Dec 23, 2005 1:02 am US/Central
156 Dogs Seized From Puppy Mill
(WCCO)
Officials rescued 156 dogs when they searched around an abandoned farmhouse in southwestern Minnesota on Thursday.
The dogs were put in kennels and taken to the Animal Humane Society in Golden Valley, where they will be fed, inspected and quarantined for 10 days while animal neglect or cruelty charges are considered, said Keith Streff, the society's director of investigations.
"This isn't the worst case I've ever seen as far as neglect, but it's right up there as far as numbers," Streff told the Independent of Marshall.
Streff said the owner fed the dogs road-killed animals such raccoons instead of proper dog food.
"Based on what we see here, charges will definitely be filed," he said.
When officials entered the farm just south of Porter, they found a maze of crude cages containing primarily Jack Russell terriers and yellow Labradors.
"The owner of the property is a supplier, a wholesaler of dogs, and this is what is sometimes called a puppy mill," Streff said. "This individual has a prior history of animal cruelty and neglect. He hasn't shown a willingness to improve the situation, so we are going to improve the dogs' situation for him."
The property owner was present during the seizure and cooperated with officials, Lincoln County Sheriff Jack Visecky said.
"We typically get a variety of animal calls," Visecky said. "Usually, it's something like stray cattle. ... I've never seen anything like this."
As officers and firefighters loaded kennels onto livestock trailers, a faint meow could be heard.
"We've got one cat," Streff said. "He's one of the lucky ones."
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