Common violations are the sale of underage puppies or failure to produce adequate veterinary records. But other mills take cruelty to the extreme.
At a mill in Walhonding, Ohio, inspectors found dead puppies decomposing and matted dogs running loose. A fire at Evergreen Designer LLC in Charm, Ohio, trapped and killed an undisclosed number of animals. This mill is a repeat offender, with previous reports from the USDA of dogs with painful skin and hair conditions.
The Humane Society’s report was more difficult to compile this year due to the USDA’s removal of animal welfare reports and enforcement records from their website. The information in this year’s Horrible Hundred is based off of preserved USDA records, consumer complaints, media reports and court documents.
Problem puppy mills are nothing new in Ohio. Be sure to check out some of our coverage from past years right here and here.
This article appears in May 17-23, 2017.
It is criminal that public records are no longer readily available that alert organizations, individuals and media members to criminal behavior.
There’s a pretty big feral cat problem in Northeast Ahia, too…half the streets and alleys in certain parts of Cleveland are over run with felines…and there are still pet stores that function as “kitten mills”…kudos to the many organizations who are trying to deal with this problem in West Park, Tremont, North Collinwood, and many other places.
Chuckles the Clown
Damn trump !