More details about Oklahoma puppy mill - YorkieTalk.com Forums

yorkieusa · 08-16-2006, 09:21 PM

Oh where, oh where has that little dog gone?

BY LYNETTE GEORGE
HERALD DEMOCRAT

DURANT, Okla. — They squint at the afternoon sun. It’s something they’ve seen rarely if ever seen.

More than a few aren’t recognizable. The coming bath, brushing and haircut will be firsts for them.

There’s room to run and play, yet some stand alone or cower inside shelters. The invisible, suffocating restraints of fear and distrust — even hatred — may never loosen.

Yet, even with the horrors these dogs endured at an Oklahoma “puppy mill,” many still come running to greet visitors, eager for a friendly pat and a kind word.

Homeward Bound Humane Society in Durant recently aided a fellow Humane Society shelter in a critical mission — to rescue puppies and dogs from a long-time breeder in Harrah, Okla. For Stacy George, director of Homeward Bound, the rescue, which took place earlier this month, was her first and a prelude to what the shelter is planning soon for abusive breeders in the Durant area. Little if anything could have prepared George for what she would experience. What she saw and went through will forever be burned in her memories.

George’s involvement, along with local volunteers, began when George was asked to speak with the breeder, a 76-year-old woman in Harrah. Attempts made by another shelter director closer to Harrah had yielded no results except for reported phone threats to the director. According to George, law enforcement officials near Harrah had been contacted five times about the facility, but to little avail. The breeder and her family refused to let anyone inspect the premises except to view the few dogs visible outside. Many, many more were inside other buildings scattered around the approximately 35-acre facility.

(The following paragraph was messed up and this is the way it appeared.)
animal cruelty was heavily suspected. Due to what George says are few and poor laws regarding the breeding and treatment of animals, the breeder had to agree to sign a contract turning over all of her dogs to Humane Society workers and allowing them to search the premises of the breeding facility. If the breeder refused, nothing could be done. Even

“She only wanted to give up 10 of her animals that could no longer be used for breeding,” says George. “We told her it had to be all of her animals...period.”

After several attempts, George convinced the woman to sign the contract surrendering all the animals which encompassed more than 100 small-breed dogs and several larger ones. She also agreed to never buy, sell trade or breed animals again. A group of nine Humane Society workers and volunteers then traveled to Harrah. It was a day George can’t forget.

Though a few of the dogs were kept in outdoor pens, most were found inside airless, windowless buildings, says George. Stagnate, black water filled most water bowls and dead rats and mice lay in many of the food bowls which contained “filthy, molded food.” Apparently, the rodents had partaken of the poison that was also found in some of the food bowls, reports George.

Inside the stifling heat, George and the rescuers discovered multiple breeds of dogs — Boston Terriers, Chihuahuas, Llaso Apsos, Shih Tzus, Cavaliers, Poodles, Lakelands, Yorkies, Pomeranians, Daschunds, Shelties and others. The long-hair breeds were indistinguishable.

“They were so matted and dirty, we couldn’t even tell what we were looking at. We even found dead rats entwined in some of the dogs’ hair. They’d (the rats) gotten tangled up in their hair and couldn’t get out,” says George. “And some of the dogs had open wounds that needed serious medical attention.”

The volunteers began rounding up the frightened, desperate animals and placing them in carrying crates. Each building yielded more horrors, says George. One building, possibly an old greenhouse shed, may have been used for the facility’s welping area as well as for other things.

“There was sawdust in the floor and clean water — the only clean water we found,” said George. “But then there were rusty, old hatchets and fishing line everywhere in there. We believe they were doing home caesarians.”

George noted that there were several areas with hatchets, some still with fresh blood, and fishing line. She explained that, besides breeding puppies to sell, some disreputable breeders use dogs to smuggle drugs. Their stomachs are split open, the packaged drugs inserted and then the stomach sewn back up using fishing line. Other times, dogs and puppies are sold to laboratories. Many of the female dogs rescued have scars consistent with scars that would be left by roughtly done caesarians or to carry drugs.

