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Kaluiah · 03-26-2008, 08:31 AM

http://johnsoncitypress.com/Detail.p...LNEWS&ID=62170

By Jim Wozniak
Erwin Bureau Chief
jwozniak@johnsoncitypress.com

UNICOI — Describing the conditions as horrid and deplorable, Unicoi County animal control officers on Tuesday removed 15 Chinese Shar-Pei dogs and a cocker spaniel from what one said was a puppy-breeding operation in Limestone Cove.

The county’s animal shelter already has found new homes for the dogs, said Leanna Dippold, the facility’s office manager. For now, though, the dogs are being housed at the shelter.
The officers acted after the 56-year-old owner, who was in ill health, surrendered the dogs, which had been living in chain-link fence areas. No charges have been placed against her or her son, who more recently had cared for the dogs, Officer Estil Edwards said. Sheriff Kent Harris said he would not rule out the possibility of charges down the line.
“She’s not able to take care of them, she doesn’t foresee being able to take care of them,” Edwards said. “My opinion is her health deteriorated so that she couldn’t tend the animals properly. Her son had supposedly been taking care of them (during her illness), but as we investigated, we saw that they hadn’t been doing so.”
Edwards said all of the dogs have been signed over to the Unicoi County Humane Society. Dippold said she contacted a rescue operation for the Shar-Pei breed and got word later that all 16 would receive new homes.
Edwards contended the dogs have been mistreated and called this the worst animal case in which he has been involved.
“They got feces in the pens,” he said. “It’s been in there for it looks like at least a year’s accumulation. Also when we investigated (Monday), part of them had a little bit of water (and) there were no food in any pens. The living conditions — they’re out in the weather primarily. They don’t have much of a shelter to be honest about it. They have houses, but they don’t have beds or anything like that to make them comfortable.”
“I wouldn’t want to put you in a yard like this, so I don’t believe animals should have to live this way,” Dippold said.
Edwards said the conditions have developed over the past year, but said the animals were taken care of until then.
“It was a puppy-producing machine,” said Edwards, who indicated it appeared some of the dogs were pregnant.. “These puppies sold from $300-$400 each. It’s a puppy mill is what it’s really called.”
A license is needed for such an operation, but the woman’s mother said the family did not have one, he said. Edwards said the sheriff’s department will investigate the situation. He was uncertain how long this operation had existed, but Dippold said some residents told her that it had operated for at least six years.
Dippold said she discovered the dogs when she was heading back to the shelter after she checked on the welfare of a horse elsewhere in the Limestone Cove on Friday. She and Edwards came to the site Monday and noticed the extent of the problem. Dippold anticipates finding more of these types of cases now that the county has a shelter and more employees devoted to animal issues.

03-26-2008, 08:31 AM	#1
Kaluiah Ramsey little Devil in disguise Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Here Posts: 985	[News] 16 dogs taken from ‘puppy mill’ in Unicoi http://johnsoncitypress.com/Detail.p...LNEWS&ID=62170 By Jim Wozniak Erwin Bureau Chief jwozniak@johnsoncitypress.com UNICOI — Describing the conditions as horrid and deplorable, Unicoi County animal control officers on Tuesday removed 15 Chinese Shar-Pei dogs and a cocker spaniel from what one said was a puppy-breeding operation in Limestone Cove. The county’s animal shelter already has found new homes for the dogs, said Leanna Dippold, the facility’s office manager. For now, though, the dogs are being housed at the shelter. The officers acted after the 56-year-old owner, who was in ill health, surrendered the dogs, which had been living in chain-link fence areas. No charges have been placed against her or her son, who more recently had cared for the dogs, Officer Estil Edwards said. Sheriff Kent Harris said he would not rule out the possibility of charges down the line. “She’s not able to take care of them, she doesn’t foresee being able to take care of them,” Edwards said. “My opinion is her health deteriorated so that she couldn’t tend the animals properly. Her son had supposedly been taking care of them (during her illness), but as we investigated, we saw that they hadn’t been doing so.” Edwards said all of the dogs have been signed over to the Unicoi County Humane Society. Dippold said she contacted a rescue operation for the Shar-Pei breed and got word later that all 16 would receive new homes. Edwards contended the dogs have been mistreated and called this the worst animal case in which he has been involved. “They got feces in the pens,” he said. “It’s been in there for it looks like at least a year’s accumulation. Also when we investigated (Monday), part of them had a little bit of water (and) there were no food in any pens. The living conditions — they’re out in the weather primarily. They don’t have much of a shelter to be honest about it. They have houses, but they don’t have beds or anything like that to make them comfortable.” “I wouldn’t want to put you in a yard like this, so I don’t believe animals should have to live this way,” Dippold said. Edwards said the conditions have developed over the past year, but said the animals were taken care of until then. “It was a puppy-producing machine,” said Edwards, who indicated it appeared some of the dogs were pregnant.. “These puppies sold from $300-$400 each. It’s a puppy mill is what it’s really called.” A license is needed for such an operation, but the woman’s mother said the family did not have one, he said. Edwards said the sheriff’s department will investigate the situation. He was uncertain how long this operation had existed, but Dippold said some residents told her that it had operated for at least six years. Dippold said she discovered the dogs when she was heading back to the shelter after she checked on the welfare of a horse elsewhere in the Limestone Cove on Friday. She and Edwards came to the site Monday and noticed the extent of the problem. Dippold anticipates finding more of these types of cases now that the county has a shelter and more employees devoted to animal issues.