Watch Video of Press Event with Missouri Attorney General
The
Office of the Missouri Attorney General and the Missouri Department of
Agriculture (MDA) have partnered with the Humane Society of Missouri Animal
Cruelty Task Force to rescue 73 adult dogs and puppies from a breeding facility
in Monett, Mo. in Lawrence County. The
dogs are Cocker Spaniels, Labrador Retrievers, American Eskimos, Poodles,
Beagles, Papillions and Brussels Griffons.
On June
28, the Missouri Department of Agriculture worked with Attorney General Chris
Koster to obtain a temporary restraining order against the owner for violations
of the Animal Care Facilities Act and the newly enacted Canine Cruelty
Prevention Act.
According
to inspections by the Missouri Department of Agriculture, the facility:
- failed to provide adequate veterinary care to
animals in obvious medical distress;
- failed to clean and sanitize the facility,
allowing excrement in food receptacles and dirty, muddy drinking water;
- failed to keep sick, aged, or young animals in
indoor or sheltered housing facilities;
- failed to equip housing facilities with disposal
and drainage systems in order to keep animal waste and water eliminated so the
animals stayed dry;
- failed to provide shade for the dogs;
- failed to collect and remove animal waste – in
some places feces had accumulated to the point that it was indistinguishable
from the flooring; and
- failed to provide housing that protected the
animals from injury.
In addition, the owner routinely
used a gunshot as a means of euthanasia, also in violation of the law.
In an agreement
approved this morning and enforceable under the circuit court, the owner will
surrender all animals to the Humane Society of Missouri, surrender her Missouri
Department of Agriculture commercial breeder license and will not operate a dog
breeding facility for at least the next 6 years.
“It is
our goal that Missouri
will gain the reputation as the state with the best and most humane breeders in
the country,” Koster said.
“Since
2009, we have increased inspections, dramatically stepped up enforcement and
number of citations and sent a profound message to learn to do the dog business
right or get out of the business for good.
This cooperation between our animal care program, the Humane Society of
Missouri and Attorney General Koster will help us increase rescues and
prosecutions and continue to strengthen the breeding industry in Missouri,” said Dr. Jon Hagler, Director of the
Missouri Department of Agriculture.
“Through the work of Operation Bark Alert, Missouri
now has over 500 fewer commercial breeders.
There is more work to be done – and now more resources to help.”
“This
is the Missouri solution in action,”
said Kathy Warnick, president, Humane Society of Missouri. “We are very pleased
by the quick actions of the Office of the Attorney General and the Missouri
Department of Agriculture to ensure the welfare of these suffering animals and
hold accountable those responsible for the dogs’ care.”
The
rescued animals will arrive this afternoon at the Humane Society of Missouri’s
Headquarters on Macklind Avenue in St. Louis, Mo. They will immediately
receive individual veterinary examinations and treatment. As soon as they are
healthy, as many of the dogs as possible will be made available for
adoption.
