Cold weather and fortuitous timing appear to be the reason all 156 dogs -- and one cat -- seized December 22, 2005 from a squalid puppy mill in southwestern Minnesota were found alive.
"It was a good Christmas present for the dogs," said Keith Streff, an investigator with the Animal Humane Society, based in Golden Valley.
He helped take the animals to Golden Valley, where they are receiving medical care and will soon need new homes. The dogs ranged from newborn puppies, yet to open their eyes, to fully grown dogs. About 80 percent of them were Jack Russell terriers; the rest were yellow or black Labs or miniature pinschers, he said.
Many of the animals were found emaciated, dehydrated and mangy on a farm near Porter, Minn., about 25 miles northwest of Marshall or about 170 miles west of Minneapolis.
The owner apparently had been feeding them roadkill, and had kept them in boxes and makeshift kennels outside. "The weather probably kept the disease down," Streff said, noting that the cold weather probably stalled the spread of infection amid feces and other unsanitary conditions. Criminal charges against the owner of the mill could be filed after the animals are fully examined.
Streff said the man had a prior conviction for animal cruelty. It appeared that he had been running a wholesale operation in which he bred the dogs and then sold them to pet stores, Streff said. When confronted by authorities about the mill, Streff said the man was unapologetic and "kind of cavalier." The man said he would now have fewer chores to do, including picking up roadkill for the animals, Streff reported.
Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
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