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Georgia Commercial Kennel – Seized Dogs Sigh With Relief

April 18, 2008, 8:18 MT

By Kelli Ohrtman

L & D Farm and Kennel of Jackson County have had all their breeding dogs and puppies seized and officially won’t be getting them back!

L & D Farm and Kennel of Jackson County have had all their breeding dogs and puppies seized and officially won’t be getting them back!

Read the background story:
For Part I, click here
For Part II, click here

Best Friends has had a legal affiliate working behind the scenes with the County Attorney since the raid on the facility approximately 45 days ago.

Here’s some breaking news they wanted to share: “At approximately 9 PM last night, after seven hours of testimony by the Jackson County Attorney’s witnesses describing horrendous conditions at the LD Farm and Kennel in Nicholson, GA., the judge ordered that Jackson County may dispose of 270 dogs from that puppy mill as it desires. It is probable that these dogs will remain with the rescue groups that are caring for them now. Four dogs, which were claimed to be personal pets and seemed to be in “good” condition, are currently in the possession of Jackson County al so. The owners still face criminal charges.

This is a precedent-setting case which should serve as a warning to those who factory farm dogs as cash crops in horrid conditions, that Georgia will no longer tolerate this behavior.”

Rebecca Guinn of LifeLine Animal Project got the call from our affiliate just hours after the case’s wheels started to really turn over a month ago. They were able to act as a facilitator in getting over 70 dogs on their way out of the hellish world they’d been living in.

Southern Hope is one of the organizations to have taken a large quantity of the severely neglected and abused dogs. This has been a concerted effort by local organizations to help these dogs, who greatly deserve a chance.
Rebecca was at last night’s hearing, which lasted over 6 hours, and must have felt like an eternity. “I hope it sheds some light on how awful puppy mills can be,” Rebecca said. “The deplorable conditions that the dogs were kept in were described during the hearing; profiting from starving dogs and treating them inhumanely is unacceptable. The testimonies were so heartbreaking; it was enough to make a person sick! Sitting through it, you realize this is not an animal rights case—this is about basic human decency. It really ranks right up there with dog fighting.”

“This case helps illustrate how pet stores and puppy mills peddle in animal cruelty. People see cute dogs in a pet store but they’re not thinking about where these dogs come from – they don’t come from cute situations. I heard testimonies describing how the dogs were kept: covered in feces and urine, caked in their cages and in their coats, a dog being fed dry food but he had no teeth, dogs covered in sores, the list goes on and on. The market place has to wake up, this is a consumer driven business. Cases like this show the horrendous potential for abuse. Shelters and rescues have got to get more creative in spreading awareness and attracting people looking for a pet. Rescues have got to get more competitive with [the pet trade industry].”

One of the rescue groups to care for dogs from this case is the Georgia Humane Society. Michelle Humphries, President of GHS, was very excited about the latest developments in the case.

“The public is becoming more aware of puppy mills and rescue groups, but education alone is not going to make this problem go away. It’s a public problem; we need the public to pass legislation to help curtail mass breeding facilities. Having 300 dogs in one location without a veterinarian onsite and having only four caretakers to look after all the dogs is impossible. They didn’t even take these dogs to the vet—ever. We can’t stop people from going to pet stores, but we can help stop where the stores get their dogs from,” Michelle said.

Aramis is looking forward to a brighter future

“The dogs we have from LD have an assortment of ailments, from mange to ear infestations to dental problems. We’ve already spent $20,000 on their care and they haven’t been spayed or neutered yet! We have been extremely lucky to have the Holland M. Ware Charitable Foundation on our side. When they heard we had taken in these neglected dogs, they called and asked ‘how can we help?’ In two days we had a check for $10,000 to help offset some of the costs. But this is just the beginning of the expenses. Some of these dogs are in such deplorable condition it’s very upsetting – one dog needed to have all his teeth pulled except one.”

“What seems most perplexing is the fact that someone can have hundreds of dogs they are breeding for profit, and they get inspected by the Department of Agriculture but they normally don’t get closed. They can get citations, warnings, etc., but they don’t get shut down. I can tell you, if any rescue facility, anywhere, were to have conditions as deplorable as what you see in commercial kennels, they would be shut down – no questions asked! Why is there this double standard? There should be higher standards enforced where people are profiting on their dogs, not less!”

