Iowa authorities rescued nearly 100 dogs from a puppy mill over the weekend, many of whom were living in their own excrement.
On Friday, a deputy from the Boone county sheriff’s office was conducting a welfare check on a missing woman and came across what appeared to be a puppy mill, the sheriff’s office said in a press release.
Local outlets reported that the missing woman, Sara Stanfield, was connected to the Paris Puppies Paradise facility, which breeds goldendoodles, according to its website. The sheriff’s office has not disclosed the extent of Stanfield’s involvement in the puppy mill’s condition.
Puppy mills are high-volume breeding facilities that produce puppies for profit and disregard the needs of the puppies and their mothers, according to the Humane Society. Animals in puppy mills are treated as cash crops and are often trapped in overcrowded cages with minimal shelter from extreme weather and forced to sit and sleep in their own excrement, said the non-profit Paws.
Many suffer from malnutrition or starvation as a result of inadequate or unsanitary food and water while adult animals are bred until they can no longer produce before being destroyed or discarded, added Paws.
Following the discovery of the puppy mill in Boone county, authorities contacted the state’s agriculture department along with the Boone Area Humane Society and the Animal Rescue League of Iowa to assist with the rescue. According to the ARL, upon arriving at the scene, the “smell hit us before we even entered the buildings”.
“The dogs were living in their own feces and urine, including some pregnant mamas and newborn puppies. Many of the dogs were matted and some incredibly thin. One by one we carried them to clean crates so they could begin the journey toward their new lives,” the ARL said.
Pictures posted online by the ARL showed dogs with severely matted fur completely covering their eyes. One photo showed what appeared to be goldendoodle puppies curled up against each other, no more than a few weeks old.
In its press release, the ARL said that although its kennels were already full, the dogs could not wait so its team set up temporary housing to accommodate the influx of canines.
“Our medical team also quickly came together and gathered the large number of supplies needed to provide care for each and every dog and puppy,” it said, adding: “When the dogs arrived, our teams worked into the evening to make sure they were all cared for and comfortable.”
The sheriff’s office announced that an assessment of the facility was conducted by the state’s agriculture department and that the “facility owner cooperated and ultimately agreed to allow approximately 93 dogs to enter the care of the ARL and Boone Area Humane Society”.
It said that as of Wednesday, some dogs remained on scene and the facility owner continued to cooperate with authorities. No determination had been made at the time regarding criminal charges, it added.
There are an estimated 10,000 puppy mills active across the country, with 500,000 dogs kept solely for breeding purposes at these facilities, according to the Humane Society. Approximately 2.6 million dogs are sold each year puppy mills.
