Puppy mill - 181 dogs seized Columbiana, AL (US) Incident Date: Monday, Oct 18, 2004 County: Shelby Local Map: available Disposition: Acquitted Charges: Misdemeanor Persons of Interest: » Lonnie Watson » Joan Watson Case Updates: 3 update(s) available

Case ID: 2809 Classification: Neglect / Abandonment Animal: dog (non pit-bull) View more cases in AL (US) Login to Watch this Case

Shelby County authorities shut down a puppy mill on Monday, seizing 181 dogs and puppies. Paige Phillips, director of the Humane Society of Shelby County, said that number could change. She expected it to be closer to 200 as new puppies were born.

"I haven't seen anything like this before," she said.

Some of the recovered animals looked healthy, though others were in bad shape. "(This dog) has runny eyes, infected ears and other signs of neglect," said Dr. Lynn Hall, a veterinarian.

"The teeth got terrible gingivitis (and) a lot of tartar, probably from a poor diet," said Hall.

The animals were seized from a house hidden off of County Road 343 in Shelby County.

"(The scene) was devastating. It was very unsanitary," said Paige Phillips, of the Shelby County Humane Society.

Phillips said animal control officers got a complaint Monday morning. Then she went in and asked for an arrest warrant after finding dogs living inside and outside. Deputies arrested Lonnie Watson and charged him with cruelty to animals.

Several of the confiscated dogs continued having puppies throughout Monday as Humane Society staff brought the animals into the shelter. Two rows of cages outside the shelter grew longer and longer as dozens of dogs arrived. Chihuahuas, poodles, Miniature Pinschers and other breeds barked as workers brought more puppies in. Some of the small dogs were four-to-a-cage.

�They're just shooting out puppies as quick as the animals can have them,� said Phillips.

Most of the dogs are not aggressive, which indicates to the veterinarians that they got some attention, if not enough to keep them healthy.

�They're going to be parasitic, have some intestinal parasite problems. We've seen a lot of ear mites,� said Hall.

Shelby County doesn't have a law that limits the number of animals residents can own.

According to Alabama laws, misdemeanor animal cruelty is partly characterized as neglect. Watson was charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty because investigators did not find signs of torture or evidence that the dogs were used for fighting.

Authorities are still trying to determine who was buying the dogs. They suspect the animals were heading to pet stores.

The humane society hopes the court will allow them to find homes for the dogs. For now, they need supplies such as bowls, dog food, leashes and blankets, as well as money. To make a donation, call the shelter at 669-3916.

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References

	NBC Channel 13 - Oct 18, 2004
	Shelby County Reporter - Oct 19, 2004

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