“Eight out of 10 times, puppy mills are covers for other things,” says George. “It’s very rarely just puppy milling...People don’t have a clue or they just close their eyes to what’s going on.”

One of the many buildings still haunts George.

“We kept hearing dogs inside this big, metal building. We finally got the doors open and the building was packed up to the ceiling with all kinds of things. There were only a few little paths through it and searching was almost impossible. We spent more than an hour in that building and never found a single dog, but we could still hear them. When we left, we left one of the doors open so, hopefully, they could at least get out.

At the end of the rescue, 130 live dogs (including 18 tiny, “lethargic” puppies) were located. Many wore tags indicating they’d been purchased at auctions and a number of them may have been stolen as well. Also discovered were 48 corpses of dead adult dogs and puppies, stuffed in bags and thrown in a city dumpster which was on the premises as well as in a truck being driven to one of the breeder’s family members.

Of the live dogs found, Homeward Bound took in more than 70. The remaining dogs were taken in by other shelters. Since their rescue, the dogs and puppies have required round-the-clock care including much needed medical attention and grooming. The grooming further showed the neglect and abuse the dogs had undergone.

“When we started grooming, it was awful,” says George. “Some of the dogs were missing eyes and some had tumors the size of their heads...But, believe it or not, only nine of the dogs so far have had to be euthanized because of their condition.”

Also surprising to George and the other shelter workers has been the will to live displayed by so many of the animals. Many of the dogs that the workers thought wouldn’t survive the ride back to Durant have thrived and are now ready for loving homes.

As for George and other Homeward Bound workers, it’s a labor of love...a task they will gladly repeat as they work to shut down disreputable dog breeding operations in Bryan County.

“It was the first time I’d ever been in a rescue like this,” says George. “I threw up five times while we were there. It was the most horrific, most obscene thing I’ve ever seen in my life, but I’ll do it again in a heartbeat! We’ve got a list of puppy mills like the one in Harrah that are being operated right here,” says George. “And we’re going to start working on them.”

George is also hoping that a proposal toughening up laws on animal breeders will pass legislation slated for November. This is especially important to George and others working towards the same goal as Oklahoma is only surpassed by Missouri in the number of dog dealers and breeders.

For more information on “puppy mills” and on the animals rescued by Homeward Bound, contact George at 580-924-5873 or visit www.homewardboundok.petfinder.com. Information is also available at the Humane Society of the United States website at www.hsus.org.

Below are questions to ask when determining if a prospective new pet is from a reputable, caring breeder or has been produced by a puppy or kitten miller (a person or persons who mass produce puppies or kittens with little or no regard for their care or quality).

Take a moment to ask the breeder, shelter staff or other source these questions. That will give you an idea of potential risk involved in adopting or buying from that establishment. For each question, a yes answer receives one point and a no response gets zero points. Tally the score when you finish to see how the kitten or puppy source rates. The higher the score, the better.

Scores of 8 to 10 are ideal. Scores of 5 to 7 are fair to good and scores of 4 or less indicates proceeding with caution.

1) Can you tell me the temperament of at least one parent (the mother)?

2) Can you tell me about the temperament of my kitten/puppy?

3) Has the kitten/puppy been “raised underfoot” and handled so she’s socialized to people?

4) Will you let me visit the facilities and see where my kitten/puppy has been raised?

5) If she’s a purebred, is registration and pedigree information available?

6) Can you provide a medical history of to-date vaccinations or other care given?

7) Does the purchase price/adoption fee include a health guarantee?

8) Do you provide a list of references/testimonials from satisfied adopters/purchasers?

9) Have you ever turned down a potential purchaser/adopter?

10) Will you be available to offer help and advice as my kitten/puppy grows?

Excerpted and adapted from “Complete Kitten Care,” by Amy D. Shojai.

http://www.heralddemocrat.com/articl...ife/life01.txt

Re: the picture of the two chihuahuas - These two chihuahuas, one missing an eye, are among the many saved from a cruelly-operated puppy mill in Oklahoma.

red98vett · 08-17-2006, 03:12 AM

I could easily get violent with this woman - no...I WOULD get violent with this woman - (at least verbally if not physicallyl) it's a good thing I'm NOT an investigator - I don't think I could control myself.....especially after reading this....JAIL is actually too good for these Souless EVIL GREEDY people

Quote:

“There was sawdust in the floor and clean water — the only clean water we found,” said George. “But then there were rusty, old hatchets and fishing line everywhere in there. We believe they were doing home caesarians.”

