Missouri: Attempts to corral agitated chimp, lead authorities to puppy mill

[yorkiesmiles]

Attempts to corral agitated chimp, later fatally shot, lead authorities to puppy mill - WDAF

Attempts to corral agitated chimp, later fatally shot, lead authorities to puppy mill

By Associated Press
April 1, 2009
WINSTON, Mo. (AP)

Three people are charged with animal abuse and neglect after authorities — responding to a call about an agitated chimpanzee — discovered more than 100 dogs in squalid conditions in northwest Missouri.

The Daviess County Sheriff's Department said Wednesday it responded to a call Monday night about a chimp running on the highway north of Winston. The chimp attacked a deputy who later killed it.

Authorities approaching the home that had reported the chimp suspected it was a puppy mill. Chief Deputy Todd Watson says when officers arrived Tuesday with a search warrant, all but 13 dogs and two cats were gone.

The Humane Society of Missouri is offering a $3,000 reward for information on the animals' whereabouts.

The Missouri Department of Agriculture said two other chimpanzees were recovered. Watson said there may be a third chimp.

[WalnutHill]

That is just incredible. I don't have another word for it....

Did they say what sort of dogs these people had?

[Amazing Yorkies]

OMG! It is just 1 1/2 hour drive from me. I called a friend that lives just about 20 miles from Winston and they had never heard of them. I'm praying they find those poor dogs!

[fannie]

My parents live north of Winston in Pattonsburg and they haven't heard anything more than what's here.

[Doodlebug]

Wow, another finger of shame pointing at Missouri. I feel so bad for those poor animals. I hope they are able to find them and resuce those poor little guys.

[yorkiesmiles]

The Associated Press: Deputies shoot chimp, then find squalid puppy mill

Deputies shoot chimp, then find squalid puppy mill

WINSTON, Mo. (AP) — Officers shot and killed a rampaging chimpanzee in a rural area and then found a squalid, unlicensed puppy mill in the chimp owners' home, officials said.

Three people were arrested Wednesday on charges of animal abuse and neglect, operating as an unlicensed breeder and keeping wild animals without proper registration, Daviess County officials said.

The Sheriff's Department had responded to a call Monday night on a request to help capture an angry chimp running loose on a highway outside Winston in northwest Missouri. When officers arrived, the 9-year-old chimp opened the patrol car door and grabbed the leg of a deputy, who fatally shot it, Chief Deputy Todd Watson said.

"We never knew there was an animal like this in the county," Watson said.

When Watson went to talk to the owners, he smelled a strong odor and heard barking from an estimated 100 to 200 small-breed dogs inside. The occupants told Watson they also had three other primates.

Watson returned Tuesday with a search warrant and discovered only 13 dogs and two cats remaining, and they showed signs of abuse and neglect. Watson said he also discovered the remains of nine dead puppies in the yard and recovered records on breeding and sales of pups that brought as much as $400 each.

Brent Hudson, 49; his wife, Cherace Hudson, 41; and their friend Mary Overton, 52, were jailed on $5,000 bond. They did not have attorneys, Watson said.

The three other primates have been recovered. The Humane Society of Missouri is offering a reward for information on the dogs that were seen Monday but gone from the property by the time officials returned Tuesday.

State Agriculture Department spokeswoman Misti Preston said the breeder never had a state license. The home was in a remote location, with no neighbors nearby.

Missouri Agriculture Director Jon Hagler, who has said he wants to put bad breeders out of business, said in a statement that such operators put the health and welfare of animals at risk and place legitimate pet breeders at a competitive disadvantage.

[yorkiesmiles]

stjoenews.net | 92 dogs missing from puppy mill rescued

92 dogs missing from puppy mill rescued
Perhaps 100 dogs, several primates could still be in hiding
by Joe Blumberg
Saturday, April 4, 2009

Ninety-two dogs from an alleged Daviess County puppy and primate mill were handed over to authorities Friday, but perhaps 100 dogs and several primates remain in unknown locations.

The Daviess County Sheriff’s Department came across the animals Monday night when responding to a call of a chimpanzee on the loose. The chimp reportedly attacked a deputy and was shot dead.

