Over 200 Dogs Rescued From Burns Puppy Mill
Over 200 Dogs Rescued From Burns Puppy Mill | KOHD
video of the place online
3/13/09 Burns
By Doug Johnson
The Oregon Humane Society says it's one of the largest puppy mill rescues in Oregon history. Almost 200 dogs found, 60 roaming free, the rest in cages on one man's property, sharing just one bag of food amongst themselves.
"There were dogs that lived in old abandoned trailers, dogs that were stuffed into wired cages, just way too many dogs," says Scott Beckstead with the United States Humane Society, who was at the puppy mill on Friday.
The dogs were discovered by the Harney County Sheriff's Office about sixteen miles east of Burns on Palamino Lane. Members with both the Oregon and the United States Humane Society were on scene with Harney County Sheriff deputies earlier Friday. Beckstead said things were as bad as it gets.
"We witnessed random breedings of dogs all day," Beckstead says.
One hundred and eighty seven of the dogs were taken to Portland on Friday, passing through Prineville. Animal welfare officials say most of the dogs appear to be in good health. The dog's owner, fifty-seven year-old Ted Tellefson is facing animal neglect charges. But the Harney County Sheriff's Office will let him keep about twenty of the older dogs. Others not going to Portland, will be sold or euthanized. The US Humane Society says this raid shows why new legislation is needed. Currently Oregon has no statewide laws to regulate puppy mills.
"Law enforcement would have even stronger tools to take care of a situation like this, and actually to prevent one from happening in the first place," Beckstead says.