Puppy Mill - 147 Dogs Seized Mansfield, MO (US) Incident Date: Wednesday, Dec 22, 2004 County: Wright Local Map: available Disposition: Convicted Case Images: 4 files available Defendant/Suspect: Shari Ann Holmes Case Updates: 2 update(s) available

Case ID: 3445 Classification: Hoarding Animal: dog (non pit-bull) View more cases in MO (US) Login to Watch this Case

Rescue workers with the Humane Society of Missouri accompanied Douglas County sheriff�s deputies on a raid of a dog breeder�s property on Thursday afternoon.  They took away 147 dogs with various ailments and found 4 dead dogs.

The sheriff�s department called the Humane Society late Wednesday after getting complaints about the property, which is just barely south of the Wright County line, south of Macomb and Norwood.  A judge signed a warrant for the seizure of the animals.  The owner of the puppy mill didn�t put up a fight when she was presented with the warrant and consented to the removal of the dogs.

The Humane Society calls the animals� conditions deplorable.

�Many of the animals have severely matted fur.  The animals were kept in dilapidated wire cages, many with several animals to a cage. What food that was available was also covered in feces and the drinking water was frozen,� said a news release from the Humane Society.

The 147 seized dogs include Saint Bernards, Great Pyrenees, mastiffs, cocker spaniels, shelties, Pomeranians, a pug and basset hounds.  Their ailments include eye problems, hair loss, deafness, blindness and tumors.  The Humane Society rescuers took the dogs back to their headquarters in St. Louis, where they hope to nurse them back to good health and put them up for adoption.

The Humane Society declined to identify the breeder because no charges have been filed against her.  In an interview outside her home, the breeder would only give her first name, Shirley.  She said health problems and recent bad weather prevented her from properly caring for the dogs.  She said she�s been unable to hire good help because she is in such a remote area.  She admitted that the cages hadn�t been cleaned in a week or so.  She said she�s been trying to sell the dogs and has even made appeals on local radio stations for buyers and for helpers.  Shirley says she was told the dogs would be dispersed to five to seven states for adoption.

Douglas County Sheriff Gary Koop doesn�t know if the case will be presented to the county prosecutor for possible charges against the breeder.  Koop didn�t go on the raid and hadn�t talked to his deputies by late Thursday afternoon.  The rescue of the dogs took about five hours.

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References

	ky3.com
	columbiatribune.com
	NWANews.Com - Dec 26, 2004
	The Kansas City Channel - Dec 24, 2004

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