FRANKLIN, Tenn. – Investigators with the District Attorney's Office for the 21st Judicial District, along with key HSUS staff members and the Hickman County Sheriff's Department, are executing a search warrant on a Hickman County property this morning following information that a puppy mill is being operated there in violation of Tennessee animal cruelty laws.
Hundreds of dogs are reportedly housed in several buildings on the property.
Veterinarians will assess the dogs’ health and The Humane Society of the United States, which deployed personnel and equipment to the area, will help authorities remove the dogs and possibly an unknown number of birds, cats, cows and horses who are also kept on the property. The animals will be moved to a nearby facility and will be housed pending the outcome of legal proceedings in the case.
District Attorney General Kim R. Helper will hold a press briefing at noon CDT at East Hickman Elementary, 5191 Highway 100 in Lyles, Tenn. High-ranking members of The HSUS will also speak at the press conference. Additional information will be made available at that time.
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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization – backed by 10.5 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- On the web at humanesociety.org.
