Authorities shut down largest known TN puppy mill operation

Submitted by R. Neal on Thu, 2008/06/26 - 6:09am

The Tennessean reports that local authorities working with the Humane Society of the U.S. have rescued more than 700 animals from a puppy mill in Hickman Co. just west of Nashville. They say it is the largest known puppy mill rescue ever conducted in Tennessee. A criminal investigation will follow.

Here's the Humane Society's press release.

Here's disturbing video from the scene for anyone who ever wondered what it looks like in a puppy mill.

Unfortunately, many of the pets you see in newspaper and internet ads, and in pet stores, come from puppy mills and their brokers. They are usually AKC "registered," and wholesale puppy mills are "licensed" and "regulated" by the USDA. Puppy mills that sell direct are generally not regulated.

The Humane Society of the U.S. has lots of information about puppy mills. Learn how you can avoid buying a puppy mill pet. The best way is to find a responsible breeder (they generally don't advertise and they definitely don't sell in pet stores), or better yet adopt through a pet rescue organization or your local shelter.

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Who is the people and head person in charge of this puppy mill?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 2008/06/26 - 6:07pm.

Why is there NO name and further identification of this puppy mill owner? Who purchased the dogs from this place?
I want their names. Show their pics and ID them so the rest of us can see what creature does this for the mighty buck in a country with opportunities to earn wages with dignity and honor. And let us see them prosecuted....and hard punishments. If not, stop telling us about it. In San Diego CA, we have a puppy mill problem equally as big as our illegal alien problem. You might say they go hand in hand. Whatever is the flavor of the year. They are not seeked out or brought up in our newspaper as it isn't politically correct. Even the rescue groups are politically correct in their silence and avoidance of the true source of this horrid way of making some bucks.

The newspaper article

Submitted by R. Neal on Thu, 2008/06/26 - 6:44pm.

The newspaper article states:

The dogs were taken from Pine Bluff Kennels on Ed Lyell Road in Hickman County

The District Attorney and Hickman Co. Sheriff's office were involved in the raid, so presumably there will be a criminal investigation.

Any time you buy a dog you're killing another one

Submitted by Hayduke on Thu, 2008/06/26 - 8:25pm.

Any time you buy a dog you're killing another one. Doesn't really matter if it's from bastards like these or "respectable" breeders. There are only so many homes for dogs and choosing to have a new dog created on your behalf means that a "used" dog in a shelter is going die.

Mutts are better dogs anyway, but if you want pure-bred neurosis there are breed rescue organizations for every kind of dog I've ever heard of.

This Isn't New!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 2008/06/27 - 9:49am.

This woman was busted before in 1998. Due to the courts finding that an illegal search and siezure took place all charges were dismissed. In 1998 she had around 300 dogs and was back to selling puppies on the internet by 1999. She's had 10 YEARS to build up her breeding stock numbers and this time she had around 700 dogs. My biggest question is why did it take 10 years to do something about this? This is what you're getting when you buy a puppy and meet someone in the local Walmart parking lot to pick it up or buy over the internet. You don't really think this woman was stupid enough to let people come to her "kennel" do you?

Pet Stores

Submitted by Joe328 on Fri, 2008/06/27 - 10:49am.

Do you really think she sold such a large number of puppies from her car at Walmart? Most every pet store buys puppies from kennels in maintained in near the same condition. What do you think happens to the pet store puppies when they get sick or too big to sell? Some are released in rural areas to find a home on their own.

Tennessee needs to require pet stores and breeders to fully fund the animal shelter. When the animal shelter is too expensive to fund the breeding industry will reduce the excess supply of pets.