1,000 dogs are rescued from West Virginia puppy mill

More than 1,000 dogs were rescued from a West Virginia kennel over the weekend, prompting a national effort by animal groups to find them new homes.

The Whispering Oaks Kennel in Parkersburg surrendered the dogs, mostly purebred dachshunds, to the Humane Society of the United States after sheriff's deputies searched the facility, the Associated Press reports.

The Humane Society called the rural property a puppy mill where dogs were kept in cages and dilapidated sheds for breeding. The dogs were never let out and rarely handled by humans. Officials said the animals did not appear to have been abused, but noted that it would be impossible for that many animals to be properly cared for.

Sharon Roberts, the owner, was not charged with animal neglect but agreed never to operate a dog breeding facility again. She told the Associated Press she was the victim of a "witch hunt'' by animal rights activists.

The dogs are being housed at a temporary shelter as rescuers examine them before trying to find them homes.

"These resilient little animals are already beginning to perk up under the care of their temporary guardians at the emergency shelter," Scotlund Haisley, senior director of Emergency Services at the Humane Society, said in a news release. "Thankfully they will soon be taken in by humane organizations around the region, evaluated and put up for adoption."

-- Tony Barboza

Comments

[The Holywriter]

As a native of Parkersburg, this story confuses me. The animals were not abused and there are no charges being pressed?

[Brien Comerford]

These inhumane and hellish puppy mills and breeders must cease to exist.

[Dog Lover]

The dogs looked healthy to me. None were starving or dying. I don't get this???

[tiffany]

THIS IS ANOTHER WAY THE HUMANE SOCIETY GETS PUBLICITY TO GET MORE MONEY FOR THEIR PRESIDENT WHO MAKES 2 MILL A YEAR. SOMEONE SHOULD INVESTIGATE THEM.

[Emily]

Dog Lover--what part don't you get? Does being locked in a cage 24/7 and bred over and over again, even if you aren't being beaten and starved, sound like a good life for a dog?

[Rochelle]

Puppy mill breeding is unethical and unhealthy for all involved. It is a breach of the law to not provide appropriate care for these dogs - shade, water, food and simple human handling. If you want to get a purebred puppy - DO YOUR RESEARCH and only buy from a registered and REPUTABLE breeder. No one can claim to be able to care for over 1,000 dogs on the one property adequately. Of course she was the target of a witch hunt - what she was doing is plain and simply wrong.

[stacey]

Sure the dogs on u-tube were looking healthy, but thats because the other sites of a puppy mill are too gruesome to show. can you image livin your life in filth and in a 2 foot cage you can barely turn around in? don't forget that lots of these cages are wire and stacked on top of each other, so if you are on the bottom, the waste from the top cages will land on you. you should research puppy mills before making ignorant comments.

[Jon Six]

I was involved in bringing in the 986 dogs. Sure they look pretty healthy, after all she needed to feed them to keep them alive for the next litters. But what you didn't see is they can not walk on grass or solid floors as they were kept on wire. And we vaccinated and shaved the feces from their bodies, before we put them in their temporary housing. These dogs weren't starving for food, they were starving for attention! And now comes the hard part, finding forever homes.

[Nancy]

Stacey, If there had been any video of the animals being abuse, HSUS would not have hesitated to post them. Since there was no abuse to video they have to rely on asking you to believe them not your eyes. Yes there are 2 layers of run pens off the building the dogs live in. There are also trays above the bottom ones that are lined with paper to catch dropping from the upper ones. If you look you can see the paper lokks pretty fresh with very few droppings.
Jon Six, Anyone familiar with dogs, how they move, and their body language are not buying the claims being made about these dogs not being able to walk on grass or solid ground or that they are not used to regular handling. That is a mantra used by the HSUS about any animals they take from people whether conditions warrant it or not. In this case the videos as well as people in the area BOTH are refuting this raid being warranted. The woman had a number of dogs that is hard to comprehend by most of us, but no proof of abuse or neglect has been shown, nor has she been charged with anything. More and more people are beginning to look past what they are being told and looking at the visual evidence and realizing the stories and evidence are not meshing. It doesn't matter whether we agree with anyone having that number of dogs, but it does matter if they were well cared for and she broke no laws in having them. AC and the animal rights groups are being watched more closely as many people are seeing many of the recent raids being done are for publicity to gain donations for harmful legislature. HSUS will care for none of the animals they helped take away, but they will be taking care of the donations they will get from the publicity. Any shelters taking in the dogs will be lucky if they see any of it.

