Aid rushes to dogs seized in raid on suspected puppy mill.
January 21, 2009 · Print This Article
Some came to drop off food. Others made cash donations. And more than a few people Monday went to the Everett Animal Shelter with hopes of giving a better home to one of the 155 dogs removed from a suspected puppy mill near Gold Bar.
“We wanted to help out any way we could,” said Tammy Haase of Lynnwood. She and her children, Taylor, 20, and Alex, 15, read reports about the animals found Friday in what officials said were deplorable conditions.
There were so many people visiting the shelter, which was closed Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, volunteers had set up a table outside to take donations.
Shopping carts were filled with bags of pet supplies. The phones rang off the hook. Dozens of e-mails filled officials’ in-boxes.
None of the dogs were adopted Monday.
For now, they need to be thoroughly examined by veterinarians, officials said. Snohomish County prosecutors also will have to sign off before the dogs find new homes. The animals are evidence in a possible criminal case.
“This is one of the largest puppy mills that we’ve ever uncovered,” Snohomish County Animal Control manager Vicki Lubrin said Monday.
Officials served a search warrant at the home Friday collecting evidence in an animal cruelty case. Two more warrants were served at homes in Snohomish on Sunday. No additional animals were seized. Officers found 39 more dogs living in better conditions, Lubrin said.
No arrests have been made, but investigators have identified the people they say are responsible for the animals’ care.
Inside the Everett animal shelter Monday, the stale smell of urine-soaked fur hung in the air near the dogs that were rescued.
Prior to being seized, some of the dogs had received operations to snip their vocals chords so they couldn’t bark. They made wheezing sounds. The coats on the dogs were matted and caked with excrement. There were beagles, terriers, pugs, dachshunds, boxers, Pekingese and many so-called “designer” dogs, a fancy name for mixed breeds.
How you can help!
People wishing to donate dog food or money for medical expenses to the Everett Animal Shelter’s nonprofit agency, Animal Rescue Foundation, may do so by calling 425-257-6000 or going to the shelter at 2732 36th St., Everett.
Animals may become available for adoption after they receive veterinary care. People will need to apply to take the animals home.















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