WAVE 3 TV Louisville, KY | Dogs seized in puppy mill raid still weeks away from adoption

Dogs seized in puppy mill raid still weeks away from adoption

By Maira Ansari - bio | email
Posted by Charles Gazaway - email

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - WAVE 3 continues to follow the puppy mill story out of Mauckport, Indiana. 240 dogs were seized after the Indiana Attorney General's office served a search warrant for alleged tax evasion on a Harrison County farm. WAVE 3 went to a local humane society and shelter for an update on how the dogs are doing.

The 240 dogs that were rescued have all gone to area shelters.

"Puppy mill dogs are so special. Near and dear to our heart," said Theresa Stilger of New Albany Floyd County Animal Control and Shelter.

Many people want to know how to adopt them. Mike McNutt was there when the dogs were taken.

"They wanna be part of our families. These animals don't know what it's like to be loved," said McNutt, who is with the Kentucky Humane Society.

It will be next week or a few months before the mill dogs can be adopted.

"They breed dogs with congenital problems and health defects, and those are passed on to the offspring", said Stilger.

The dogs can have a number of health and behavioral problems.

"He was considered an aggressive breeder, meaning he would breed, and breed, and breed. He worked for the puppy miller. When he was handled, he was tossed from cage to cage to cage," said Jill Dolon.

Dolon rescued her dog, Scruffy, two years ago. She says he still struggles. "He's pretty much terrified of people. He was never handled nicely."

But it's not just people they have to adjust to.

"These are dogs whose feet have never touched the ground. A lot of them have never seen the sky. So you have to teach these dogs how to walk and live," said Stilger.

And that takes time.

"Some will probably start being available next week. And others the next few months," Stilger said.

While the dogs from the puppy mill aren't currently available, the New Albany Floyd County Animal Control and Shelter and the Kentucky Humane Society have plenty of dogs available to adopt.

"You don't have to have a pure bread to have pure love," said Dolon.

You can check the New Albany Floyd County Animal Control and Shelter website to find out when the puppy mill dogs will be available for adoption. The shelter also needs donations to buy medicine for the dogs and the basics like cleaning supplies, towels, blankets.

The two women who own the Mauckport property were in civil court Thursday for tax evasion. Virginia and Kristen Garwood are accused of not paying taxes on the sales of those dogs. They have agreed not to sell any more dogs until the case is settled.

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