Puppy mill dogs could be up for adoption soon
Puppy mill dogs could be up for adoption soon | Local News | KING5.com | News for Seattle, Washington
04:18 PM PST on Wednesday, March 4, 2009
By SUSAN WYATT / KING5.com
MOUNT VERNON, Wash. - Hundreds of dogs and puppies seized in a raid of a puppy mill operation in January may be available for adoption soon after a
Skagit County couple has agreed to forfeit the animals.
The Skagit County Prosecutor's Office says with the exception of dogs cited in the criminal case and several dogs that may belong to other people, all of the 400 dogs taken from Richard and Marjorie Sundberg’s property are
now owned by the rescue agencies that took the animals in.
According to an agreement worked out between the Prosecutor's Office and the Sundbergs' defense attorneys on Wednesday, the Sundbergs can have no pets or animals at their residence in Mount Vernon.
Prosecutor Rich Weyrich praised Deputy Sloan Johnson for the handling of the forfeiture matter.
"He worked hard with all of the parties to bring about an agreement that prevents the possibility of dogs being returned to the Sundbergs now or at any time in the future," said Weyrich.
The Sundbergs are each charged with four felonies and six misdemeanors, including animal cruelty and transporting or confining an animal in an unsafe manner for their dog breeding operation.
The Prosecutor’s Office said the agreement has no effect on the pending criminal charges against the Sundbergs.
Kate Reardon with the Everett Animal Shelter, which has 89 dogs in foster care from a raid in Gold Bar, says they are working out the details of an adoption event to be held sometime this month.