Puppy mill - 120 dogs
Strathroy, ON (CA)

Incident Date: Thursday, Mar 20, 2008

Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Floriano Daponte

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

At the "dog gulag of Middlesex County," dead animals are tossed in pits with other refuse, their remains left to rot or be pecked at by chickens.

The sight is one of many horrors found yesterday by investigators in what they say is the largest case of animal neglect they've seen.

About 120 dogs were found in decrepit conditions, some in need of medical care, at a rural property west of Strathroy.

The scene left Sarnia police Const. Beth Lahey fighting back tears.

"Animals are subsisting in absolute squalor, filth. There's carcasses in various states of decay, consumption," she said to reporters gathered in front of 25674 Napier Rd.

It was the first visit there for Lahey, who described the operation -- licensed as a kennel -- as the "dog gulag of Middlesex County."

Investigators for the London Humane Society have been frequent visitors to the site, most recently in January, their options limited, one said, by lax laws and few resources.

"We have been trying to work at increasing the standard of care out there for a number of years," investigator Chris Chew said as he tried to inventory the dogs.

The dogs' owners promised to make improvements, but didn't follow through, Chew said.

"Some of the concern (now) is that things should have been done."

The humane society has asked Middlesex OPP in the past to accompany their investigators to the property, in Adelaide Metcalfe Township, OPP spokesperson Doug Graham said.

But on Wednesday, it was Chew and colleague Leanne Mackay who were called to the site by police from Sarnia, who were searching for stolen property.

While police found enough suspect property to fill one-third of a police cube van, they were stunned -- even sickened -- to find a nightmarish version of Old MacDonald's Farm.

Dogs of all types and sizes, were kept in pairs in kennels exposed to the elements on one side and so filled with mud and excrement the animals couldn't turn around without stepping in feces.

"This is by far the biggest operation I've ever seen," said Mackay, who has worked a decade as an investigator for the London Humane Society.

A dozen dogs ran loose, some seemingly vicious and injured or ill, while others were chained to kennels.

Other animals ran loose, too, including sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, ducks and geese, some of them in poor health.

Dead rats were rampant amid piles of refuse and abandoned vehicles, including a trailer and a school bus.

Inside the house, there were dirty dishes in the kitchen and animal excrement on the floor, with birds coming and going.

"It was absolutely horrible. Animals were eating garbage, eating the carcasses of other animals," Graham said.

Police believe the owners were breeding dogs, but weren't sure for what purpose -- dog fighting and other sundry activities haven't been ruled out, Graham said.

Police didn't go on the property at first for fear of being attacked by dogs running loose. So, the humane society brought back to London four larger ones -- a mastiff, Rottweiler, Doberman and pitbull -- all either ill or injured.

The fate of the other dogs was in the hands yesterday of a veterinarian, who can order them removed if they're found in distress that can't be corrected, Chew said.

The humane society has not previously charged the owners of the dogs, instead choosing to seek co-operation.

Charges usually don't result in animals being permanently removed, Chew said -- owners are typically placed on probation and told to comply with animal health standards.

Even when someone is convicted of the most heinous cruelty -- Chew pointed to a case of a cat hung and skinned alive -- they're banned from animal ownership for only five years, he said.

The kennel was licensed in the former town of Metcalfe, with its licence grandfathered when the town amalgamated in 2001 to become Adelaide Metcalfe.

At the nearby Glencoe Animal Shelter, owner Vicki Kyle said grandfathered kennels don't have to meet newer standards.

"Fixing the old stuff is difficult," she said.

"The rules just aren't strict enough . . . you're taking the animals out the front door and they're going back in the back door."

Floriano Daponte, 53, of Napier, known as "Floyd," was charged with possession of stolen property and placed in custody in Sarnia. A bail hearing is set for Tuesday.

Case Updates

References

London Free Press - March 21, 2008

Not sure what these icons mean? Click here.

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.