Ninety-two dogs were abandoned along country roads in Denton County, Texas, over a period of two nights. KXAS's Scott Gordon reports.
The Humane Society of North Texas is offering a $500 reward for information on who dumped 92 dogs along country roads in Denton County Monday and Tuesday nights.
Police in Flower Mound found 51 Maltese mixed-breed dogs late Monday night along a country road near Highway 377 and Stonecrest Road.
Then, late Tuesday night, 41 dogs -- mostly Cavalier King spaniels -- were found along a rural road near Sanger.
The Humane Society believes both cases are related -- probably the operators of a puppy mill who no longer want to breed the animals under a strict new state law.
"Unfortunately, there are a few of these really bad breeders who know they're not going to pass inspections and are trying to get out of the business fast," said Peggy Brown, coordinator of community outreach and education for the Humane Society.
The dogs rescued in Flower Mound are being housed in that city's animal shelter.
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All of the animals are filthy and may have lived under horrible conditions.
"Unfortunately, with a lot of these puppy mill dogs, their feet may have never touched the ground," Brown said. "They could have spent their whole lives in cages."
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Volunteers will bathe the animals in the next few days before putting them up for adoption.
"It's really heartbreaking," Brown said. "Hopefully, we can change their lot in life and give them a better future than their past has been."
Anyone interested in adopting the dogs can contact the Humane Society of North Texas in Fort Worth at 817-332-HSNT or the city animal shelter in Flower Mound at 972-874-6390.
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My sweet baby is 7 years old, I got her when I found out that I had M/S! She makes me walk 4 times a day and has made me not give up on life. She knows I am sick, they are so very smart. She is a mixed breed named Dottie!
Awww.....hope you both give one another lots of love! So sorry to hear that you have M/S. My best wishes to you.
I always wish to see someone do this before my eyes, so I can kill them myself.
These people deserve to die in pain!
Sounds like the new law is having a really positive effect for dogs. Great job, PETA
hmmm.... yeah that's doesn't make sense. Try again Steve.
Yes shutting down puppy mills (or at least making them have a minimal care standard) is horrible for dogs you are so brilliant.
they euthanize animals daily, time to start doing the same to the sub humans among us
You could not be more RIGHT. There are so many worthless people breathing that should not be.
It would be nice to get a hold of that family responsible.
All this 'feelings' based thinking, good grief.
If you do that YOU are guilty of being inhumane (not to mention criminal) too!
I'm sure they will find the mill responsible and fine the crap out of them. Anyone with that quantity of animals can't operate so under the radar that no-one knows about it. It won't take long either. When investigators find evidence of a large operation that mysteriously doesn't have any of the animals anymore, something is rotten in Denmark.
Phil, unfortunately, they do operate under the radar. Just recently in Alabama they found a lady with over 100 cats in her home, some of them had been dead for weeks, all of them were so underfed and under weight they had to put most of them down because they were so sick. Then not too long after they found a man with over 50 dogs in his residence, pretty much the same condition only none had been dead in the home for weeks.
I'm going to send a donation to the Humane Society of North Texas to use to bump up the reward to catch the perp or to help with the care of these dogs. Why doesn't everyone on this post do the same? Let's put our money where our mouths are. We say we love animals and want the best for them - let's do our part to help out. These volunteers work hard for no pay and see horrible abuses every day. God bless those who care for His helpless creatures!
Put me down for an I.O.U, the president has made sure I have no work... thanks.
Great idea rozmataz, I'll google their address now.
As with many things in our society, if you remove the ability to profit from it, the problem go's away!
If the dog mill wanted to get out of business fast, dig a hole and euthanize them.
This is better than leaving them to fend for themselves out in the wild to become feral or die.
Remember, thousands of pets are euthanized at humane shelters all over the country, every day.
I am so angry at the way people treat animals. I think the punishment should fit the crime. Find them put them some place dangerous no food no water no shelter. People would then think before they decide to do the same thing.
What is wrong with people today. These poor dogs never get to choose where they get to go. There is a reason I care more about my dogs and other animals than I do people. Humanity and society have gone in the toliet. Until there are tougher laws for people like this and for anyone else who abuses animals, this will continue to take place. We have a sex affender registry, we need to have an animal abuser one too.
It makes you wonder who the animals are, the poor dogs or the low life that put them there.
A $500 reward? I think it will be very hard to get someone to come forward for that amount of reward. This is so terribly sad. This is why ALL and I MEAN ALL Puppy Mills need to be shut down. Throughout the country. And stop importing animals as well. WE have enough of our own.
These despicable breeders don't care about the animals, it's all about the money for them. I'm not sure if there are laws against puppy mills or large home breeders, but in my opinion, they should all be shut down or shot. {ok, maybe not shot} I love animals and cannot stand for them to be mistreated.
".....their feet may have never touched the ground. They could have spent their whole lives in cages."
With all the outrage on this, do a little looking and see what the USDA is saying you have to do to have a USDA breeders license. The dogs will have to be in cages and their feet are not to touch the ground. Wire cages and rocks in kennel runs are hard on the dogs pads, especially smaller dogs like we raise. We have never and will never put our sweethearts in wire cages and they will always be free to come into the kennel or leave the kennel as they please through doggie doors. We are a small, home based breeder licensed by the state, but we will scale back to an even smaller scale not have a USDA license so as not to have to follow this stupid guideline.
