Puppy mill - 124 dogs Auburn, GA (US) Incident Date: Tuesday, Apr 8, 2003 County: Barrow Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Case Images: 1 files available Alleged: Gloria Warner

Case ID: 1227 Classification: Neglect / Abandonment Animal: dog (non pit-bull) View more cases in GA (US) Login to Watch this Case

Authorities served an inspection warrant at a three-bedroom house at 322 Mt. Moriah Road. At the home, owned by Gloria Warner, authorities found 124 dogs and puppies living in "unsanitary conditions" at Dogwood Kennels. Many of those dogs were adult females in late stages of pregnancy. Tuesday April 8, shelter officials found themselves with 124 pugs, Boston and Cairn Terriers removed from Warner's home. The dogs will stay at the shelter until an April 17 hearing.

Authorities say Warner used the Auburn residence, described as "horrendous," as a location at which to breed the dogs. She'd then sell the puppies from her home located within the up-scale subdivision Berringer Pointe in Barrow.

At the Auburn location, animal control officials discovered dogs confined to small cages, some containing as many as six animals per cage, within every room. A further search of a privacy fence surrounding the property and a backyard garage uncovered more animals in cages and larger pens.

Many of the cages were so small that mothers could not adequately feed their pups, leaving many puppies malnourished and bone thin, Barrow County Animal Control Director Bridget Mueller said.  Complaints of dogs barking and foul odors started pouring in to animal control last November from residents living near the house on Mt. Moriah Road. Animal control paid Warner a visit in early March and found more than 90 dogs in the residence.

Warner could not produce papers proving current rabies vaccination for the animals. She was also warned that her breeding practices were a violation of city and county ordinances. Mueller said she told Warner she would return in a month to confirm vaccinations and make sure Warner was following ordinances in both jurisdictions.

During this time, residents of Berringer Pointe subdivision began complaining Warner was selling dogs out of her home. Mueller's office began checking with agencies to see if Warner had a license to sell at the Berringer Pointe location. Animal control officials found Warner lacked the license, so they presented the evidence along with witness' statements and zoning violations to Barrow County Magistrate Judge June Schuenemann.

Judge Schuenemann granted the inspection warrant, and last week, authorities from the Georgia Department of Agriculture, Animal Control, city and county Police and the county marshal armed with several citations arrived and entered both of Warner's properties.

"As soon as you entered the door, the smell was horrendous," said Mueller. "The ammonia level was very high."

In the kitchen were cages too inadequate in size to contain the dogs, and two loose dogs were running around wildly. One cage had five pug puppies and one adult inside. The small cages were inadequate for holding the dogs and prevented proper nursing, Mueller noted.

Animal Control Officer Denise Lanam found one adult pug in the kitchen was panting heavily. Pugs and terriers do not due well in excess temperatures, she said.

The officer measured the temperature in the room at 88 degrees. More pugs found in an outlying garage were suffering in 95-degree temperature.

"That is probably hitting the borderline," said Lanam, adding that higher temperatures would have killed the dogs. The garage was filled with cages and carry kennels and makeshift cages were built onto the side of the building.

As a result of the living conditions, many animals had lost hair, had developed skin problems and were filthy and malnourished. After the animals were transported to Barrow County Animal Control, six pregnant mothers gave birth, totaling 124 dogs removed from the facility.

Andrea Mcilvain, a teacher from Snellville and vice-president of Southeast Pug Rescue Tuesday was at the animal control facility nursing the rescued animals back to health.

Mcilvain said when she opened the cages containing the rescued dogs, many moved to the back of the cage. This indicates signs of neglect, of abuse and being ignored, she said. When dogs are only taken out of their cage to be studded or to be bred, they will not want to come out.

"I think it is horrible. Breeders need to breed for the betterment of the breed," said Mcilvain in response to Warner's practices. "When you have 100 dogs in your house, there is no way that that is what your doing it for. "That is not responsible breeding."

A custody case will go before Judge Schuenemann April 17. Until then animal control officials say they cannot release any of the puppies for adoption.

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