At the request of the Union County Sheriff’s Office, we are assisting with the rescue of approximately 120 dogs and puppies – primarily Great Danes – from a property in Providence (Union County), Florida. The dogs, which also include French and English Bulldogs and Chinese Cresteds, were seized from the property of a breeder after they were observed living in extremely unsanitary conditions. Sadly, many of the dogs appear to be underweight and some have untreated medical conditions.

“All dogs deserve proper care and a good quality of life, including those who are bred for sale, which unfortunately was not the case in this situation,” said Matt Bershadker, ASPCA President & CEO. “Upon our arrival, we discovered some animals who appeared underweight with untreated medical conditions and living in extremely unsanitary conditions. The ASPCA’s priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of animals nationwide, and we’re proud to work alongside the Union County Sheriff’s Office to protect these vulnerable dogs and provide them with the care they deserve.”

“We would like to thank the ASPCA for working closely with our agency on this complex investigation into animal cruelty. We have a proven track record of always taking animal cruelty seriously and it will not be tolerated in our county,” said Union County Sheriff Brad Whitehead. “We continue to work closely with the ASPCA and thank them for their expertise and support so we can proceed with criminal charges and prosecution, and to ensure the well-being of these animals. We would also like to thank the Union County Animal Control for all their assistance and involvement in this case.”

We are relocating the dogs to an emergency shelter where they will receive forensic exams to support the criminal investigation, as well as much-needed medical care and behavioral treatment and enrichment. Additionally, we are also assisting with operational planning, evidence collection, crime scene processing and investigative and legal assistance.

This rescue is in partnership with the Florida State Animal Response Coalition, Greenville Humane Society, Saint Frances Animal Center, Humane Society Naples, Washington State Animal Response Team, Chautauqua County Humane Society and Good Shepherd Humane Society. In addition, FedEx assisted by providing complimentary transportation of critical resources to our emergency shelter operation.

Animal cruelty charges are pending based on evidence collected by the Union County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of ASPCA experts in support of the investigation. Criminal charges that result from this case will be handled by the Eighth Judicial Circuit States Attorney’s Office. We will also be providing support to ensure the best legal outcome for these animals.