Romeo, is available for adoption, click here, for more info!

“This is why the laws need to change, all over our state and our country. The puppy millers are located in the middle of nowhere, that’s how they get away with it. But if we had stronger laws, we could get to the root of the problem!”

Of the dogs that were seized and are living in foster families with Georgia Humane Society, the older males are in the worst shape. “As long as the dog could produce sperm, they’re kept alive. The females must have gone to ‘the hill’ as many of them don’t seem to have made it to old age. We do have some puppies that were taken from the house. They are in pretty good shape, and their adoption fees will be higher; they’re highly adoptable, and the funds they bring in will help us care for some of the worst cases!”

Michelle mentioned ‘the hill’ and I was quickly horrified to find out what she was referring to: the hill was where older or underperforming dogs were relocated to. It’s a kennel at the back of the property where “expendable” dogs go. Once they are at the hill, they no longer receive any basic care. Liberty, the Weimaraner, one of the dogs rescued from the hill, was in bad shape originally, but is bouncing back in leaps and bounds and will most likely be adopted by her foster home!

Liberty on the mend!
“These dogs are amazing. After all they have been through they are so forgiving. They are still able to love and bond with people.”

Show These Dogs Love Back! How to Help
1. Donate to Lifeline Animal Project, click here. They have been helping these dogs since the beginning and their fund goes towards many of the organizations that are currently caring for the dogs!
2. Adopt/Foster from the Georgia Humane Society, click here.

Six things you can do to help Stop Puppy Mills:

1.) Join our coalition:
It’s free, fast, and you will become part of Best Friends Animal Society’s campaign to stop puppy mills and increase pet adoptions. See that gold star on the upper right of the page—click it! When you sign up, you’ll also get our monthly newsletter “Breeding Bytes”.

2.) Get active in your own community:
To download “What One Person Can do to Stop Puppy Mills”click here.

3.) Adopt your next pet:
We understand you may have your heart set on a puppy, or a particular breed. Don’t encourage puppy mills puppy mills by buying pets in stores! We guarantee that your next perfect is waiting for you at one of the thousands of shelters or rescue groups across the country—and they’re not hard to find if you take the time to look responsibly. First, visit your local shelter. If you don’t find the right pet there, rescue from online:
www.1-800-save-a-pet.com
www.pets911.com
www.petfinder.com

One can also find a dog by contacting a local breed rescue organization by searching www.google.com. Enter a city or state, the breed you are looking for, and the word “rescue.”

4.) Tired of pet stores in your community? Let them (and potential customers) know:
For information on how to hold a peaceful rally in front of a pet store, Click here.

5.) Wear your opinion on your shirt:

Do you agree that puppies aren’t products to be manufactured in America’s puppy mills and sold in stores like inventory? Say so! To order a “Puppies Aren’t Products” shirt, Click here. All proceeds go to Best Friends’ puppy mill campaign.

by Denise LeBeau, Best Friends staff
images courtesy of Georgia Humane Society, lead image of D’Artagnan, pure Pomeranian ready for adoption!

Comments

Posted April 19, 2008, 11:38 by ruthy92

You will hear breeder harp on about "education." That only "education" is needed.

There is is cruel method to this madness.

They want illusory, hazy "education" because education doesn't do much, and the abusive mills can't be busted with just education.

There need to be laws.

The breeding industry knows that, but regulation means they can't cut costs to make the most gain. In other words, they won't be able to abuse animals for profit with laws in place.

Wherever you hear people trying to convince others that laws aren't needed, just "education," you have the breeder lobbyists hard at work trying to fend off the one thing they know really DOES work- laws, regulations.

And if puppy mills can't keep producing large numbers of puppies raised in cheap squalor, how would the AKC be able to get enough puppy mill registration dollars to feed its appetite?

Posted April 20, 2008, 10:41 by missydog

Another victory for the dogs! Everytime I read one of these seizure stories, I have hope that there will be an end to puppy mills. One more down and thousands to go.

Posted May 14, 2008, 9:50AM by Cowgyrl

Laws rock - if you can get the local authorities, as well as the Dept of Ag, to enforce them.