stjoenews.net | 92 dogs missing from puppy mill rescued
92 dogs missing from puppy mill rescued
Perhaps 100 dogs, several primates could still be in hiding
by Joe Blumberg
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Ninety-two dogs from an alleged Daviess County puppy and primate mill were handed over to authorities Friday, but perhaps 100 dogs and several primates remain in unknown locations.
The Daviess County Sheriff’s Department came across the animals Monday night when responding to a call of a chimpanzee on the loose. The chimp reportedly attacked a deputy and was shot dead.
Authorities returned Tuesday with a search warrant, but by then an estimated 200 dogs had been cleared out of the residence near Winston, Mo. About 17 dogs and cats were found at the home, and three primates were later recovered.
Three people who allegedly operated the puppy mill have been charged with numerous misdemeanor animal charges.
On Friday morning, people holding the dogs for the suspects cooperated with authorities and turned over 92 dogs, said Tim Rickey, director of the Humane Society of Missouri’s Animal Cruelty Task Force. Sixty-eight of the dogs were being held at one location, and 24 were held at another.
“(The suspects) tried to disperse these animals to hide them from law enforcement,” Mr. Rickey said.
The 92 animals were taken from Kansas City to the Missouri Humane Society in St. Louis. The Humane Society will ask a judge to grant them custody for adoption.
Authorities believe many more dogs and
perhaps as many as eight primates are unaccounted for.
“We believe that they’ve been given to other people,” Mr. Rickey said. “There’s no evidence that they’ve been turned loose.”
The dogs “were in deplorable conditions” in the house, he said. The people lived in the house with the animals — some in cages and some loose, based on widespread feces and urine. Some animals have fractures and problems with eyes, coats, skin and malnutrition, Mr. Rickey said. Nine dogs were found dead at the location.
“We’re hopeful that they’re alive and we are able to find them soon,” Mr. Rickey said. “We’re really concerned about their medical condition.”
He urged anyone with information to call the Humane Society’s abuse hotline at (314) 647-4400. People can also make donations by calling (314) 951-1542.
The people who handed over the animals Friday are not expected to be charged, Mr. Rickey said.
“They cooperated, which is what we asked them to do,” he said.
The dogs are mostly smaller breeds, including Chihuahuas, Shi Tzus,
Yorkies, poodles, Maltese and Boston Terriers. The primates could include chimps, macaques and spider monkeys, Mr. Rickey said.
The dogs and the primates are believed to have been part of an unlicensed commercial breeding operation, he said. Such conditions typically are the result of “very poor business practices” and snowballing animal populations, he said.
Mr. Rickey urged animal buyers to confirm that a breeder is licensed or visit the source. He also asked people to consider adoption from a local shelter.
“When you’re buying animals from newspaper ads or Internet ads and meeting someone in a parking lot, this is oftentimes the environment those animals are coming from,” Mr. Rickey said.
Brent Daniel Hudson, 49; Cherace E. Hudson, 41; and Mary C. Overton, 52, all of Winston, face charges in the case.