160 Dogs Rescued In North Carolina Puppy Mill Raid

North Carolina Puppy Mill Raid

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – Graphic images of the 160 dogs collected in a raid last week in Stokes County show the dogs sleeping in their own waste, in makeshift kennels that had exposed wires and an infestation of mice.

But Kim Alboum, director of the Humane Society of North Carolina, which took the pictures, hopes some good will come out of what she called a “heartbreaking” scene. She wants it to be a catalyst that will push North Carolinians to demand more regulation of commercial dog breeders — an industry that now has little oversight in the state.

“My expectation is that our legislators are going to see the outcry from the general public and hopefully help us move something forward and get some regulations in place,” Alboum said. “The majority of people want to have regulations for commercial dog breeders in North Carolina. They want to have some level of accountability.”

North Carolina does license those breeders who sell animals to research facilities and pet stores. But about 90 percent or more of the state’s breeders sell directly to buyers through newspaper or Internet ads, said Ann Church, vice president of state affairs for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

A bill to regulate commercial breeders passed the state Senate in 2009, but it died in the House after pressure on lawmakers from groups including the N.C. Pork Council and the Farm Bureau. The bill was deemed “too divisive” by opponents.

No new legislation was submitted last year.

Alboum said she’s working with North Carolina animal control officers and legislators to come up with a new bill.

The Humane Society estimates there are 250 to 300 commercial dog breeders operating in North Carolina, and Alboum is quick to point out that many of them are responsible and caring owners. But those that aren’t so ethical flock to North Carolina, animal advocates say, because of the state’s lack of oversight. Nationally, at least 19 states have some level of regulation in place for commercial dog breeders, the Humane Society says.

There was no specific language in the previous bill relating to farm animals or food production, but farm groups worried about the participation of the Humane Society, which in the past has pressured Smithfield Foods and other pork producers across the nation to phase out the use of gestation crates for sows in company-owned facilities. Last December, Smithfield Foods recommitted to an earlier promise to phase out the practice by 2017.

“We’re concerned about their motives,” Deborah Johnson, CEO of the N.C. Pork Council, said of the Humane Society. “We’re concerned about their involvement in food-animal production. We know there are people with motives about animal agriculture that are involved with commercial dog breeders. That causes us caution and concern.”

Alboum concedes that corporate farming practices are a major concern of the Humane Society, but she insisted that the issues are separate.

“This isn’t about food animals,” she said. “This is about companion animals. It’s about responsible care for dogs in breeding facilities.”

Rep. Rick Glazier, a Cumberland County Democrat and a proponent of commercial dog breeder legislation, said there shouldn’t be a fear that regulations for dog breeders will lead to rules in other areas.

“Something that got mixed in was this ‘camel’s nose under the tent’ notion that if you regulate breeding of companion animals, you look at having the state regulate all kinds of other animals,” Glazier said. “That is absolutely the furthest thing from anyone’s mind.

“Our goal is to regulate the bad breeders to become better or move out of here, not to put onerous regulations or burdens on good operations and good breeders,” Glazier said.

The bill also was opposed by North Carolina hunters, who worried about how it would affect the keeping of hunting dogs. But hunters — as well as kennel operators and a few other categories of dog owners — were specifically exempted from the proposed regulations.

The American Kennel Club also had problems with the bill, fearing that it would make things more difficult for reputable breeders and hobby breeders.

Wingate resident Maggie Blutreich, who has been breeding AKC-registered beagles with her husband, Kim, since 1997, worries that statewide legislation could “throw all the babies out with the bath water.”

Alboum said her group is working with the AKC to resolve those concerns in a way that protects dogs and also ensures that responsible breeders are not negatively impacted.

More than anything, Blutreich said, she would like consumers to take responsibility for making smarter choices when buying animals.

“With the Internet and third-party delivery and all that stuff — you wouldn’t buy a turkey breast that way,” she said. “Let alone something that was going to live with you and be in the backseat of your car with your kids for 15 years. People spend six months buying a used car and then click around a bit with a mouse and end up with a dog.”

Blutreich, who also is a certified professional dog trainer, made a checklist to help people determine whether they are dealing with a responsible breeder or one who is not ethical. Responsible breeders are careful when screening potential owners, she says. Her tip sheet likens the screening process to feeling like “you are trying to adopt a child from the CIA.”

More than 500 dogs were recovered in the five puppy mill raids in North Carolina last year — in Wake, Caldwell, Franklin, Perquimans and Lincoln counties.

