A Livingston County, Michigan puppy mill has been raided and shut down, and 100 dogs and puppies have been rescued by the Humane Society of the United States.
The humane society has provided 10 photos of various dogs, one showing a dog with hair so long you can’t see his eyes. Conditions at the mill were so bad almost every dog was suffering from some form of medical or dental problems. Many of the dogs were large breeds, with small breed and poodle mixes being sold online. Some were forced to breed repeatedly.
Livingston County Animal Control tipped off the humane society about the puppy mill in Howell. The county sheriff’s office served the warrant on the property, which allowed rescue workers get to the dogs.
Even though there are no regulations for large-scale dog facilities on the books in Michigan, a bill is going through legislature right now that would require any facility with 15 or more breeding female dogs to have a license and be registered. There will also be a uniform standard of care required to be provided to the dogs. The humane society said the bill does not target small, responsible breeders. It’s meant to place stiff regulations on those that get into it, and bite off more than they can chew.
“We don’t want Michigan to become a place that’s attractive for these large scale puppy mill type facilities to want to move here because we don’t have any regulations,” said Jill Fritz, Michigan Senior State Director for the HSUS.
The name of the bill in Michigan is HB 560.
“And as states like Indiana and Wisconsin and Ohio start to crack down on these type of facilities, we don’t want Michigan to be somewhere where they are looking to move to,” said Fritz.
The property owners where the puppy mill was located are charged with animal cruelty. There were also many cats and kittens on the location. All of the animals on the property have been removed and taken to temporary shelter where they can be evaluated and treated as necessary.
