Puppy mill dogs up for adoption

by Kelli Cheatham (kcheatham@wsbt.com)

Tools

Puppy Mill

More than 220 dogs were removed from a puppy mill near New Albany on Tuesday, June 2, 2009. About 30 of those dogs are headed to Pet Refuge in Mishawaka. (WSBT file photo)

By WSBT News1

Story Created: Jun 4, 2009 at 2:51 PM EST

Story Updated: Jun 4, 2009 at 9:19 PM EST

MISHAWAKA — Rescuers said it’s animal cruelty. Indiana’s Attorney General says it’s also illegal. Dogs from a southern Indiana puppy mill are up for adoption in Mishawaka.

The Attorney General's office, Department of Revenue and state police served a search warrant at a farm near New Albany Tuesday. Investigators said a woman and her daughter failed to pay sales and income taxes on dogs they sold. They also removed more than 220 dogs from that farm.

The Humane Society brought about 30 adult dogs and puppies from that Harrison County puppy mill to Pet Refuge Thursday.

Investigators said those dogs were living in squalid conditions — including feces in some of the food and water bowls. One dog was dead in its cage. Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller said those bad conditions are symptoms of a much larger problem.

"What they were telling people they were selling them, is nothing like what people were actually buying," Zoeller told a reporter.

Zoeller said someone filed complaints against the woman and her daughter — claiming they bred dogs, sold them for hundreds of dollars a piece but did not collect or turn in state sales and income taxes.

The women sold puppies commercially for at least three years and frequently advertised in local newspapers, investigators said.

Humane officers and lawmakers have said breeding large quantities of dogs for a profit and mistreating them is a huge problem in Indiana.

“We’re the third largest puppy miller state in the entire nation,” said Rep. Jackie Walorski, a Republican from Elkhart County.

Walorski was a big supporter of House Enrolled Act 1468 — the so-called “Puppy Mill Bill” that will regulate commercial dog breeding operations.

“One of the things we discovered as we all got into this bill was not only are we dealing with animal cruelty which now we've been able to address, but also we're dealing with a massive amount of tax money that's been left on the table, uncollected in sales tax and income tax,” she said.

Even though the new law will require commercial dog breeders and brokers to register with the state, it’s tough to know how big the tax evasion problem is because there’s no way to know how many puppy breeding facilities are already here.

“For the state of Indiana right now, especially after coming out of a budget meeting [for] a budget bill that failed, I think that’s going to be of paramount importance here in the next 12 to 18 months,” Walorski said.

That southern Indiana woman and her daughter have not been formally charged. The Attorney General's office is seeking re-payment of more than $132,000 in unpaid sales and income taxes.

All the dogs brought from the farm will be up for adoption soon, but if you want one you’ll have to wait about two weeks.

They will be looked over by a veterinarian, brought up to date on vaccines, spayed and neutered.

You can get a head start on the application process on the Pet Refuge Website.

More Good Stuff

WSBT Weather

icon
Current Temp 49.0
°
More Weather

On Demand

More On Demand

Stock Quotes

YouNews

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

Tonight On WSBTFull Schedule

7.00
60 Minutes
8.00
The Amazing Race 15
9.00
Three Rivers
10.00
Cold Case
11.00
WSBT News
11.30
Paid Programming

Question of The Day

Will the new health recommendations for women change your health screening habits?

E-mail your comments. We'll pick some to read during WSBT News at 5.

  • YES
  • NO
Today's Mortgage Rates