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Case ID: 15120

Classification: Neglect / Abandonment

Animal: dog (non pit-bull)

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Puppy mill - nearly 600 dogs seized in 2 counties
Mount Vernon, WA (US)

Incident Date: Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009
County: Skagit

Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged

Alleged:
» Jason D. Larsen
» Serenna Lynn Larsen
» Marjorie Sundberg
» Richard Sundberg

Case Updates: 8 update(s) available

Nearly 250 dogs were confiscated from two separate kennels south of Mount Vernon for animal cruelty, said Chief Criminal Deputy Will Reichardt of the Skagit County Sheriff's Office.

More than 400 dogs were being held in a Mountain View Road puppy mill where they had been kept in small kennels, not bathed and many were left in their own feces, Reichardt said.

About 25 volunteers removed dozens of dogs who were in poor health or in need of care. Not all of them were seized Wednesday.

The dogs have been taken to a temporary shelter at the Skagit County Fairgrounds in Mount Vernon.

Another 40 dogs were seized from another puppy mill on West Big Lake Boulevard, Reichardt said.

Those animals were also neglected, Reichardt said.

No one has been arrested in either case, but charges may be forthcoming, Reichardt said.

Case Updates

A Gold Bar couple charged with animal cruelty in connection with an alleged puppy-mill operation told an Everett judge today they couldn't afford an attorney and will need a court-appointed lawyer.

Jason Larsen and Serenna Larsen, both 37, made their first court appearance in Everett District Court, telling Judge Roger Fisher they had not seen the charges filed against them. Each are charged with six counts of first-degree animal cruelty. If convicted on all counts, the couple could face 17 to 22 months in prison.

Officials in January seized 155 dogs from the Larsens' Gold Bar house. Officials said many of the dogs were covered in feces, suffering from diseases, and had no water or food. The dogs are being cared for at the Everett Animal Shelter.

The Larsens' home is owned by the daughter of Richard and Marjorie Sundberg, of Mount Vernon, according to county property records. The Sundbergs have been charged with four counts of second-degree animal cruelty after officials found hundreds of dogs in poor condition on their Mount Vernon property.

In all, about 550 dogs were taken from the two locations, many of them diseased and living in filthy conditions, according to officials.

Source: Seattle-Times - Feb 24, 2009
Update posted on Feb 26, 2009 - 7:05PM

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Prosecutors have filed additional charges against the couple accused of operating a puppy mill in Mount Vernon.

Richard and Marjorie Sundberg now each face four counts of animal cruelty in the first degree, four counts of animal cruelty in the second degree and one count of transporting or confining in an unsafe manner.

The couple is due in court on Feb. 27 to enter pleas on these new charges.

Nearly 450 dogs were rescued from the Sundbergs' Mount Vernon kennel where animal control officers found the animals living in deplorable conditions.

Detectives said the dogs were kept in tight cages contaminated with feces and urine that sat alongside bodies of dead dogs in unheated spaces.

Many dogs had been left without any food or water. Veterinarians later determined some of dogs were suffering from coccidia, an intestinal disease, and many others were pregnant.

The prosecutor isn't relying on charges alone; he hopes to put the Sundbergs' Mountain View Kennel out of business.

The county commissioner passed a special resolution last month, giving the prosecutor authority to sue the dog breeding operation for creating a public nuisance. If a judge agrees to the allegations, the Sundbergs would never be able to own a breeding business in Skagit County again.

Investigators first learned of the Sundbergs' operation after serving search warrants at the homes of their daughters, Renee Roske and Mary Anne Holleman in Snohomish County.

At one of the homes, deputies found "several hidden compartments built into the house to hide dogs," court documents state. Thirty nine dogs were found in the two homes; however, none of those dogs were seized.

At Holleman's kennel in Gold Bar, deputies found 155 dogs, 87 of them of them stashed in an attic, living in ghastly conditions so horrific that it shocked even veteran animal control officers, investigators said.

Officers said the odor from the feces and urine was so overpowering it could be detected well outside the residence. A large commercial dumpster stood in the yard overflowing with dog waste.

Medications and used syringes, used to treat sick animals, were found scattered in front of pens and in a refrigerator.

Investigators seized all the dogs from the property, as well as four cats and three parrots.

Source: komonews.com - Feb 13, 2009
Update posted on Feb 13, 2009 - 12:11PM

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An arrest warrant has been issued for a Mount Vernon-area woman facing animal cruelty charges in the treatment of four of the 443 dogs seized from her property.

The Skagit Valley Herald reports that Marjorie Sundberg failed to appear Tuesday for her arraignment in Skagit County District Court.