Authorities returned Tuesday with a search warrant, but by then an estimated 200 dogs had been cleared out of the residence near Winston, Mo. About 17 dogs and cats were found at the home, and three primates were later recovered.

Three people who allegedly operated the puppy mill have been charged with numerous misdemeanor animal charges.

On Friday morning, people holding the dogs for the suspects cooperated with authorities and turned over 92 dogs, said Tim Rickey, director of the Humane Society of Missouri’s Animal Cruelty Task Force. Sixty-eight of the dogs were being held at one location, and 24 were held at another.

“(The suspects) tried to disperse these animals to hide them from law enforcement,” Mr. Rickey said.

The 92 animals were taken from Kansas City to the Missouri Humane Society in St. Louis. The Humane Society will ask a judge to grant them custody for adoption.

Authorities believe many more dogs and perhaps as many as eight primates are unaccounted for.

“We believe that they’ve been given to other people,” Mr. Rickey said. “There’s no evidence that they’ve been turned loose.”

The dogs “were in deplorable conditions” in the house, he said. The people lived in the house with the animals — some in cages and some loose, based on widespread feces and urine. Some animals have fractures and problems with eyes, coats, skin and malnutrition, Mr. Rickey said. Nine dogs were found dead at the location.

“We’re hopeful that they’re alive and we are able to find them soon,” Mr. Rickey said. “We’re really concerned about their medical condition.”

He urged anyone with information to call the Humane Society’s abuse hotline at (314) 647-4400. People can also make donations by calling (314) 951-1542.

The people who handed over the animals Friday are not expected to be charged, Mr. Rickey said.

“They cooperated, which is what we asked them to do,” he said.

The dogs are mostly smaller breeds, including Chihuahuas, Shi Tzus, Yorkies, poodles, Maltese and Boston Terriers. The primates could include chimps, macaques and spider monkeys, Mr. Rickey said.

The dogs and the primates are believed to have been part of an unlicensed commercial breeding operation, he said. Such conditions typically are the result of “very poor business practices” and snowballing animal populations, he said.

Mr. Rickey urged animal buyers to confirm that a breeder is licensed or visit the source. He also asked people to consider adoption from a local shelter.

“When you’re buying animals from newspaper ads or Internet ads and meeting someone in a parking lot, this is oftentimes the environment those animals are coming from,” Mr. Rickey said.

Brent Daniel Hudson, 49; Cherace E. Hudson, 41; and Mary C. Overton, 52, all of Winston, face charges in the case.

[fannie]

Over 100 dogs rescued from puppy mill :: GallatinNorthMissourian.com :: Serving Daviess County Since 1864

Over a hundred dogs have been rescued from an alleged puppy mill in Winston and three people have been charged with several misdemeanors in connection with the operation of the facility.

It all started March 30, when Daviess County Deputy Larry Adams was forced to shoot and kill a chimpanzee in self defense after being attacked by the aggressive adult primate at a rural home on Reel Avenue north of Winston.

The sheriff’s department was called to the residence after the chimpanzee was reported to be running loose on Route Y, a blacktop highway.

Upon their arrival, deputies and the owners tried to capture the large, nine-year-old chimp. After several failed attempts to corral the animal, it opened the door of Deputy Larry Adams’ patrol car, grabbed the deputy’s leg and attempted to strike him. The deputy struck the chimp in the chest pushing him away. The chimp attempted to attack the deputy again. This time the deputy had to use deadly force in self defense.

The deputy suffered minor injuries. The owners of the chimpanzee suffered cuts and scratches from the attack and were treated at the scene.

While at the residence, the officers noted what they estimated at the time to be about 200 dogs living in "deplorable" conditions on the property in what appeared to be a substandard puppy mill.

The Sheriff’s office reported the situation to the Missouri Department of Agriculture who requested the assistance of the Humane Society of Missouri to rescue the dogs and three primates.

On March 31, a warrant was served by the Daviess County Sheriff’s Department for the removal of the animals. But when members of the sheriff’s department, the Missouri Department of Agriculture and the Humane Society of Missouri Animal Cruelty Task Force arrived at the location, all but 15 dogs and two cats had been removed from the property.

