ASPCA Places Dogs Rescued from Alabama Puppy Mill in 11 States Across U.S.

New York, N.Y.—The ASPCA^® (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) has begun transporting dogs to various animal welfare agencies in 11 states following the seizure of the dogs from a large, substandard breeding facility—frequently referred to as a puppy mill—in Needham, Ala. last month.

More than 130 dogs were seized from the puppy mill, including Chihuahuas, Chows and Pomeranians ranging in age from 2 months to 5 years. The dogs were living in filthy, deplorable conditions, with many suffering from malnourishment and other medical issues. The remains of puppies were also found on the property.

“These dogs have come a long way in a short time,” said Jessica Rushin, senior partnerships manager, ASPCA Field Investigations and Response. “They’ve been treated as products their whole lives and are ready to become pets. We’re bringing them to communities across the U.S. in the hopes that local citizens will adopt and give them a second chance.”

The dogs are now ready for new homes after receiving weeks of medical care and behavioral enrichment from the ASPCA with sheltering supplies including treats and enrichment toys provided by PetSmart Charities^®. The dogs will be transported to the following animal shelters and rescue groups via the ASPCA Animal Relocation and Transport Initiative's Nancy Silverman Rescue Ride and Florida Disaster Animal Response and Transport (FL DART):

• Angels of Assisi (Roanoke, Va.);
• Capital Area Humane Society (Hilliard, Ohio);
• Cedar Bend Humane Society (Waterloo, Iowa);
• Charleston Animal Society (North Charleston, S.C.);
• Citizens for Humane Action (Columbus, Ohio);
• Humane Society of Broward County (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.);
• Humane Society of Calvert County (Sunderland, Md.);
• Humane Society of Great Birmingham (Birmingham, Ala.);
• Humane Society of Greater Savannah (Savannah, Ga.)
• Humane Society of Pinellas (Clearwater, Fla.);
• McKamey Animal Care Center (Chattanooga, Tenn.);
• Montgomery Humane Society (Montgomery, Ala.);
• Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue (Bradenton, Fla.);
• Quincy Humane Society (Quincy, Ill.); and
• Wayside Waifs (Kansas City, Mo.)

The shelters and rescue groups listed above will care for the dogs until they are ready to be made available for adoption. In addition to dogs from the Alabama puppy mill, some of the above groups will also receive dogs rescued from a dog fighting operation in South Carolina and an Arkansas dog sanctuary earlier this year.

As is the case with many puppy mill victims, four of the dogs are in need of behavioral rehabilitation for extreme fear and under-socialization. Those dogs will be transported to the ASPCA Behavioral Rehabilitation Center in Madison, N.J., where animal behavior experts will provide treatment to help them become suitable for adoption.

The puppy mill seizure was the result of an investigation that began after local authorities received numerous complaints about conditions at the breeding facility. Both owners of the facility were charged with animal cruelty.

Agencies that assisted the ASPCA’s sheltering operation include: Angels of Assisi (Roanoke, Va.); Animal Rescue League of Iowa (Des Moines, Iowa); Asheville Humane Society (Asheville, N.C.); Cat Depot (Sarasota, Fla.); Capital Area Humane Society (Columbus, Ohio); Charleston Animal Society (North Charleston, S.C.); Chautauqua County Humane Society (Jamestown, N.Y.); Dane County Humane Society (Madison, Wis.); Davis County Animal Control (Fruit Heights, Utah); FL DART (Bushnell, Fla.); Florida State Animal Response Coalition (Apollo Beach, Fla.); Humane Society of Greater Savannah (Georgia); Humane Society of Tulsa (Tulsa, Okla.); Humane Society of Vero Beach (Vero Beach, Fla.); Kansas Humane Society (Wichita, Kan.): Margaret B. Mitchell Spay/Neuter Clinic (Bristol, Va.); Monadnock Humane Society (Swanzey, N.H.); Montgomery Humane Society (Alabama); MSPCA-Angell (Boston, Mass.); Nebraska Humane Society (Omaha, Neb.); Quincy Humane Society (Quincy, Ill.); Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter (Santa Cruz, Calif.); Saving Slim Foundation (Escondido, Calif.); Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter (Oskaloosa, Iowa); Texas Humane Heroes (Leander, Texas); The Animal Support Project (Cropseyville, N.Y.); Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation (Walnut Creek, Calif.); Washington Animal Rescue League (Washington, D.C.); Washington State Animal Response Team (Enumclaw, Wash.); Wayside Waifs (Kansas City, Mo.); and Western Pennsylvania Humane Society (Pittsburgh, Pa.).