OMG IS THAT SICK - THEY BETTER GO TO JAIL !

IF they do I hope it's a NIGHTMARE for them and all the 'Big Bubba's' & 'Crazy Joe's' in jail know who they are

Quote:

George noted that there were several areas with hatchets, some still with fresh blood, and fishing line. She explained that, besides breeding puppies to sell, some disreputable breeders use dogs to smuggle drugs. Their stomachs are split open, the packaged drugs inserted and then the stomach sewn back up using fishing line. Other times, dogs and puppies are sold to laboratories. Many of the female dogs rescued have scars consistent with scars that would be left by roughtly done caesarians or to carry drugs.

[B]“Eight out of 10 times, puppy mills are covers for other things,” says George. “It’s very rarely just puppy milling...People don’t have a clue or they just close their eyes to what’s going on

pay extra attention to this last line - I'm calling the numbers in this article to see what I can do in my city.

YorkieRose · 08-17-2006, 03:30 AM

Well, I dreamed about this last night...I was living in a house with a basement and all the dogs were kept down there...I opened the door and hundreds of dogs came running out...all needed grooming and I was responsible to do it...it was a NIGHTMARE!! I felt so hopeless to help them..

I would like to stick a rat in this women a hair and let her live with it..I can not get this out of my mind.

yorkieusa · 08-17-2006, 09:42 AM

This is the saddest thing I have read in a long time.

julieg · 08-17-2006, 09:52 AM

maybe let rats crawl in her unbrushed hair while feeding her little bits of rat poision and giving her black water. and for sure if she needed medical aid we could hack her open and sew her up with fishing wire. this is all she thought those little helpless puppies deserved.

Cidney · 08-17-2006, 10:01 AM

I am sure NOTHING will happen to this vile scum of a woman. If she agree's to not buy or sell dogs again they will let her go and then she will move to another state and start it up again.

yorkieusa · 08-17-2006, 10:03 AM

Read this:

http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/...?petid=6067981

JCarlson2004 · 08-17-2006, 10:20 AM

Ok now I am really sick to my stomach. I can't say anything else on this subject because I just feel to sick right now.

rosesmom · 08-17-2006, 11:17 AM

I am so sick over this. It's just awful. How can someone be like this.

doortego · 08-17-2006, 11:38 AM

What are the requirements for a fenced yard? I don't have one & am training Little Bit to the puppy pads. I do have a few x pens I could set up to make a run if that would fulfill their requirements. I do have a huge backyard as I live in very small town. I cannot take a shelter dog now but kind of hate to think that if I was ready they wouldn't let me anyway.

YorkieRose · 08-17-2006, 12:10 PM

I don't really agree with the fence rule either. I have some of my puppies living in pricy apts, condo's on the beach and a few in NY city high rises...they do very well indoors. They can go to parks and for walks...I do not have a fence here in Flroida..I made a fenced play yard out of xpens on the patio..but if a person has young children some can get out the doors with the kids coming and going, so I would make a play yard around the door openings.

SJK1113 · 08-17-2006, 02:05 PM

This disgusts me. It's very disturbing.

YorkieGuru · 08-17-2006, 05:09 PM

it makes me so sick to see anything like this. I wanna kick that ole ladies arse.....

colby&sadee mom · 08-17-2006, 05:42 PM

I am from Durant where the shelter is and it is a great place. They are really great. The thing about the fences is that we are a college town and they dont eant any og the dogs to get run over. They dont require you to have a fenced yard they just like it. I cnat believe that someone would have the heart to be so cruel to all of those little dogs. I would kill someone who did that if I knew I wouldnt go to jail.

yorkieusa · 08-17-2006, 06:02 PM

I was happy to read that they planned to continue closing down puppy mills in that area. They must be great people!

