February 17, 2009

Working in harsh conditions, representatives from several major animal welfare organizations trudged on this week as they rescued 285 puppies from a suspected mill. (ZT Pet News Photo Illustration)

NASHVILLE -- The American Humane helped rescue more than 250 puppies from a suspected mill in White County, Tenn., on Feb. 11, but the seizure did not guarantee the dogs' imminent safety.

With severe tornado and thunderstorm warnings looming over the central Tennessee region, the American Humane's Animal Emergency Services team remained on high alert as of this weekend.

Two hundred and eighty five puppies were discovered in the raid, which took place early Wednesday morning. The dogs were found in a residence and multiple buildings on the property, according to the ASPCA, which also led the rescue efforts.

The puppies have been placed in an emergency shelter; attempts to protect them from not only man-made, but natural harms, as well, have "hampered some of the seizure activity in order to keep all personnel safe," according to an American Humane release.

"The storm came in hard and fast -- a part of the system that hit Oklahoma last night destroying businesses, homes and lives," said Tracy Reis, an American Humane team leader for the project, in a release issued on Thursday. "The clouds came in low, dark and amazingly fast -- spreading hard rain, high wind and pea sized hail over us here at the emergency shelter.

"The areas we worked in were covered in feces, and as the rain came down hard yesterday, everything became slick with both feces and mud."

The efforts ensued, however, despite the conditions, to rescue hundreds of Boston Terriers, Chihuahuas, Boxers, Daschunds, Lhasa Apsos, Cairn Terriers, Shih Tzu, Miniature Pinschers and other small breed puppies under 20 pounds.

The dogs were in dire need of food, water, health care and rest, according to Reis, who noted that all of those accommodations were "desperately lacking in their feces-covered cages back at the seizure site."

Twelve volunteers' all-day efforts went well into the night, according to American Humane representative Kelly Weir, who said that they all worked until 2 a.m. on Wednesday, into Thursday morning.

The dogs were found to have "multiple ailments," according to the American Humane, including mange, eye ulcers and bloody stool. Twenty of them have been placed into isolation; a few of the dogs are also pregnant and nursing, and they, too, are being closely monitored.

"Many of the dogs have never been out of their cages in their lives and were clearly afraid of humans," the AHA release states.

The dogs remain under the legal custody of the White County Sheriff's Department.

Despite the many potential adopters who have stepped forward since the raid last week, the dogs will not be up for adoption until pending legal investigations, and potential cases, are resolved.

People can monitor the puppies' progress and eligibility for adoption on American Humane's Web site, AmericanHumane.org.

In the meantime, the AHA, ASPCA and Nashville Humane Association, which also aided in the seizure, will continue to feed, walk and care for the young pups as they recover from two traumatizing ordeals.

"The healthier dogs are getting petted, groomed and clipped, and you can just see by looking at them that they are more comfortable, perhaps the most comfortable they have ever been in their lives," one AHA rescuer said.

According to the ASPCA, an investigation was launched in September, when a consumer visiting the commercial kennel altered the White County Humane Society to unsanitary conditions there.

The Humane Society of the United States had also received complaints around that time and, in conjunction with the sheriff's department, initiated a formal investigation.

Tell us what you think about “285 Puppies Rescued Amid Tornado Warnings” below. Share your favorite videos by clicking on the ZootooTV tab. Send us your story ideas by e-mailing us at news@zootoo.com or by calling us at 877-777-4204.