Rescued dogs typically need extensive care to recuperate from health and socialization problems associated with their living conditions.

Sometimes the dogs are in such bad shape that they must be euthanized, but the goal, according to Deborah Steely, manager of the Wake SPCA holding center, is always to rehabilitate them. Steely assisted in the transport of 14 Stokes County dogs from Greensboro to Wake County last week. The Humane Society of Charlotte has 33 of the dogs from the raid.

Marsha Williams, executive director of the Guilford County Animal Shelter, which received 129 of the Stokes dogs, said many of them have eye issues, hematomas, heart murmurs, severe dental problems, matting and dermatitis. Some of the dogs have broken jaws and teeth, which occurs in calcium-depleted smaller dogs that have been over bred.

“Two of the dogs were mamas nursing babies,” Williams said. She thinks at least seven of the dogs her shelter received are pregnant.

Some of the dogs kept knocking over their food bowls at the shelter. Officials think they had never used a bowl — their food was usually just spread in their cages with the animals’ feces.

All of the dogs taken from the Stokes site, Dan River Bullies in Danbury, were French and English bulldogs, Boston terriers, Shih Tzus, Yorkshire terriers and Chihuahuas. One African parrot was also surrendered.

Charges are expected to be filed against the owners, Willis and Lucile Mabe, after veterinarians finish evaluating the dogs.

In cases where animals are determined to have been neglected or treated cruelly, owners can face misdemeanor animal cruelty charges. If dogs are starved to death, the charges are felonies.

But animal advocates would like more emphasis on preventing puppy mills, not just punishment after the fact.

Album thinks it’s just a matter of all sides coming together and coming up with legislation that everyone likes.

“I feel like we’re at a pivotal moment where things are getting ready to really change, and I love it. We’re on the right side of this issue, and eventually, we will prevail.”

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Kelly
Kelly
12 years ago

keep it up. all these puppy mills should be shut down. how dare humans treat beautiful loyal animals this way. they should be punished by living in the conditions they had these poor defenseless animals had to. 

Kathleen Nassar
12 years ago
Reply to  Kelly

 ALL PUPPY MILLS SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME

Maria Nolan
12 years ago

How can anyone find out how to rescue any of these dogs?

Starlafleer
Starlafleer
12 years ago

I am so sick and tired of these money hungry breeders who don’t care about the poor dogs.I think a judge should make puppy mill owners live in a filthy cage and make them go to the bathroom on the floor and have to walk all around there own waste and not let them out of the cage until the puppies that were rescued all have a good home,and then should only be allowed out of the cage if they sign papers saying they will never breed a dog again!!!!!!!! We don’t need to make anymore dogs,we need to find homes for the ones that already exist,poor puppies : (

Claudia Mh Culmone
12 years ago

You know, if people would just stop buying puppies online and adopt dogs instead, the puppy mills would simply dry up.

Houseofjax
Houseofjax
12 years ago

I always thought of North Carolina as a more enlightened state, but with this and the kicking style of training a police dog, it now seems as backwoods as any. What is going on there?

Mo400
Mo400
12 years ago

I think there should be some jail time involved for those who run the puppy mills. This is a serious offense. Let them experience just a little of what they put those poor animals through. Maybe then they would think twice before doing it. And it may be a deterent to others.

Kerryslmn
Kerryslmn
12 years ago

Just so dam sad want to get these bastards and make them suffer the shouldnt be walking the planet..we need to keep fighting for these precious babys so they get the life they truely deserve

Steffney Pearce
12 years ago

I’m just terribly disappointed that there are no FEDERAL laws put into place:  The puppy mills should be CLOSELY watched, and shut down immediately if they can not perform/conform to federal mandates.  These poor puppies usually end up sick, or they don’t even live for a year due to negligence!  People need jobs; start hiring to protect the poor animals that cannot speak for themselves.

Kathleen Nassar
12 years ago

 yes, i do agree with all of you all  there should be federal laws put into place but it is time to stop talking and do something about this, don’t you think

Rahyde
Rahyde
12 years ago

Would love to adopt one . Last one I adopted from “bassett rescue” through the humane society in Harrisburg, Penn. Let me no please if I can

valwriting
12 years ago

I like gods!

Brandy
Brandy
11 years ago

Would love to find out how to adopt one of these babies and give it a real home. If anyone knows how let me know [email protected]

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