08-16-2006, 09:21 PM	#1
yorkieusa Crazy about Kacee! Donating Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Kansas Posts: 21,173	More details about Oklahoma puppy mill Oh where, oh where has that little dog gone? BY LYNETTE GEORGE HERALD DEMOCRAT DURANT, Okla. — They squint at the afternoon sun. It’s something they’ve seen rarely if ever seen. More than a few aren’t recognizable. The coming bath, brushing and haircut will be firsts for them. There’s room to run and play, yet some stand alone or cower inside shelters. The invisible, suffocating restraints of fear and distrust — even hatred — may never loosen. Yet, even with the horrors these dogs endured at an Oklahoma “puppy mill,” many still come running to greet visitors, eager for a friendly pat and a kind word. Homeward Bound Humane Society in Durant recently aided a fellow Humane Society shelter in a critical mission — to rescue puppies and dogs from a long-time breeder in Harrah, Okla. For Stacy George, director of Homeward Bound, the rescue, which took place earlier this month, was her first and a prelude to what the shelter is planning soon for abusive breeders in the Durant area. Little if anything could have prepared George for what she would experience. What she saw and went through will forever be burned in her memories. George’s involvement, along with local volunteers, began when George was asked to speak with the breeder, a 76-year-old woman in Harrah. Attempts made by another shelter director closer to Harrah had yielded no results except for reported phone threats to the director. According to George, law enforcement officials near Harrah had been contacted five times about the facility, but to little avail. The breeder and her family refused to let anyone inspect the premises except to view the few dogs visible outside. Many, many more were inside other buildings scattered around the approximately 35-acre facility. (The following paragraph was messed up and this is the way it appeared.) animal cruelty was heavily suspected. Due to what George says are few and poor laws regarding the breeding and treatment of animals, the breeder had to agree to sign a contract turning over all of her dogs to Humane Society workers and allowing them to search the premises of the breeding facility. If the breeder refused, nothing could be done. Even “She only wanted to give up 10 of her animals that could no longer be used for breeding,” says George. “We told her it had to be all of her animals...period.” After several attempts, George convinced the woman to sign the contract surrendering all the animals which encompassed more than 100 small-breed dogs and several larger ones. She also agreed to never buy, sell trade or breed animals again. A group of nine Humane Society workers and volunteers then traveled to Harrah. It was a day George can’t forget. Though a few of the dogs were kept in outdoor pens, most were found inside airless, windowless buildings, says George. Stagnate, black water filled most water bowls and dead rats and mice lay in many of the food bowls which contained “filthy, molded food.” Apparently, the rodents had partaken of the poison that was also found in some of the food bowls, reports George. Inside the stifling heat, George and the rescuers discovered multiple breeds of dogs — Boston Terriers, Chihuahuas, Llaso Apsos, Shih Tzus, Cavaliers, Poodles, Lakelands, Yorkies, Pomeranians, Daschunds, Shelties and others. The long-hair breeds were indistinguishable. “They were so matted and dirty, we couldn’t even tell what we were looking at. We even found dead rats entwined in some of the dogs’ hair. They’d (the rats) gotten tangled up in their hair and couldn’t get out,” says George. “And some of the dogs had open wounds that needed serious medical attention.” The volunteers began rounding up the frightened, desperate animals and placing them in carrying crates. Each building yielded more horrors, says George. One building, possibly an old greenhouse shed, may have been used for the facility’s welping area as well as for other things. “There was sawdust in the floor and clean water — the only clean water we found,” said George. “But then there were rusty, old hatchets and fishing line everywhere in there. We believe they were doing home caesarians.” George noted that there were several areas with hatchets, some still with fresh blood, and fishing line. She explained that, besides breeding puppies to sell, some disreputable breeders use dogs to smuggle drugs. Their stomachs are split open, the packaged drugs inserted and then the stomach sewn back up using fishing line. Other times, dogs and puppies are sold to laboratories. Many of the female dogs rescued have scars consistent with scars that would be left by roughtly done caesarians or to carry drugs. “Eight out of 10 times, puppy mills are covers for