Puppy mill - dozens seized, infested with maggots
Leoma, TN (US)Incident Date: Saturday, Feb 20, 2010
County: Lawrence
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 2 files available
Alleged: Jennifer Parrott
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
From the outside, Jennifer Parrott's Lawrence County home is nearly picture perfect. But animals found at her home show a not-so-perfect picture.
"There was no food or water present in the kennels. Feces were in piles everywhere; a lot of it was molded," said Jessica Smith of the Lawrence County Animal Welfare League.
She and other animal rescuers said as many as 50 dogs were taken Saturday from the home, which they believe to be a puppy mill.
"All of them were suffering from mange," Smith said. "The long-haired dogs (are) matted with maggots underneath the matting, which is deadly."
The animals appear to have suffered a long time, officials said. One dachshund has lost most of his hair due to severe mange; another is unable to walk.
"It tears me up. I know how miserable they are," said Smith.
Sheriff's deputies and the Animal Welfare League were called to the home by a customer who bought a dog from Parrott, only to notice mange on the dog a short time later.
Despite the condition of the dogs, Smith said investigator Robert Denton of the Lawrence County Sheriff's Department told her he would not pursue warrants.
"The investigator did not feel there was cruelty going on at this residence," Smith said. "His words to me were he was not an animal expert and he didn't see anything wrong with these animals."
Parrott agreed to turn over all the dogs to the Animal Welfare League. The league plans to make its own animal cruelty case against her to prevent anymore dogs from suffering.
"That is our plan," Smith said, "and in any animal prosecution that the league handles, that's always part of our agreement: no more animals."
The dogs are being kept at a temporary shelter in Lawrence County, where they will receive veterinary care.
For more information on donating to, fostering or adopting the rescued dogs, contact the Lawrence County Animal Welfare League at 615-430-9501.
Case UpdatesThere are new questions about the weekend raid of a suspected puppy mill in Lawrence County. The sheriff's department is conducting an internal investigation to see if the detective handled the case properly.
The county is keeping some of the dogs in a makeshift kennel at the landfill until the case is resolved in court.
The owner, Jennifer Parrott, has filed a lawsuit against the Lawrence County Animal Welfare League for seizing dozens of her dogs over the weekend.
Before a judge stopped the adoption process some had already been adopted out.
A member of the county's humane society, which is not connected to the Animal Welfare League, questions why the dogs were even seized in the first place.
In her lawsuit, Parrott accused the group of defamation and slander and for trespassing on her property.
A hearing in the case is scheduled for next Tuesday. | Source: News Channel 5 - Feb 23, 2010
Update posted on Feb 23, 2010 - 11:25PM |
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