The Daviess County Sheriff’s Department arrested Brent D. Hudson, 49, Cherace E. Hudson, 41, and Mary C. Overton, 52, all of Winston, in connection with the unlicensed puppy mill.

Each faces one charge of operating an animal care facility as a breeder or dealer without a license; two counts of animal abuse; nine counts of violating provisions regarding disposal of dead animals; one count of animal neglect or abandonment; and four counts of keeping a dangerous wild animal without registration filed with local law enforcement. The charges were filed April 1. Bond was set at $5,000 for each.

According to a probable cause statement filed by the Daviess County Sheriff, Mr. Hudson was the owner of Timmy, a large, nine-year-old chimpanzee, which he failed to keep under adequate control, resulting in the attack on Deputy Adams. Mr. Hudson also failed to have four primates living at the address registered with local law enforcement.

According to the Missouri Department of Agriculture, the primates have since been located and officials are investigating their condition.

On April 3, 92 of the dogs which had apparently been spirited away from the authorities by friends and relatives of the owners of the suspected puppy mill, were handed back over. Reports say 68 of the dogs were held at one location, and 24 at another. The people who returned the animals are not expected to be charged, in light of their cooperation.

Those 92 dogs were taken to the Missouri Humane Society in St. Louis. The 15 dogs originally seized from the alleged puppy mill are also being cared for by the St. Louis shelter after a disposition hearing in Daviess County on Monday, April 6, granted the society control of the animals.

The disposition hearing for the second group of dogs is set for April 16 in Jackson County.

"They are doing fine and are back on the road to recovery," according to Jeane Jae, director of communications for the St. Louis based Humane Society. "We’re helping the puppies that were still nursing and making sure the mothers are well taken care of. All have had preliminary veterinary examinations and continue to be monitored by the shelter staff and veterinarians."

Authorities at first believed many more dogs were unaccounted for.

"The total number was somewhat fluid," said Mrs. Jae. "We’re still following through on reports on possible, additional animals; but, honestly, we don’t know how many more and this may be it."

Deputy Larry Adams at the Daviess County Sheriff’s Department said his office would not release details about the number of dogs or primates still to be recovered until information is confirmed.

"We’re still receiving information and tips and checking into leads and it is an ongoing investigation," Deputy Adams said.

Mrs. Jae said it would be several weeks before the dogs will be ready for adoption from the Humane Society. She said there were some serious medical issues with the first group of dogs received and that several were in very serious condition.

The dogs include a variety of breeds: Yorkshire Terrier, Pekinese, Chihuahua, Maltese, Miniature Pinscher, and Miniature Poodle.

The Humane Society of Missouri is offering a $3,000 reward for information leading to the location and recovery of the dogs that were removed from the property. Persons with information on the whereabouts of the missing dogs should contact the Humane Society of Missouri’s Animal Abuse Hotline, 314-647-4400.

At an associate court arraignment held Monday, April 6, all three defendants plead innocent to the charges in connection with the unlicensed puppy mill and were ordered to return to court on April 20.

[Wabbit]

Originally Posted by Doodlebug

Wow, another finger of shame pointing at Missouri. I feel so bad for those poor animals. I hope they are able to find them and resuce those poor little guys.

They have been finding Puppy mills ALL over the U.S....its not just in MO!!!

[8dogs]

What happens to those poor dogs rescued from this latest puppy mill? Is there anything we can do to help?

[puppyluv425]

My heart just melted when I read this story in the paper. I can't imagine treating such beautiful animals (or ANY animal) so poorly. I've been emailing back and forth with the Missouri Humane Society in the hopes to adopt one of the poor dogs they rescued from this puppymill (I live in Kansas City, Missouri). I get newsletters from the Mo Humane Society, and the info in today's newsletter said they should be ready to start adopting some of the dogs out the week of April 20th (that's Monday). They are going to have an adopt-a-thon featuring these dogs. You can read more about it here Humane Society of Missouri - http://www.hsmo.org: April etails 2009