http://www2.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/news/story.html?id=b3dbc98b-7a6d-401c-8cc9-851975b1dbdc&k=47758
Backyard breeders busted with ailing Christmas pups
Investigators seize puppies that were 'hours from death'
Danielle Bell, The Daily News
Published: Friday, December 18, 2009
An emaciated pitbull and her eight neglected puppies, whose teenage owners advertised them for sale on craigslist.org, are recovering at the Nanaimo SPCA.
Some of the underweight, dirty and dehydrated six-week-old pups were only hours from death when they were surrendered to cruelty investigator Julie Hitchcock this week. The smallest was nearly comatose and not expected to survive. All of the puppies suffered from massive parasite infections and required emergency veterinary care, with two needing IV fluids to treat their dehydration.
The two-year-old adult female dog, also severely underweight and with parasites, was to undergo emergency surgery last night.
SPCA officials say it is a classic case of the backyard breeder, referring to people who often lack the knowledge and finances to properly care for the dogs they breed and instead are on a mission to make money.
It is the third case in two weeks for Nanaimo SPCA officials and an alarmingly common problem that has for years had B.C. SPCA officials lobbying to force breeders to register.
In the latest incident, an anonymous couple complained to the Nanaimo SPCA on Saturday about the poor condition of the animals they visited after seeing an advertisement on craigslist for $600 Christmas pitbull pups.
Hitchcock visited the Cedar house on Tuesday, where the homeowner allowed her to view five of the puppies. The teenage owners, an 18-year-old man and his 16-year-old girlfriend, did not live in the house.
The five puppies were surrendered and Hitchcock returned the next day to track down the owners. The 18-year-old called Hitchcock late Wednesday, becoming "very emotional" on the phone and stating he did not know he was doing anything wrong. The remaining pups and the mother were surrendered that night.
"They were doing this as a moneymaking venture," said Hitchcock on Thursday. "When you are breeding dogs and you have no knowledge of how to do it properly, you end up with a sick mom and sick puppies."
The teenagers will not face animal cruelty charges, said Hitchcock, since they were co-operative and remorseful.
A veterinary examination suggested it may have been only the first litter for the mother pitbull. She and the puppies are on special diets and medication as they recover at the shelter. It will likely be more than a month before the animals will be healthy enough to be considered for adoption.
In the past two weeks, Nanaimo SPCA officials have taken over care of another pitbull and her 10 puppies and a lab/shepherd cross-breed and her six puppies, which were all surrendered in poor condition from similar situations.
SPCA officials encourage people to report suspicious conditions of any animals they see and insist on viewing the parents of dogs bred to ensure their healthy condition. Breeders who suggest meeting in parking lots or other areas not at a home can be also be a red flag, say shelter staff.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment