Puppy mill - 140 dogs seized
Saint George, GA (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Aug 18, 2009
County: Charlton
Disposition: Not Charged
Case Images: 1 files available
Person of Interest: Lisa Bell
An estimated 140 dogs were removed from a St. George breeder after investigators said the animals were living in unsanitary, worm-infested outdoor kennels.
Yao Seidu, a Georgia Department of Agriculture spokesman, said the dogs were removed after the owner, Lisa Bell, voluntarily surrendered the animals to authorities when they went to her home Friday morning.
Seidu said investigators received an anonymous complaint that the dogs Bell was breeding at two different locations in St. George were neglected and living in unclean conditions. Bell, who will not face charges because she voluntarily surrendered the dogs, has no listed phone number and could not be reached for comment.
Because Charlton County has no animal shelter, the Department of Agriculture asked two organizations, the Humane Society of Atlanta and Georgia Canine Rescue & Rehabilitation in Cochran, to accompany investigators to the kennel and remove the dogs for treatment and adoption.
Miguel Abi-hassen, director of animal welfare initiatives and outreach for the Humane Society of Atlanta, said Bell was "very cooperative" with investigators before agreeing to surrender the dogs.
He said all the dogs suffered from a series of health problems that can result from neglect, such as skin and eye infections, parasites and malnourishment.
About 80 dogs were taken to the shelter in Atlanta, where they are being evaluated by veterinarians. Some of the dogs could be eligible for adoption as early as today, Abi-hassen said.
"There wasn't a single core basic [care] that was addressed with the animals," he said. "Our vets are prioritizing the easy ones."
While none of the dogs taken to Atlanta was euthanized, two of the 60 dogs sent to the shelter in Cochran were put down and another died en route to the shelter.
Heather Zaresky, president of Georgia Canine Rescue & Rehabilitation, said the dogs were eating meal worms and drinking stagnant water to survive.
She said as many as 18 puppies were held in small rabbit hutches filled with 18 inches of "petrified feces." Six dog skulls were also found stacked in a pile in the kennel, she said.
One dog has a visible tumor that Zaresky said weighs nearly as much as the animal. The dog is scheduled for surgery to remove the tumor.
"The conditions were appalling," she said. "I was very shocked we didn't see bodies."
All the dogs in her shelter have intestinal parasites from drinking stagnant rainwater and the majority also have heartworm, Zaresky said. It will take between three weeks and six months before the dogs are healthy enough to adopt, she said.
"We want to make sure all the dogs are healthy," she said. "They are going to take a lot more rehab. It's going to take a lot of time and patience."
Anyone interested in adopting one of the rescued dogs can contact the Humane Society of Atlanta at (404) 875-5331 or Georgia Canine Rescue & Rehabilitation via e-mail at pittieprotector@yahoo.com. References« GA State Animal Cruelty Map
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