by Jordan Crump
It has been an especially busy year for the HSUS Emergency Services department. In fact, the department has been on 24 deployments in 2008—more than double last year at this time.
The current deployment has been an example of the depth of HSUS talent. The team sent to handle Tennessee's largest puppy mill bust consisted of dozens of staff from numerous HSUS departments and offices around the country.
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| The HSUS/Riley |
| Many dogs had never felt solid ground beneath their feet. |
A Worthy Cause
The size of our deployment corresponds to the scale of need.
In this instance, the need was large and urgent, and the HSUS team was supplemented by staff from other national and local humane organizations. We pooled our collective talents and resources because the lives of animals hung in the balance.
Yesterday morning, the HSUS Animal Rescue team joined as local authorities executed the warrant at the Pine Bluff Kennels. We were greeted by an unholy scent. It was the stench of urine, feces and death nearly a mile away—the smell of massive tragedy.
Palpable Suffering
Sadly, the most neglected area of this puppy mill housed mother dogs and young offspring. These animals were left to wallow in mounds of their own feces, most of them with no food or water. Because the youngest animals are most vulnerable we found several puppies who succumbed to neglect.
There is no excuse for this kind of maltreatment. These tender young lives should have been cherished and nourished. Instead, they were treated as expendable factory products. Instead of life in the loving arms of a family, these animals died without ever having a chance. They never even had names—nothing but misery.
The older breeding dogs at the facility didn't fare much better. They were housed in a sea of tiny wire cages that made it impossible for them to stand comfortably—forcing their legs through the grates.
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| The HSUS/Riley |
| Nothing breeds hope like the faces of the animals themselves. |
Many had never had the opportunity to feel the security of solid ground beneath their feet.
Perhaps the worst were the dogs we never had a chance to save.
The team came across the grave site of a pile of dogs with multiple gunshot wounds in their decaying bodies.
The sight wreaked havoc on our emotions. The images also motivated our rescue, and our resolve. May we never face such a tragedy again.
Light at the End
From such a wasteland, the team was grateful for the only possible good news: we heard that the owner of this operation had agreed to surrender all of the animals to the local district attorney's office. In turn, custody was transferred to us—more than 700 dogs, 25 horses and donkeys, 20 cats, four parrots and 15 chickens.
The HSUS had already begun working with local and national partner shelters to transport these dogs to locations where they can be put up for adoption. This marks a new beginning, a ray of hope. The survivors among these dogs will have a chance at tasting love and compassion—lives with families. A list of organizations offering the dogs for adoption will be made available once the transfers are all confirmed.
As the work wound down for the evening, team members and volunteers took a final stroll through the rescue shelter and became overwhelmed by emotion. Dogs who just hours ago had no chance at salvation were now beginning to reclaim lives that had been stolen from them.
A peaceful demeanor settled over the shelter, illustrating the amazing resilience of these animals. It is this spirit that inspires our shelter coordinators, the volunteers and rescuers. Nothing breeds hope like the faces of these animals themselves.
No one thought to give a speech. And maybe it wasn't necessary. A hug and a pet amounted to a declaration of justice for animals too long without love.
For more information on puppy mills, visit our Stop Puppy Mills website.
Jordan Crump is public information officer for The HSUS.
