WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — The Humane Society of Wichita County is calling upon the community for help after seizing more than 400 animals from a local pet shop in Burkburnett.

The Animal Investigation and Response team or “AIR” team was called in to assist the Wichita County Humane Society with the removal and care of the animals seized from Little Critters Pet Shop.

Imagine 408 animals packed into a small building with barely any food, barely any water, and not to mention animal feces just about everywhere you look.

When Executive Director of the Humane Society of Wichita Co., Cheryl Heineken learned she’d be housing all of the animals in her facility, she called in the big guns.

“There’s no other organization in this state that has the number of let’s say supplies and things like that, that isn’t used to going all throughout the state, any town, any city, for law enforcement to be assisted with these types of situations,” Ailey-Welborn said.

President and Co-founder of AIR, Monica Ailey-Welborn, said the nonprofit organization is made up of volunteers throughout the state, and when they get the word about a large seizure Ailey-Welborn gathers her volunteers, which was much needed for this case.

“There were some things that we definitely saw especially when you get towards the back, it was even worse, I mean it was just unbelievable the number of feces on the wall everywhere, it was just covered and everything and the animals were not housed properly,” Ailey-Welborn said.

Ailey-Welborn said she created this organization for those without a voice.

“So that they can have a better outcome in the end, we believe that they deserve dignity and they deserve a life where they get that daily care and they get the attention they need and this was not happening in this situation,” Ailey-Welborn said.

But thanks to the Humane Society, Burkburnett Animal Control and the AIR team, these animals were given a chance at a life they’ve never had.

Both the AIR team and the Humane Society of Wichita County could desperately use your help whether it’s through donations or volunteering.

If that’s something you’d be interested in, click here for the humane society andcClick here for Animal Investigation and Response team.