Puppy mill - 77 dogs seized
Riverview, FL (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, Nov 5, 2008
County: Hillsborough
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged:
» Patricia Martin Walters
» Daniel Hickman
» Elaine Cave
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
Seventy-seven dogs have been confiscated from a Riverview puppy mill, and three people have been arrested on charges of mistreating the animals, Hillsborough County Animal Services spokeswoman Marti Ryan said.
The scene is at PM Tinies, 13605 U.S. 301.
Promotional T-shirts call PM Tinies a "happy puppy place," but Ryan said the scene is anything but. She said dozens of animals there lived in their own feces.
The business buys and sells small-breed dogs such as Yorkshire terriers and Chihuahuas. Investigators are still counting the number of dogs they're seizing.
An anonymous tip from a concerned citizen led investigators to the scene. The three people arrested will be charged with improper confinement of animals and animal cruelty, Ryan said.
One of those arrested is the business's proprietor, Patricia Martin Walters, and it wasn't immediately clear what roles the other two played, authorities said. They are Daniel Hickman and Elaine Cave, Ryan said.
The three were booked into Orient Road Jail this afternoon.
Walters, 73, has been charged with 41 counts of confinement of animals without food and water and 41 counts of animal cruelty. Her bail is set at $41,000.
Cave, 69, and Hickman, 41, were each charged with 36 counts of confinement of animals without food and water and 36 counts of animal cruelty. Cave's and Hickman's bail is set at $36,000 each.
The three all live in different trailers at the site, and each had a firearm, Ryan said.
Ryan said that when the case's lead investigator asked for Walters' identification, Walters threatened to shoot the investigator.
Walter is considering signing over ownership of most of the dogs to Animal Services but hasn't done so, Ryan said.
"It's disgusting," Ryan said of the scene. "There is feces and urine strewn through a home where people sit and read and live. It's a horrible existence for the animals and not particularly healthy for people. It's not a nice place to spend your morning."
The dogs have fecal matter and shredded newspapers caked in their paws, and some have long nails and dental issues. Some of the dogs might have tumors, Ryan said.
The dogs will receive medical evaluations, including treatment for parasites.
They also will get food and water.
"Some are very antisocial because they're not used to being anything other than a breeding machine," Ryan said. "They haven't been given much kindness from people."
Case UpdatesThirty dogs, many Yorkshire terriers and Chihuahuas that came out of a suspected puppy mill operation busted two weeks ago, are ready for adoption and will be available at the Hillsborough County Animal Control shelter on Wednesday.
The Brandon shelter opens at 11 a.m. Wednesday and will begin processing adoptions then.
The dogs were seized this month when animal control officers raided the PM Tinies breeding facility in Riverview and made three arrests. Most of the dogs were signed over to the county, which cleared the way for immediate adoptions.
Here are some guidelines for adoptions:
Priority is given to Hillsborough County residents during the first 24 hours of this offering.
Interested adopters should have applications approved in advance to expedite the process. This can be done in person at the animal services office at 440 Falkenburg Road from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. today. Adoption paperwork is available and may be downloaded at www.hillsboroughcounty.org/animalservices. However, applications are processed in person.
Adoption approval requires proof of current address, photo ID, pet policy of landlord (if renting) and proof of current rabies vaccination and tags for pets already owned.
Those who want to adopt dogs from the breeder seizure may be subject to special restrictions, such as home visits or other screening by Hillsborough County animal services officers.
Most of the dogs still require spay or neuter surgery and may not be available to leave immediately.
The dogs offered range in age from 8 weeks to 14 years of age, and many have medical issues such as heartworms, heart murmurs and periodontal disease.
A second group of dogs from the same seizure has been sent to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay for immediate health care, and several more remain in foster care.
For information, call Hillsborough County Animal Services at (813) 744-5660.
Officers found animals living in deplorable conditions inside the PM Tinies business at 13605 U.S. 301 on Nov. 5. In all, 77 dogs were seized, and three people were arrested.
The owner, Patricia Martin Walters, 73, was charged with 41 counts of confinement of animals without food and water and 41 counts of animal cruelty. She was released from jail after posting $1,000 bail.
Daniel Hickman, 41, and Elaine Cave, 69, each was charged with 36 counts of confinement of animals without food and water and 36 counts of animal cruelty. Both were released after posting $1,000 bail each. | Source: Tampa Tribune - Nov 18, 2008
Update posted on Nov 18, 2008 - 9:12AM |
Hillsborough County Animal Services says a longtime breeder will be allowed to keep seven of the 71 dogs seized in a raid last week.
Animal cruelty investigators charged 73-year-old Patricia Martin Walters, a.k.a Pat Martin, of Riverview with 41 counts of animal cruelty and 41 counts of confining animals without food and water, after finding dogs living in what they call deplorable conditions.
They say they found dogs living in feces-laced paper shavings with feces-encrusted paws and fur. Some dogs were found to have health issues including dental, skin and eye problems.
Lead investigator Loretta Magee says Martin will be allowed to keep seven mostly senior dogs with the stipulation that she get them spayed or neutered, keep them indoors and follow up with any needed veterinary care. The criminal charges against her will go forward, along with cruelty and neglect charges against two others: 69-year-old Elaine Cave and 41-year-old Daniel Hickman. Martin sold various breeds of small dogs under the name "PM Tinies." Magee says as part of the order, Martin has also agreed to cease breeding.
Some of the dogs may be ready in time for this Saturday's Pet Adoption Expo at the State Fairgrounds in Tampa, where more than 400 dogs and cats from various agencies will be available for adoption. | Source: MyFox Tampa - Nov 12, 2008
Update posted on Nov 18, 2008 - 9:11AM |
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