Source: Seattle Times - Feb 10, 2009
Update posted on Feb 10, 2009 - 4:07PM

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Jason Larsen and Serenna Larsen, both 37, were charged Tuesday in Everett District Court on six counts each of first-degree animal cruelty. The charging papers say that dogs were found starving and dehydrated and that the alleged mistreatment extended back to last April.

If convicted on all counts, the couple could face 17 to 22 months in prison, said Snohomish County Deputy Prosecutor Lisa Paul. She said the investigation is continuing.

The legal action follows the charging last week of a Skagit County couple believed linked to the alleged puppy-mill operation. Richard and Marjorie Sundberg, of Mount Vernon, were each charged with four counts of second-degree animal cruelty after officials found hundreds of dogs in poor condition. The Larsens' Gold Bar home is owned by the Sundbergs' daughter, according to county property records.

In all, about 550 dogs were taken from the two locations, many of them diseased and living in filthy conditions, according to officials.

Meanwhile, the state Legislature may act to regulate commercial dog breeding. State Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, has introduced a measure that would prohibit anyone from owning more than 25 dogs over the age of four months that are unneutered and unspayed.

Kohl-Welles, a golden-retriever owner who has long been concerned about dog-breeding practices, said that the measure, SB 5651, would require dog-breeding operations to provide sanitary living conditions and timely veterinary care.

"It's fair for the families that are going to adopt puppies to know those puppies have had hygienic conditions at birth," Kohl-Welles said.

A similar measure has been presented in the House.

Officials seized 155 dogs from the Larsen's Gold Bar house. Officials said many of the dogs were covered in feces, suffering from diseases, and had no water or food. The dogs are being cared for at the Everett Animal Shelter.

Most of the dogs are small breeds such as Chihuahuas and shih tzus.

The dogs' owners have until Friday to post a $72,450 bond to pay for 30 days' care and boarding of the 155 dogs taken from the Gold Bar property.

If they do not post the bond, the Everett Animal Shelter becomes custodian and can offer the pets for adoption, said Vicki Lubrin, Snohomish County animal-control manager.

Source: Seattle Times - Feb 5, 2009
Update posted on Feb 5, 2009 - 5:37PM

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Multiple counts of first-degree animal cruelty were filed Tuesday against a Gold Bar-area couple, the first criminal action taken against some of the people allegedly responsible for keeping nearly 160 dogs in sordid conditions.

The action in Everett District Court comes a few days after similar charges were filed in Skagit County.

Tuesday's charges also are part of an expanding investigation into a multimillion-dollar puppy mill operation.

In total, 600 dogs have been seized from properties in Snohomish and Skagit counties.

The case began Jan. 16 when Snohomish County sheriff's deputies and animal control officers raided the home of Jason D. Larsen and his wife, Serenna Lynn Larsen, both 37.

The couple was charged Tuesday with six counts each of first-degree animal cruelty, all felonies. If convicted, they could face prison time and fines.

Officials found dogs living in the Larsens' home in what police described as "deplorable" conditions. The dogs, mostly small breeds, were covered with urine and feces.

There were so many dogs crammed into small crates in the home's attic, the house shook each time the animals barked or howled, according to a witness.

Several dead dogs were found in a freezer.

Snohomish County sheriff's officials confronted Jason Larsen during the raid. They said evidence appeared to connect him to two sisters from Snohomish, both "well known in Snohomish County for operating illegal and unlicensed kennels for the purpose of mass production of puppies for sale," documents show.

Property records show that Mary Ann Holleman owns the home near Gold Bar where the dogs were found.

Larsen said he paid Holleman cash rent during meetings at an Everett Denny's.

Sheriff's officials told Larsen they were convinced the property is actually owned by Holleman's sister, Renee Roske, the suspected leader of the puppy-breeding group.

Roske's mother, Marjorie Sundberg, and her husband were charged in Skagit County with four counts of animal cruelty. Animal control officers seized about 450 dogs from the Sundberg's Mount Vernon-area kennel.

Roske also is the registered owner of Wags 'n' Wiggles, a Snohomish breeding company.

Larsen allegedly told deputies the kennel operation raked in millions of dollars annually.

Snohomish County Animal Control manager Vicki Lubrin said most of the rescued dogs are recovering well.

Still, a veterinarian had to humanely kill seven of the dogs, another dog died and many have required surgery for a variety of ailments.

Seven puppies have been born while under the county's care, Lubrin said.

County animal control officers on Friday raided a Stanwood-area kennel, where more than 80 dogs were found, well above the 25-dog maximum allowed in county. No dogs were seized there.

Officials are investigating whether there's a connection to the Gold Bar-area case, Lubrin said.

The Larsens are scheduled to make their first court appearance Feb. 24.