I have 5 dogs that were dumped by my house and 2 cats. If I had the money and the room, I'd take all of these poor babies. How anyone can be cruel to an animal is beyond my understanding. Goodgrief007, I totally agree with you. My dream, if I could hit the lottery, would be to open a no kill shelter. With plenty of room, clean facilities, plenty of toys, love and care for unwanted animals. I wish I could help these dogs. Unforunately, my animals take most of my money. They're all well fed, spayed and neutered, clean, have their shots regularly, are licensed, and have every toy immaginable. At least I've helped a few have a good life, wish I could do more.
I hope they find these criminals and lock them up in a shelter. They should be made to clean cages, feed the animals, wash the animals, and play with the animals every day of the week for years under total supervision so they couldn't hurt one of them as restitution for this horrendous activity.
People involved with this type of despicable behavior are shells without souls who just take up space on this earth.
One of the big reasons I am doubtful about God's existence is that people are at the top of the food chain. I would take them all if I could.
This is why everyone should adopt there cat or dog from a shelter rather than buying a pure breed ! I have 4 cats 3 are from shelters and 1 I rescued from the back of a shopping center!
I'm going to look at the positive side of this. These dogs are now being taken care of and will hopefully be adopted out. They have a chance to be loved and appreciated. Let's hope that they all find loving homes. One disgusting and inhumane puppy mill down - thousands more to go. Please - Adopt, don't shop.
I hope these pups are found loving homes, and the puppy mill so-called-breeders rot in hell! They were obviously only in the 'dog breeding' business to make a fast buck at the expense of the animals. It is horrible how inhumanely people behave.
But that's ok everybody ! Keep on breeding your dogs and cats, cause there might be a shortage someday!
god you're so stupid
Everyone who buys a puppy from a pet store or over the internet, or buys a puppy from a backyard breeder whose breeding stock came from a pet store or over the internet, is supporting the puppy mill industry. As long as there is demand for certain breeds or the latest hybrid fad and buyers don't research the breeder, the puppy mill industry will continue to flourish.
This story is tragic, but at least the dogs were dumped and not shot. This way they have a second chance.
I am just happy those poor dogs are no longer with those breeders. I know putting them out that way was cruel but atleast they have a chance now to live a normal life not stuck in a cage.
Please spay or neuter your dogs....PLEASE....we have PLENTY to go around!...Nobody should be breeding and selling dogs unless you are a licensed breeder. I'm so sick of people breeding these animals to make money off them, go get a damn job! I'd look at you with much more respect if you were flipping burgers to make money rather then breeding dogs, and selling them to *God only knows* who....just for a buck! I've heard people say *If they pay money for them, they will take better care of them*....bunch of crap!!..(that's what you tell yourself to make yourself feel better)....
Pam, is absolutely right, including the part about "if they pay money..." Amonth ago, someone found out I still dabble in direct rescue, not just legislation and education (we are setting up a NP). Someone came to me looking for a free dog. They paid for a little dog from a breeder, didn't do anything with training, said she was a "handful", sent her to a relative and now want a new start, but this time free. On the other hand, rescues MUST charge something even if they have a huge endowment because it helps weed out certain evil people. Petfinder won't even let you list dogs and cats unless you charge a minimum fee (this is the ASPCA website rescuers used for years before CL). Example: I was walking a gorgeous Pit Bull and some guy that worked next door stopped me. When he found out she would be spayed before adoption and the Town charged $62. for an adoption fee, he complained that "damn, how am I going to breed her-what a waste of a pretty dog..$62 is a LOT of money". Forget about when we tell them we do background checks and home checks. Even when the shelter didn't do it back then, I was told by rescuers teaching me abput rescue work to still tell them, esp if you overhear some things being said by people walking around the shelter that make your hairs stand up.
these people are completely useless. i agree, the same thing needs to be done to them. "eye for an eye" the law enforcement definitely needs to start treating the useless people who are
involved in this crap just as they would drug raids, etc. sit back, observe, and "boom", bust their a''.
It's really hard for me to believe that no good SOB's that do things like this inhabit this planet! The more and more situations like this, and even the more people I meet, the more I love my cats and dogs.
You NEVER have to buy a dog of any kind ever again, even if you "have" to have a certain kind and age and are not open to other options. Rescue groups actually lose a lot of money. So, for those who complained about paying $300, being put through backgound checks, trust me, it is needed. I did animal rescue, volunteering at the VA and nursing homes for well over a decade before deciding I can't take feeling powerless to help underdogs, human and animal, and thus being a lawyer was the only choide. Every grass roots rescue group has different issues, and yes, some cannot afford to take the dog at the shelter that take enormous resources you don't have to get him/her healthy and adopted. Sometimes, heartbreaking choices have to be made-do I take in 10 "easy adopts" out here that w/h been euthanized at an overcrowded shelter, like NYC, or do I take one dog who has maybe a year to go and would cost 190X more than the cost of the spay/neuter/shots of those 10 combined? And sometimes, we walk out of shelters with the dog who may have only a year left but we want to make sure she/he gets a nice life and home, for once, before she goes to Heaven (I have one now that made it 4+ years so far but it was a tough decision).