[Rocky]

For those of you who feel there was no crime here..for those of you who feel is is acceptable for animals to live in these conditions....for those of you who are defending these people and the situation of those poor dogs....YOU live in an environment where you are not free, where you are caged in an environment where you cannot breathe fresh air, where you receive no love or contact except for breeding. YOU tell us how you like living in what is equalivent to jail but worse, with noise 24x7. THEN you tell us it is ok to live like that. and DON'T say 'they're just dogs'. They ARE dogs, who need and deserve love and freedom and caring in addition to food/water and shelter. SHAME ON YOU!!!!!

[Wayne]

Being a Rescue Person, these raids on the unsuspecting breeders are really good for us. We get free dogs that are in pretty good shape and then we can sell them for a lot money that we don't have to pay taxes on.

Thank you HSUS for helping us steal these dogs.

We are having our best year ever

[Cindy]

I am fostering two dogs that came from the W. Virginia Puppymill. The first day we could not get them to come out from there hiding places. They are slowly warming up to our family. Having no outside stimulation these adult dogs are basically like young puppies. They have never experienced anything outside of there crate. We have now on the 3rd day been able to walk them on leash as far as the neighbors house. As they start to figure out there new enviroment they now need to be taught the rules. It is really amazing how fast dogs move on. I think they are going to be OK.

[editrix]

Puppy Mills are unethical and inhumane and anyone who says otherwise is a fool and immoral.

[Alexis]

Everyone is entiled to there own opinion here so heres mine:the perople who rescue these dogs are angles and the go in to save these dogs some die some live chances are its not pretty its horrrible that some of you uncaring people have the nerve to say there was no crime here if there wasnt lock ur self in a 2 foot cage dont drink or eat get pocked at and pooped on the rewrite!

[Justin]

Thats funny all you people care about are dogs... What about the reptiles that are being breed in the thosands in way worse conditions then these dogs. Dont get me wrong i love dogs i have two my self but i also love reptiles and no one seems to give a woot. Ive seen 45 leopard geckos being breed in a 55 gallon tank... Id rather be in Wv then do that. But no body gives a crap there just reptiles.....

[Kathy]

I adopted one of the dogs taken from this puppy mill. He's a miniature dachshund and while he doesn't appear to have physical abuse, what they did to his psyche is inexcusable. He jumps anytime someone makes a sudden move near him, if you reach out to touch him he cowers. If you try to pick him up he nips at your hand. So far he won't take any treats from my hand. If I put them down he gobbles them up. I can tell he wants to come take the treat, but he just doesn't trust that I won't try to grab him. He gets very close but then backs away, over and over.But he's been here with me 4 days and I can already see him becoming more like a normal dog. He's getting more playful and walking on the leash better. I think with time, he's going to be happy. But I'd like to lock a few of those puppy mill owners in cages with no solid floor below them, just chicken wire so their crap would fall through onto the floor below. Sounds like fun, eh?

[Jody]

Mass breeding has to stop. No one can care for 1,000 animals and they all be healthy. Too much money is spent taking care of our pets to allow these types of people to make a profit and just not care. It's all about the money!

[Viktorya]

I just wanted to mention that I fostered 2 of these little pups. I am happy to report that both dogs have safe and happy homes. I have kept one myself. They have needed extensive dental work, and heavy socialization; but are now happy!!!!

Just wanted to add something from this horror that was GOOD!

[emily]

I think puppy mills are a horrible thing and i hope those little guyes get a good home because even if she was taking care of them they couldent have all gotten out and played every day and how could this have gon on that long with out some one noticing be for all of this happened how do you keep a thoudand some dogs hiddin from the public