More than 1,000 dogs were removed from a Parkersburg residence over the weekend, shutting down what officials call one of the largest puppy mills in West Virginia. Now, the challenge is to find these dogs new homes.
Local law enforcement, area volunteers and a special team from the national Humane Society converged on the Whispering Oaks Kennel outside Parkersburg Saturday morning. They found hundreds of puppies and pregnant dogs living in what they called less-than-ideal conditions.
A video posted on the organization’s website shows Scotlund Haisley of the national Humane Society in a small, cinderblock room filled with row after row of wire cages, each holding several newborn puppies.
“You know, this is one of the worst rooms in regard to the ammonia smell,” he said. “We’ve got teams working to remove these animals, but we’re not going to be able to stay in a room like this very long. Take my word, this is about as rough as it gets.”
On Monday, kennel owner Sharon Roberts told the Charleston Daily Mail that her animals were well-cared for, and called the weekend raid a witch hunt.
The puppy mill came to the attention of local authorities when neighbors complained about pollution coming off the property.
The operation wasn’t new, but it had expanded recently. Humane officials said Roberts was a commercial breeder who sold to pet stores.
The Wood County Sheriff’s department and local and national Humane Society officials converged on the puppy mill Saturday morning. They said they convinced Roberts to relinquish ownership of the dogs, in exchange for a promise not to prosecute for animal neglect.
A small army of volunteers set up a temporary shelter nearby and started processing the dogs. They will be sent to Humane Society chapters and other shelters throughout the region for adoption.
Dianne Webber of the national Humane Society says raids like this are becoming more common.
“More people are becoming aware of the situation in puppy mills, and when they see something that isn’t right they’re beginning to report it,” she said.
Webber says that if people stopped buying purebred dogs from pet stores, many of these large operations would disappear.
“It’s perfectly O.K. to want a specific breed,” she said. “But shelters are full of purebred dogs. I would say 25 to 30% of dogs in shelters are purebred dogs.
“The more often you go to a pet store to purchase a pet, the more you are enabling this sort of thing to continue,” she said.
Most of the dogs are dachshunds, but Yorkies, King Charles Cavaliers and Poodles also were bred at the facility.
Anyone interested in adopting the dogs should contact the Parkersburg Humane Society, 304-422-5541.