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| The HSUS |
| Breeder dogs in puppy mills are often forced to spend their entire lives caged in shocking environments. |
The noxious odors hit you in the face as soon as you walk through the door. The deafening noise created by hundreds of excited dogs assaults your ears. Dogs are spinning in circles, jumping and vaulting off their cage walls. Others hide with vacant, scared eyes in the back of their kennels, where they nurse and protect newborn puppies.
Breeding Misery
A wide variety of breeds filled the filthy kennels at J'Aime Kennels, a puppy mill in Buxton, Maine. Crammed inside the squalid building were miniature Australian shepherds, French bulldogs, American bull dogs, Chihuahuas, Brussels griffons, pugs, German shepherds, shelties and papillons.
Rescuing Hundreds
When the long day was done, authorities had served a search warrant at J'Aime Kennels and seized more than 250 animals, in addition to computers and medical and veterinary records and supplies. Staff and volunteers from the Animal Welfare Society of W. Kennebunk, the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland, local veterinary hospitals, the Maine Animal Welfare Program and The HSUS quickly stepped in to assist with evidence collection, animal identification and—most importantly—veterinary care and clean up. According to Animal Welfare Program director Norma Worley, this was the single largest seizure of animals in the state’s recent history.
Appalling Conditions
Many of the animals at J'Aime Kennels had sarcoptic mange, a contagious skin problem. Caretakers will perform further tests, including for the internal parasite Giardia, soon. Because of the sheer size of the operation, most of the animals will be housed on-site in custodial care until long-term arrangements can be made while the case moves through the legal system.
Owners Face Consequences
J’Aime Kennels owners, Heidi and John Frasca, now face 14 civil charges for running a kennel without a license; two criminal counts of animal cruelty; and one criminal count for failure to provide necessary medical treatment to animals, according to a written release from Buxton police.
“The condition we found these animals in—as is the case with most puppy mills—is in stark contrast to the images of puppies purchased in pet stores or over the Internet,” said Joanne Bourbeau, New England regional director of The HSUS, who was on-site to lend her assistance. “Consumers would be shocked at the lack of care that dogs in mass breeding facilities receive. Thanks to the cooperative efforts of the local, state and national groups involved, we were able to rescue hundreds of dogs from this suffering.”
Animal Abuse Typical in Puppy Mills
Puppy mill dogs face deplorable circumstances and often suffer from inbreeding, minimal or no vet care, poor quality food, limited shelter, lack of opportunity for human socialization, and overcrowded cages. These factory-like facilities are in existence for one reason only: to make money from unsuspecting families looking to purchase a new family member online, from a newspaper ad or in a pet store window.
The lure of a puppy’s sweet, trusting face is undeniable. But the sad, cruel truth behind puppy mills is animal cruelty, and that's too high a price to pay.
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