Paris, Ark. (March 23, 2009) — Volunteers from United Animal Nations’ Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) are assisting with the temporary shelter of nearly 400 neglected dogs rescued today from a Logan County, Arkansas puppy mill by The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the Humane Society of Missouri.
  EARS volunteer Judi Burnett of Dallas, Texas, carries two Yorkies rescued from a puppy mill in Paris, Arkansas toward the safety of a temporary shelter. Photo: HSUS.  |
The dogs were found living in horrific conditions in dilapidated structures throughout the 82-acre property. Members of The HSUS’ Animal Rescue Team and the Humane Society of Missouri removed approximately 350 dogs, 17 miniature ponies, six cats and several exotic birds and turtles from the property. Twleve EARS volunteers from Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri and Kansas deployed to the emergency shelter to care for the animals.
“Most people don’t realize that this is the cruel reality behind those cute puppies for sale in pet stores and online,” said Desiree Bender, Arkansas state director for The HSUS. “These dogs were kept in tiny cages and forced to breed continuously for the profit of the mill owners.”
When rescuers arrived at the property, they encountered a disturbing scene. The dogs, ranging from Shih Tzus and Poodles to Akitas and Shelties, were suffering from serious medical ailments and housed in filthy conditions. Many of the dogs were severely matted and suffering from untreated lacerations and serious skin and eye infections. Some of the first to be freed were day-old puppies. It was obvious that many of these animals had never known life outside their wire cages.
“United Animal Nations volunteers are working hard to get the dogs settled and cared for,” said Janell Matthies, UAN emergency services manager. “They seem to be acclimating nicely and are beginning to interact with their caretakers. We are even seeing an occasional tail wag.”
“Puppies were being sold over the internet among other avenues. We also recovered purebred registration papers from several kennel clubs,” continued Bender. “People were buying the puppies without knowing the cruelty they were supporting. It is vital that anyone buying a puppy go and see where they were born, meet the parent dogs and ensure they are being well cared for.”
All of the animals were swiftly removed and transported to a nearby emergency shelter set up specifically for this rescue mission. After arriving at the shelter, the dogs were checked by a team of veterinarians and given any necessary immediate medical care.
Read more on our Emergency Response Blog.
Learn more about puppy mills and how to avoid buying a puppy mill dog at www.uan.org.
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