs were discovered around 1 p.m. as firefighters extinguished a garage fire at a house in the 41300 block of Merriwood Drive in unincorporated East Hemet. Several dogs and cats were pulled alive from the structure, Capt. John Clingingsmith Jr., a Cal Fire spokesman, said Friday. More of the 65 dogs were found on or near the property, Animal Services spokeswoman Veronica Perez said Friday. They appeared to be healthy, but the owner agreed to surrender them. Perez said it was unclear why the owner had so many dogs. Most were small mixed breeds. There were also a few pit bull mixes and German shepherds. “It’s a situation where we were able to jump in and act as a safety net,” Perez said. The deceased dogs were believed to have perished in the fire, Animal Services spokeswoman Veronica Perez said. The San Jacinto facility is operating well over capacity, Perez said, creating an urgent need for adoptions anywhere in the county. In January, 1,694 dogs were brought in, while 1,237 left, Animal Services said. Related Articles BJ’s in Menifee suspended from serving alcohol after minor served before 2023 crash If in a fender bender, what info must a public bus driver exchange? Man gets 7 years for threatening OC judge in his child custody case Ex-lawyer for Tom Girardi’s LA firm pleads guilty in case of unpaid legal settlements Man accused of starting Palisades fire should be released after Lachman fire revelations, attorney says ...read more read less