A puppy mill in WV has been closed. They had 1,000 dogs including yorkies.
Here is the link to a video:
Humane Society It's Time to Stop the Breeding in West Virginia | Animal Law Coalition
Story from above link:
After weeks of investigation and planning, humane groups including Humane Society of Parkersburg, A Forever Home, and the Humane Society of the United States, along with West Virginia Division of Environmental Protection and Woods County, West Virginia sheriff's department and prosecutors, shut down a puppy mill called Whispering Oaks Kennel.
This mill had nearly 1,000 dogs.
Despite the pleasant sounding name, this facility, which had operated for decades, typifies the squalor and misery endured by animals trapped in the pet trade.
These neglected dogs were kept in rabbit hutches, with wire bottoms. Many were suffering in the hot sun with no access to water. All of the hutches were crowded and filthy.
The investigation of this puppy mill focused on claims the owner was illegally disposing of pollutants or dog waste. West Virginia regulates the disposal of animal wastes. Improperly disposed of dog wastes particularly in the quantities in this case can be harmful to humans and contaminate water supplies and food crops. It is something to look at if you want to close down a puppy mill.
The owner has not yet been charged with violations of state laws concerning pollution or waste disposal or for the care and treatment of the dogs. But she did surrender ownership of the dogs when authorities appeared at her facility this weekend and signed an agreement never to operate a commercial breeding facility in the state again.
The dogs are being transported to a temporary shelter. Humane Society of Parkersburg, A Forever Home, HSUS, and others are involved in the transport of the animals, organization of the shelter and care of the animals. Each dog must be evaluated and provided with veterinary care. They will then be adopted out to good homes. The dogs are small breeds, mostly dachshunds and also King Charles Cavaliers, Yorkies, Poodles and Jack Russell terriers.
Watch the HSUS video of this rescue.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
If you are interested in donating blankets or funds or would like to help with placement of these dogs, contact A Forever Home,
A Forever-Home Rescue Foundation at (703)961-8690 or the Humane Society of Parkersburg,
Humane Society of Parkersburg at (304) 422-5541.
The rescuers in this case were struck by the large number of dogs and the impossibility of caring for so many. Now is a good time to call on West Virginia House members and senators to pass state laws, or local county and city officials to pass ordinances or required conditional use permits that limit the commercial breeding and improve conditions in these mills: (a) limit the number of dogs used for commercial breeding as Virginia and Louisiana did this past year, (b) limit the number of dogs that can be sold each year, (c) ban inbreeding, (d) limit the ages dogs can be bred, (e) limit the number of times a dog can be bred each year, (f) require that dogs must stay with their mothers until they are at least 8-10 weeks old, (g) require record keeping, (h) require sufficient staff to care for the animals, (i) improve conditions, (j) ban ear cropping, debarking, tail docking and surgical birthing without a veterinarian using anesthesia; (k) require unannounced inspections, (l) require fire prevention plans, (m) require compliance with laws regarding disposal of waste and dead bodies; (n) declare that violations constitute a public nuisance, (o) do background checks and get violators and animal abusers out of the business of commercial breeding; (p) provide consumer protection, (q) provide for seizure and impoundment of the animals, liens for their care and forfeiture of property as well as animals, and (r) broaden enforcement powers to include other state and local agencies and private animal welfare organizations and even in some cases private citizens.