I heard about this on the news and almost cried! How could someone do this to such a loving breed?!
Rescued Yorkies severely neglected, Humane Society says
MIKE PENPRASE • NEWS-LEADER • FEBRUARY 13, 2009
Some of the 93 Yorkshire terriers taken from a kennel behind a north Greene County home this afternoon had been so neglected they could not walk because of clumps of tangled fur mixed with feces, members of a Humane Society of Missouri rescue team said this afternoon.
The neglect was so serious the Humane Society will try to get animal neglect charges filed on each of the dogs, society director of rescues and investigations Tim Rickey said.
“Clearly, this is long-term abuse,” Rickey said of conditions at what he described as a puppy mill.
The raid at 877 E. Farm Road 26 north of Springfield went into motion Thursday when the Greene County Sheriff’s Office obtained a search warrant and notified the St. Louis-based Humane Society.
The man and woman who own the property face animal neglect charges, Detective Ron Killingsworth said.
The property was being treated as a crime scene and the couple had left the property while the rescue operation was taking place, Killingsworth said.
The sheriff’s office obtained the warrant after receiving complaints that a number of dogs were being neglected and after deputies checked the property from the road, he said.
The sheriff’s office then notified the Humane Society, Killingsworth said.
Greene County Prosecuting Attorney Darrell Moore indicated Friday that he is awaiting a report from the sheriff’s office before filing charges.
Greene County will send an inspector to the property next week to determine whether there is enough trash to issue a citation for trash and debris, county spokeswoman Jenny Filmer Edwards said this afternoon.
While the terriers had not been watered or fed for a considerable time, they also suffered physically from not having their long fur groomed, Rickey said.
Holding one dog that had fur so matted it couldn’t see out of one eye, Rickey pointed out clumps of fur and feces had hardened on the dog’s paws and that it couldn’t move one leg because of the matting.
Although the Humane Society indicated in a news release that a hearing is set for Feb. 20 on whether the Humane Society can take possession of the dogs so they can be adopted out, Rickey said the owners already have surrendered the dogs to the Humane Society.
Rescued Yorkies severely neglected, Humane Society says | News-Leader.com | Springfield News-Leader