PetSmart Charities has dispatched its Emergency Relief Waggin' vehicle to the scene of a puppy mill in Lewisburg, Tenn., where nearly 100 dogs and one cat are reportedly in need of assistance. The Humane Society of the United States is the lead agency in this rescue. All of the animals have been surrendered by the owner to the custody of the Marshall County, Tenn., sheriff's department.
"Many of these dogs were so filthy and matted it was difficult for us to even tell what breed they were," said Leighann McCollum, Tennessee state director of The HSUS. "This is the perfect example of the squalid conditions dogs in puppy mills are forced to endure."
The Marshall County Sheriff's Department was alerted to a situation where dogs, mostly poodles and small breeds, were reportedly being housed in extremely poor conditions and bred in sub-standard breeding facilities. These animal victims were found living amongst their own feces in small wire enclosures, and all lacked proper socialization and medical care.