other things,” says George. “It’s very rarely just puppy milling...People don’t have a clue or they just close their eyes to what’s going on.” One of the many buildings still haunts George. “We kept hearing dogs inside this big, metal building. We finally got the doors open and the building was packed up to the ceiling with all kinds of things. There were only a few little paths through it and searching was almost impossible. We spent more than an hour in that building and never found a single dog, but we could still hear them. When we left, we left one of the doors open so, hopefully, they could at least get out. At the end of the rescue, 130 live dogs (including 18 tiny, “lethargic” puppies) were located. Many wore tags indicating they’d been purchased at auctions and a number of them may have been stolen as well. Also discovered were 48 corpses of dead adult dogs and puppies, stuffed in bags and thrown in a city dumpster which was on the premises as well as in a truck being driven to one of the breeder’s family members. Of the live dogs found, Homeward Bound took in more than 70. The remaining dogs were taken in by other shelters. Since their rescue, the dogs and puppies have required round-the-clock care including much needed medical attention and grooming. The grooming further showed the neglect and abuse the dogs had undergone. “When we started grooming, it was awful,” says George. “Some of the dogs were missing eyes and some had tumors the size of their heads...But, believe it or not, only nine of the dogs so far have had to be euthanized because of their condition.” Also surprising to George and the other shelter workers has been the will to live displayed by so many of the animals. Many of the dogs that the workers thought wouldn’t survive the ride back to Durant have thrived and are now ready for loving homes. As for George and other Homeward Bound workers, it’s a labor of love...a task they will gladly repeat as they work to shut down disreputable dog breeding operations in Bryan County. “It was the first time I’d ever been in a rescue like this,” says George. “I threw up five times while we were there. It was the most horrific, most obscene thing I’ve ever seen in my life, but I’ll do it again in a heartbeat! We’ve got a list of puppy mills like the one in Harrah that are being operated right here,” says George. “And we’re going to start working on them.” George is also hoping that a proposal toughening up laws on animal breeders will pass legislation slated for November. This is especially important to George and others working towards the same goal as Oklahoma is only surpassed by Missouri in the number of dog dealers and breeders. For more information on “puppy mills” and on the animals rescued by Homeward Bound, contact George at 580-924-5873 or visit www.homewardboundok.petfinder.com. Information is also available at the Humane Society of the United States website at www.hsus.org. Below are questions to ask when determining if a prospective new pet is from a reputable, caring breeder or has been produced by a puppy or kitten miller (a person or persons who mass produce puppies or kittens with little or no regard for their care or quality). Take a moment to ask the breeder, shelter staff or other source these questions. That will give you an idea of potential risk involved in adopting or buying from that establishment. For each question, a yes answer receives one point and a no response gets zero points. Tally the score when you finish to see how the kitten or puppy source rates. The higher the score, the better. Scores of 8 to 10 are ideal. Scores of 5 to 7 are fair to good and scores of 4 or less indicates proceeding with caution. 1) Can you tell me the temperament of at least one parent (the mother)? 2) Can you tell me about the temperament of my kitten/puppy? 3) Has the kitten/puppy been “raised underfoot” and handled so she’s socialized to people? 4) Will you let me visit the facilities and see where my kitten/puppy has been raised? 5) If she’s a purebred, is registration and pedigree information available? 6) Can you provide a medical history of to-date vaccinations or other care given? 7) Does the purchase price/adoption fee include a health guarantee? 8) Do you provide a list of references/testimonials from satisfied adopters/purchasers? 9) Have you ever turned down a potential purchaser/adopter? 10) Will you be available to offer help and advice as my kitten/puppy grows? Excerpted and adapted from “Complete Kitten Care,” by Amy D. Shojai. http://www.heralddemocrat.com/articl...ife/life01.txt Re: the picture of the two chihuahuas - These two chihuahuas, one missing an eye, are among the many saved from a cruelly-operated puppy mill in Oklahoma. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Karen Kacee Muffin 1991-2005 Rest in Peace My Little Angel