The investigation continues, Snohomish County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Lisa Paul said.

Source: Heraldnet.com - Feb 4, 2009
Update posted on Feb 4, 2009 - 11:49AM

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It was hard enough on animal shelters in northwest Washington state when nearly 600 dogs were seized in raids. Then they started having puppies.

About 80 percent of the animals seized in Snohomish and Skagit counties in the past week - predominantly miniature Chihuahuas, shih tzus, poodles, Yorkshire terriers and so-called "designer" dogs - appear to be pregnant, officials said.

Everett Animal Services received 155 dogs that were taken from a site near Gold Bar in Snohomish County on Jan. 16, Director Bud Wessman said.

"We've already had two litters born," Wessman told The Seattle Times. "We have six that will give birth over the weekend and probably another 10 litters coming up in the next week."

According to documents released Friday in Evergreen District Court, investigators have been told that the Gold Bar operation made millions of a dollars a year, The Herald of Everett reported.

The site has been linked to a second property in Skagit County where authorities seized 135 dogs on Wednesday and returned Friday to seize the remaining 308.

The owner of the second property, near Mount Vernon, is the mother of the woman who owns the Snohomish County property.

Investigators believe a puppy mill was being run primarily out of the mother's five-acre property under the name Mountain View Kennel, Skagit County sheriff's Deputy Will Reichardt said.

He said the first batch was considered to be in immediate need of care because the dogs looked sick, had matted fur, were standing in their own feces and had been left without food and water, were deemed to be in need of immediate medical care, he said.

The second batch dogs was taken after authorities determined they might be infected with coccidia, a potentially deadly intestinal parasite that causes diarrhea and was found in two dogs from the initial raid, Reichardt said.

Most of the dogs from both batches are now at the Skagit County Fairgrounds, although some have been placed in foster homes, he added.

In the earlier raid in Snohomish County, deputies and animal control officers said the dogs they seized were sick, filthy and covered with fleas.

The dogs were sold from a third family property in the town of Snohomish, described as a "nice country house," and through the Internet site Wags & Wiggles Teacups, said Paula Helinski, who lives near the Skagit County property and has spent years collecting documents on the operation.

Investigators went to the Snohomish property on Jan. 16 and found 44 dogs, more than allowed by the kennel permit, but left the animals there because they appeared to be in good shape, Snohomish County Animal Control manager Vicki Lubrin said.

Authorities in the two counties say they are cooperating in the investigation and may file animal cruelty charges.

Source: The Seattle Times - Jan 24, 2009
Update posted on Jan 24, 2009 - 8:34PM

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After authorities seized nearly 600 dogs in raids in two counties over the past week, the number is only expected to climb higher since most of the animals are pregnant and the puppies just keep coming.

"We've already had two litters born," said Bud Wessman, director of Everett Animal Services, which is caring for 155 dogs seized from a Snohomish County property on Jan. 16. "We have six that will give birth over the weekend and probably another 10 litters coming up in the next week."

The Snohomish County property has been linked to another property in Skagit County, where authorities seized another 135 dogs on Wednesday and returned Friday to seize the remaining 308. The owner of the Skagit County property, near Mount Vernon, is the mother of the woman who owns the Snohomish County property near Gold Bar.

The dog seizures in both counties have animal-control officials struggling to care for the crush of animals. Officials estimate about 80 percent of the 598 dogs are pregnant.

Most of the dogs are miniature Chihuahuas, shih tzus, poodles, Yorkshire terriers and so-called "designer" dogs, deputies said.

According to Chief Criminal Deputy Will Reichardt of the Skagit County Sheriff's Office, investigators believe a puppy mill was being run primarily out of the five-acre Skagit County property in the 16000 block of Mountain View Road under the name Mountain View Kennel.

The first batch of approximately 135 dogs was seized from Mountain View Kennel during the Wednesday raid. Those dogs - sick, matted, standing in their own feces and left without food and water - were deemed to be in need of immediate medical care, he said.

The second batch of 308 dogs was taken from the property on Friday after authorities determined they might be infected with a potentially deadly intestinal parasite, Reichardt said.

Most of the dogs taken from that property are being sheltered at the Skagit County Fairgrounds although some have been placed in foster homes, Reichardt said.

In the related raid in Snohomish County last week, deputies and animal-control officers rescued 155 dogs that were sick, filthy and covered with fleas, according to Snohomish County license manager Vicki Lubrin. Those animals are at the Everett Animal Shelter, she said.

According to Lubrin, the dogs were typically bred at the Gold Bar and Skagit County properties.

