The first sign that something was very, very wrong was the barking.
Dogs were crying out from a tightly sealed cargo compartment of a
parked U-Haul. The truck was parked in Murrieta, a city in Southern California -- a region that gets
notoriously hot.When officers pried open the door of the U-Haul, they beheld something truly heartbreaking.
21 dogs were trapped. Many of the dogs were clearly neglected --
matted fur and lack of access to food or water had left them vulnerable, weak, and in pain.
Even worse --
some of these dogs were pregnant.Sign the petition to demand that the perpetrator of this horrific hoarding, neglect, and abuse be held fully accountable!
The dogs were all
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, which is a highly popular breed of pet dog. The number of dogs, the fact that some were pregnant, and the fact that they were all purebred popular pets are all signs of a puppy mill operation. If that is truly the case, authorities must act swiftly and firmly to shut this down.
Puppy mills are cruel operations that exploit mother dogs and their babies to turn a profit.
Mothers are impregnated over and over again, their bodies barely able to recover before they are forced to have another liter that will be sold off. Babies are rarely treated with proper veterinary care, nutrition, or enrichment. They are kept alive long enough to sell for a pretty penny, at which point unknowing owners are met with many medical and behavioral issues.
When officers were assessing and rescuing these dogs, the owner showed up -- with 12 more dogs in the SUV he was driving.
That makes 33 dogs total that were in this abuser's care!
Luckily, police acted quickly and confiscated every last dog. The pups are all resting and recovering in the safe hands of a local animal shelter. And the person responsible was arrested and charged with animal cruelty, animal abandonment and leaving animals unattended in a vehicle.
These are amazing first steps, but we must ensure that what comes next is true and restorative justice -- which means keeping this person from every obtaining or breeding a dog ever. Again.
Sign the petition demanding that the sentencing for this horrific case include a total ban on animal ownership!