Photo courtesyAuthorities in Vancouver, Washington, have arrested three adults after discovering five children and three dogs living in shocking conditions inside a garbage-filled SUV.
According to police, the vehicle was overflowing with trash, belongings, and drug paraphernalia, leaving barely any space for the children — aged 13, 11, 10, 8 and 5 — to move or breathe safely.
The most alarming discovery involved the youngest child, a 5-year-old with multiple disabilities, including partial blindness, partial deafness, and cerebral palsy. Investigators say the child had lost their feeding tube more than a year ago, and the parents had been feeding them with a bottle instead.
Officers reported that the children appeared severely neglected and had very little access to food. All five later tested positive for fentanyl, and two tested positive for methamphetamine, raising serious concerns about drug exposure within the SUV.
The three dogs found inside were also in terrible shape. Two were extremely underweight, while a third suffered from an untreated open tumor and had to be euthanized. Authorities believe the dogs may have been eating plastic to survive.
Police arrested the children’s mother, the father of three of the kids, and another adult who was also living in the vehicle. They each face multiple charges, including child endangerment, drug possession, and animal cruelty. The children were placed under protective care immediately after the rescue.