The dogs were sold from a third family property in the city of Snohomish, which was described as a "nice country house," according to Paula Helinski, who lives near the family's Skagit County property and has spent years collecting documents to expose the alleged puppy mill. Dogs also were sold through an Internet site called Wags & Wiggles Teacups, she said.

Authorities raided the Snohomish property on Jan. 16 and found 44 dogs. Although the number was in violation of the kennel permit, the dogs were left behind because they appeared to be in good shape, Lubrin said.

Law-enforcement and animal-control officers in the two counties say they are working together to investigate the case and that they expect animal-cruelty charges to be filed against the owners.

The Seattle Times is not naming the property owners because charges have not been filed.

At the Skagit County Fairgrounds on Friday, an army of animal-control officers, sheriff's deputies, rescue activists and volunteers worked to transport, sort, clean, bathe and medicate the animals.

It will take some time before the animals' fate is known, said Wessman, the director of Everett Animal Services.

According to Wessman, the dogs' owners have 15 days to either surrender the animals to the counties or post a bond that would cover the medical and boarding costs for the animals for the duration of their stay in the shelter, which, if criminal charges are filed, could be lengthy.

If they are turned over to the counties, Wessman said, the animals will have to give birth and then be spayed.

Wessman said he has spoken with officials from the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine about having the animals spayed and neutered en masse by students. He said this could be a great solution for the animals and a good learning experience for the students.

After that, a mass adopt-a-thon could be scheduled. He said the Academy of Canine Behavior in Bothell has offered to host one when the time is right, he said.

He and officials in Skagit County warn that it could take some time to restore the animals to health and prepare them to be fostered or adopted out.

Animal-control officers are additionally asking that anyone who purchased a dog from the Mountain View Kennel leave a message for animal-control officer JoHannah Deterding at 360-336-9450 or e-mail her at [email protected].

Source: The Seattle Times - Jan 24, 2009
Update posted on Jan 24, 2009 - 8:33PM

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Another 300 dogs were taken Friday from a Skagit County dog breeder who officials say is connected to an animal cruelty investigation in Snohomish County.

Police have been told that the Gold Bar part of the business alone made millions of dollars each year, according to court papers released Friday.

A total of nearly 600 dogs have been seized since Jan. 16 in Snohomish and Skagit counties. Many of the animals were found living in deplorable conditions, officials said. The dogs didn't have sufficient food and water and were covered with urine and feces.

Two dogs seized Wednesday from a suspected Mount Vernon-area illegal breeding operation were diagnosed with a potentially fatal contagious disease, Skagit County sheriff's spokesman Will �Reichardt said.

Officials on Wednesday rescued about 150 of 400 animals at the Mount Vernon property. On Friday, the remaining 308 dogs were taken, Reichardt said. Three of the dogs are being treated for an intestinal disorder linked to mistreatment and poor care.

Skagit County officials were tipped off about the dogs after raids in Gold Bar on Jan. 16 and in Snohomish the next day by Snohomish County sheriff's deputies and animal control officials.

The Everett Animal Shelter now is caring for about 150 dogs rescued from Gold Bar.

Some of the Snohomish County dogs are showing possible symptoms of coccidia, Snohomish County Animal Control manager Vicki Lubrin said. The dogs are being tested for the intestinal disorder, which is spread among animals by exposure to unsanitary conditions.

The owners of the Skagit County property, Richard and Marjorie Sundberg, are related to the owners of the Snohomish County properties, Lubrin said.

No arrests have been made and the investigation continues.

Officials believe some of the dogs in Skagit County may have been moved from Snohomish.

A neighbor tipped off Snohomish County deputies to the breeding operation, a suspected puppy mill, according to a search warrant filed Friday in Evergreen District Court.

The man living in the Gold Bar home where the dogs were found allegedly told deputies the business made millions of dollars each year, the warrant said.

He also told deputies as many as 200 more dogs were at a separate residence near Snoho�mish. When officials raided two Snohomish properties, about 40 dogs were found. None of those animals was seized.

Officials now believe the mistreated dogs they were looking for in Snohomish may have been moved to Mount Vernon.

During the Snohomish raids, deputies also found evidence of possible drug use. Deputies found suspected marijuana, a white powder and more than 100 pills that were suspected OxyContin, the search warrant said.

Officials are asking anyone who bought a dog from the Skagit County Mountain View kennel belonging to the Sundbergs to call the Skagit County Sheriff's Office at 360-336-9450.

Source: Herald Net - Jan 23, 2009
Update posted on Jan 24, 2009 - 8:31PM

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Puppy mill - nearly 600 dogs seized in 2 countiesMount Vernon, WA (US)

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Puppy mill - nearly 600 dogs seized in 2 counties
Mount Vernon, WA (US)