Montgomery, AL - For dog-lovers like Lois Stephens, the story was hard to believe and equally hard to bear.
Her initial reaction to the news of more than 30 small-breed dogs found earlier this week in Pine Level was one of disgust.
About 22 of the dogs were left in kennels in a parking lot at the Pine Motel on Monday when Autauga County Animal Control Officer Troy Snow said he spotted them and pulled over to investigate.
Snow said an Ohio couple relocating to Elmore County had brought the dogs -- an array of breeds including Yorkshire terriers, Maltese terriers and poodles -- to sell.
The dogs seemed lethargic, having been squeezed in the back of a van during the trip, Snow said.
When the couple could not produce proof of ownership or vaccination records, Snow took the dogs to the Autauga County Humane Society's shelter. Later that day, Snow took another 10 dogs from the couple, who gave them up on the condition they would not be prosecuted.
Since then, local residents have found either permanent or temporary homes for almost all of the dogs. None has been destroyed.
"It makes me sick," said Stephens, a member of a Maltese terrier rescue group who took two of the dogs to Birmingham on Thursday. "It was one of many horrible things that can happen to animals."
An owner of six Maltese terriers herself, Stephens said she enjoys the breed because they don't shed much hair and are great lap dogs.
Nancy Williams, treasurer of the Autauga County Human Society Board, said residents are caring for the dogs until they can be adopted.
"We were inundated with little dogs," Williams said. "I saw five or six (Wednesday) and they were in good shape, much better than they were."
Snow said the many of the dogs were in dirty or unclean kennels. He said it's important for pet owners to keep dogs out of hot vehicles during the summer and keep their water cool.
If not, dogs can dehydrate, get sick and even die.
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