08-17-2006, 09:42 AM	#4
yorkieusa Crazy about Kacee! Donating Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Kansas Posts: 21,173	This is the saddest thing I have read in a long time. __________________ Karen Kacee Muffin 1991-2005 Rest in Peace My Little Angel

08-17-2006, 09:52 AM	#5
julieg Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Edmond, OK Posts: 114	maybe let rats crawl in her unbrushed hair while feeding her little bits of rat poision and giving her black water. and for sure if she needed medical aid we could hack her open and sew her up with fishing wire. this is all she thought those little helpless puppies deserved. __________________ Mommy J ~ Paris

08-17-2006, 10:03 AM	#7
yorkieusa Crazy about Kacee! Donating Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Kansas Posts: 21,173	Read this: http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/...?petid=6067981 __________________ Karen Kacee Muffin 1991-2005 Rest in Peace My Little Angel

08-17-2006, 10:20 AM	#8
JCarlson2004 Mommy To 3 Poochies Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: New York Posts: 8,287	Ok now I am really sick to my stomach. I can't say anything else on this subject because I just feel to sick right now. __________________ Mommy Loves Codie, Tia & Baby Cali RIP My Precious Katie - I Love You

08-17-2006, 03:30 AM	#3
YorkieRose No Longer a Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: South Florida Posts: 8,577	Well, I dreamed about this last night...I was living in a house with a basement and all the dogs were kept down there...I opened the door and hundreds of dogs came running out...all needed grooming and I was responsible to do it...it was a NIGHTMARE!! I felt so hopeless to help them.. I would like to stick a rat in this women a hair and let her live with it..I can not get this out of my mind.

08-17-2006, 10:01 AM	#6
Cidney Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Sugar Land Posts: 99	I am sure NOTHING will happen to this vile scum of a woman. If she agree's to not buy or sell dogs again they will let her go and then she will move to another state and start it up again.

08-17-2006, 11:17 AM	#9
rosesmom YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: pa Posts: 545	I am so sick over this. It's just awful. How can someone be like this. __________________ Pat & Rose

08-17-2006, 11:38 AM	#10
doortego Little Bit & Buttons Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: US Posts: 2,160	Fenced yard? What are the requirements for a fenced yard? I don't have one & am training Little Bit to the puppy pads. I do have a few x pens I could set up to make a run if that would fulfill their requirements. I do have a huge backyard as I live in very small town. I cannot take a shelter dog now but kind of hate to think that if I was ready they wouldn't let me anyway.

08-17-2006, 12:10 PM	#11
YorkieRose No Longer a Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: South Florida Posts: 8,577	fences I don't really agree with the fence rule either. I have some of my puppies living in pricy apts, condo's on the beach and a few in NY city high rises...they do very well indoors. They can go to parks and for walks...I do not have a fence here in Flroida..I made a fenced play yard out of xpens on the patio..but if a person has young children some can get out the doors with the kids coming and going, so I would make a play yard around the door openings.

08-17-2006, 02:05 PM	#12
SJK1113 No Longer a Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: usa Posts: 2,150	This disgusts me. It's very disturbing.

08-17-2006, 05:09 PM	#13
YorkieGuru Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Illinois Posts: 725	it makes me so sick to see anything like this. I wanna kick that ole ladies arse..... __________________ KIM Proud mom of ELLE and ABBIE and BELLE

08-17-2006, 05:42 PM	#14
colby&sadee mom Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2006 Location: Durant Posts: 43	I hate stupid people I am from Durant where the shelter is and it is a great place. They are really great. The thing about the fences is that we are a college town and they dont eant any og the dogs to get run over. They dont require you to have a fenced yard they just like it. I cnat believe that someone would have the heart to be so cruel to all of those little dogs. I would kill someone who did that if I knew I wouldnt go to jail. __________________ COLBY & SADEE MOMMY I LOVE MY BABIES!!!

08-17-2006, 06:02 PM	#15
yorkieusa Crazy about Kacee! Donating Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Kansas Posts: 21,173	I was happy to read that they planned to continue closing down puppy mills in that area. They must be great people! __________________ Karen Kacee Muffin 1991-2005 Rest in Peace My Little Angel