Colbert County Animal Control officers and sheriff’s department saved the lives of 122 Pomeranians and Yorkies that were on their way to freezing to death in outdoor cages in an Alabama puppy mill.
Animal control director Judie Nichols said a good Samaritan called the office to inform them that a number of tiny dogs were being kept in wire cages outside in the cold weather.
Animal control officers arrived to the residence around 3:00 pm on Tuesday to find two dead dogs who had frozen to their cages, along with 122 surviving dogs.
The cages were three to four feet off the ground, and though the live dogs were generally in good condition, the main concern was the frigid temperatures they were forced to suffer in.
“They were wet some of them and they had ice on their fur. They were just very cold, huddled up, just cold,” Nichols said. “Just because they have fur doesn’t mean they’re going to stay warm. They need a place to get out of the cold.”
The shelter has now exceeded its capacity of 200, and with 25 pregnant dogs, many more are on the way. Until they can adopt out these dogs, they are unable to accept any new arrivals. But they will still respond to citizens’ calls.
“If they find a stray, we would like to ask for their patience and their understanding” said Nichols.
The breeder may face animal cruelty charges, pending evaluations of the dogs. For more information or to adopt, please click here. Just keep in mind, the shelter is being inundated with adoption requests, and it may take some time to get back to you. If the puppy mill dogs are all spoken for, there are plenty of other animals that need good homes!
