100 Dogs Rescued from Florida Puppy Mill Now Looking for Homes

New York, N.Y.— Following the seizure of more than 100 dogs from a large, substandard breeding facility—frequently referred to as a puppy mill—in Clewiston, Fla. last month, the ASPCA^® (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) has begun transporting them to various animal shelters across Florida for adoption. The seizure resulted from an investigation that began after local authorities received complaints about conditions at the breeding facility.

More than 100 small and large breed dogs were seized from the puppy mill, including Siberian Huskies, Chihuahuas and Poodles. The dogs were living in filthy conditions, with many suffering from medical issues due to neglect. Both owners of the facility were arrested on cruelty-related charges.

“We’ve seen these dogs come a long way over the last month,” said Jessica Rushin, senior partnerships manager, ASPCA Field Investigations and Response. “Now we’re bringing them to communities across Florida and hoping local citizens will come out and adopt them. These dogs have never known what it means to be a pet, so we’re thrilled that many of them may be spending this holiday season in a warm, safe home for the first time.”

The dogs are now ready for new homes after receiving weeks of medical care and behavioral enrichment from ASPCA responders, veterinarians and animal behaviorists. They will be transported to the following animal shelters and rescue groups starting this week to be made available for adoption:

• Humane Society of Broward County (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.);
• Humane Society Naples (Fla);
• Humane Society of Pinellas (Clearwater, Fla.);
• Humane Society of Tampa (Fla);
• Humane Society of Vero Beach & Indian River County (Vero Beach, Fla.);
• Helping Hands Pet Rescue (Gainesville, Fla);
• Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue (Bradenton, Fla.);
• Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League (West Palm Beach, Fla) and;
• SPCA Tampa Bay (Largo, Fla.)

As is often the case with puppy mill victims, some of the dogs require behavioral rehabilitation for extreme fear and under-socialization. Those dogs will be transported to the ASPCA Behavioral Rehabilitation Center in Madison, N.J., where animal behavior experts will provide treatment to help them become suitable for adoption.

Agencies that assisted the ASPCA’s sheltering operation include: Asheville Humane Society (Asheville, N.C.); Capital Area Humane Society (Columbus, Ohio); Florida State Animal Response Coalition (Apollo Beach, Fla.); Humane Society of Broward County (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.); Humane Society of Vero Beach & Indian River County (Vero Beach, Fla.); Humane Society of Pinellas (Clearwater, Fla.); MSPCA-Angell (Boston, Mass.); Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue (Bradenton, Fla.); Ogena Solutions (Ontario, Canada); SPCA Tampa Bay (Largo, Fla.); and Texas Humane Heroes (Leander, Texas).