Riverside Min Pins rescued from puppy mill now in the hospital

 Investigation Leads to Rescue of Sixty Two Dogs in Riverside, CA

 Sixty two Miniature Pinschers were rescued from a substandard breeding facility in Riverside, CA on March 3^rd. The puppy mill was operated by Linda Smith, who claims to have been “breeding champion Min Pins for twenty eight years.”  The dogs were rescued by Good Dog Animal Rescue with the assistance of The Companion Animal Protection Society after an undercover investigation revealed evidence of animal cruelty and severe neglect at the Riverside home of Linda Smith.

 

The dogs had been living in filthy and inhumane conditions and Riverside Animal Control has admitted to  “an open case on Linda Smith for years.” Field Commander Rita Gutierrez told CAPS West Coast Director Carole Raphaelle Davis that the kennels of Linda Smith had been inspected as recently as February 25^th and that Linda smith had passed the inspection. Gutierrez also admitted that as a general rule, she gives her cases a “heads up” before she sends officers in for an inspection, “in order to keep people on their toes.”  She stated she had given  “heads up” notice to Linda Smith routinely. CAPS questions this tactic as it only encourages animal abusers to hide evidence when given prior knowledge of lawful entrance to the property by the authorities. Many of the dogs had been crudely debarked at home, a painful and dangerous procedure that keeps the dogs from making sounds when barking.

“Having assisted the rescue, I can only describe it this way: Silence of the Lambs. The stench was eye-stinging. The dogs were crammed into overcrowded runs and cages and were living on a carpet of feces, eating and drinking out of buckets filled with feces and urine. Their nails were grown into their foot pads, their mouths are in advanced stages of gum disease, many having lost all their teeth. The dogs were infested with fleas and were being eaten alive by ticks. They have never seen a vet. This is clearly an actionable case of animal abuse and we are outraged by the laissez-faire attitude of Riverside Animal Care and Control. The remaining twenty animals must be removed from Smith immediately and she must be charged.”

---Carole Raphaelle Davis, CAPS West Coast Director and author of “The diary of Jinky, Dog of a Hollywood Wife.

“It’s a nightmare for these poor dogs. After we rescue them, and spend one-on-one time with them, they really just want to be a pet; they don’t want to be a machine.  They don’t want to be stuck in a crate for the rest of their lives; they want to play with a tennis ball. Before you buy a dog, whether it be from a breeder, the Internet or a puppy store, don’t judge a book by its cover because you don’t get to see--- all you see is ‘cute puppy.’ But if you saw the parents like I see the parents when I do rescues, it doesn’t make the puppies so cute anymore. “

----Chance White, Founder of Good Dog Animal Rescue

www.gooddoganimalrescue.com

 The dogs were caravanned to The Century Veterinary Group, a veterinary hospital in Los Angeles and were treated by a medical team led by Dr. Jeff Werber. Several dogs are in late term pregnancy. The dogs will be available for adoption in the very stores CAPS has protested in Los Angeles as part of its “Rescue Revolution, ” a program that urges pet stores to convert to a humane business model, becoming rescue centers. Local activists have conducted  successful conversions through demonstrations and educational outreach at retail outlets that were selling puppy mill dogs and other pet factory animals.

Please see documentary by award winning film maker Carly Heath about the Riverside Min Pin Rescue and for photos of all the dogs available for adoption and further information, please visit:

www.puppymillmom.blogspot.com 

Here are some of the rescued dogs at Dr. Werber's hospital. They are getting treated and cleaned up and ready for love. The vet bills are mounting and all that deworming and vaccinating, spaying and neutering is costing a pretty penny. Please make a donation to Good Dog Animal rescue so that these large scale rescues are possible. No amount is too small, even $10 will help. Please click here to help with the Riverside Min Pin Rescue.

Scroll down to see where the dogs will be available for adoption!