Local puppy mill raided

One-hundred dogs, puppies and two cats were seized early Tuesday morning at a Phelps County residence by investigators with the Animal Cruelty Task Force, an investigative branch of the Humane Society of Missouri.

Citing the inadequate availability of food and water, lack of medical attention and deplorable living conditions, the animals were seized from the residence and outlying buildings on the property of Timothy W. King, 55, and Kimberly J. King, 51, both county residents living in the 16000 block of County Road 8240.

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster and Director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture Dr. Jon Hagler arrived on the site with officials from the Humane Society of Missouri’s Animal Cruelty Task Force and the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department, who served the search warrant issued by the court.

Noting the staggering number of unlicensed puppy mills located throughout Missouri, both Koster and Hagler said they were determined to put an end to the animal cruelty that so often accompanies the cut-rate and unlicensed breeding facilities.

 “We’re trying to send a message to unlicensed breeders who are willfully violating the law and putting the health and welfare of animals at risk — ‘We’re cracking down on you, and you need to get into another line of business,’” Hagler said.

“This is a situation we can’t tolerate. It’s not good for the community, it’s not good for the dogs, and it’s not good for the industry.

“A legitimate, licensed professional breeder pays a cost to keep dogs on standard care. These folks that sell dogs without a license put them (licensed facilities) at a disadvantage,” Hagler said.

Koster said one of the primary goals he wanted to attain in his four-year term was to reduce the number of puppy mills in Missouri.

“Jon Hagler and I both think alike on this issue. We’re trying to change the reputation of the state, in regard to this puppy-mill reputation we have. Our office has a lot of these cases, (including) enforcement of licensing. I knew this was going to happen today and asked to come along,” Koster said.

The search warrant included a statement saying probable cause existed that showed the animals were abused and neglected, Koster said.

The estimated per-capita number of puppy mills is much higher in Missouri than in other states, Koster said.

Sheriff Rick Lisenbe, who was on site with deputies to ensure the safety of the Humane Society investigators, inspected the outbuildings situated throughout the Kings’ property with Koster and Hagler.

“There’s a lot of animals here, and their care is important,” Lisenbe said. “Hopefully, when people see this, it will help to improve the operation of other facilities and make them a lot safer.”

Lisenbe said no arrests were made on Tuesday. However, the investigation is ongoing, and with evidence collected by the investigators and a report from Humane Society veterinarians, the court would ultimately decide whether the animals were abused or neglected, he said.

Although approximately a dozen of the rescued animals were roaming freely throughout the grounds, the majority of them were rescued from three buildings on the property: the Kings’ primary residence, a converted trailer and a shed. The dogs included a variety of breeds, and many Yorkshire terriers were seen in the cages.

Throughout the King property, pathways wound through several trash dumps, and the carcass of one dead dog, initially thought to be impaled by a wooden stake, was found on top of a trash heap. It was later discovered the dog was only entwined around the stake.

The trailer, converted into an indoor-outdoor type of multi-tiered kennel, was overcrowded with cohabitating male and female parent dogs and their litters in excrement-encrusted cages. In one instance, two recently miscarried dog fetuses were found under the chicken-wired floor beneath one of the kennels. And although the dogs appeared to have available food, fresh and clean water was not observed.

Noxious acrid smells emanated from various areas around the dumps and the outbuildings.

Tim Rickey, the director of the Animal Task Force, also inspected the facility.

“This is a very dilapidated facility, and even if they were trying to clean this, which they’re not, this would not be acceptable. You can’t keep this many animals in this type of facility,” Rickey said.
“These people care about animals, but look at the condition they’re living in themselves. This is a breeding operation — they’ve got males and females together, so they’re intentionally breeding, or at the very least, allowing the dogs to breed.

“We’re not looking at whether or not this is a breeding facility,” Rickey said. “We’re looking at whether the animals are abused. There are several dogs running around with injuries that have not been treated. There’s a number of dogs that are extremely thin. There’s a handful of dogs I’ve seen that have no water and no shelter. Those are all things that are required — there are minimum standards of care, and there’s a number of animal-abuse issues that are going on.”

The Kings did apply for licensing with the Department of Agriculture; however, on several occasions, when inspectors arrived to conduct a facility inspection, they were denied access, according to an employee with the department.

Bonnie Dean, an investigator with the Animal Cruelty Task Force, confirmed the number of dogs and cats that were rescued from the Kings’ property and were on their way to Humane Society Headquarters in St. Louis on Tuesday.

“This goes beyond neglect — this is cruelty,” Dean said. “They knowingly failed to provide basic care for these animals. Animals need food, clean water, shelter and veterinarian care whenever any medical problem arises. They also need a clean environment.”

Dean said the livestock on the property was not seized. Fourteen horses, two goats and two donkeys were not immediately removed. However, the animals could be removed later, if conditions deteriorated, she said.

Additionally, one female Great Pyrenees dog running loose on the property could not be caught, and another Great Pyrenees mixed-breed dog would not return to the property to be seized, Dean said.

In a briefing before the raid commenced, Dean told law-enforcement officers and Humane Society investigators that algae-laden and mosquito-ridden water supplies led her to believe a number of the animals would be suffering from heartworm.

A hearing to determine whether custody of the animals should be given to the Humane Society is scheduled at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 8 at the Phelps County Courthouse.