CONVICTED: Was justice served?
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Case #6220 Rating: 3.3 out of 5
Puppy mill - 216 dogs
Honey Brook, PA (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Aug 31, 1995
County: Chester
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Benuel Stolzfus
In September 1995, dog warden Paul R. Hallman toured Benuel Stoltzfus' kennel just outside Honey Brook with his boss, Hess, who called the conditions "outrageous.'' Hess said he doubted Stoltzfus could come into compliance without rebuilding.
Most of Stoltzfus' dogs are held in a couple of converted trailers with holes for ventilation, Hallman said. An old chicken coop has been made into a birthing area. Some dogs are in elevated wire pens. The cages' wire-mesh bottom can injure dogs' paws.
When Hallman recently returned, he found that conditions had not improved. His main criticism was of a pervasive lack of sanitation. Stoltzfus had put down shredded paper in the birthing area; Hallman said two or three days' worth of dog feces had built up there. State law requires that dog waste be removed daily. Hallman said the area had become soggy and unhygienic. "The place smelled like heck,'' he said.
Hallman found that dogs had chewed off the roofs of some cages. Dog cages must be water resistant, he said.
Stoltzfus had 216 dogs on the property and "even admitted he was out in the field and he didn't have time. I said you've got to make time. If you want dogs, you have to follow the regulations.''
Hallman cited Stoltzfus for 18 violations. Stoltzfus pleaded guilty and paid $450 in fines. References« PA State Animal Cruelty Map
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