As I turned into the driveway, past two stone dog statues and a mailbox brightly painted with dog bones, I caught sight of the ranch gateway sign overhead: “Where happy puppies come from.” Further onto the breeder’s property, I spotted French bulldogs, corgis, tiny shih tzus, large shar-peis and many other breeds.
At a quick glance, I could see how an animal lover might be drawn to a place like this. But I would spend the next 10 hours witnessing the bleak reality of these dogs’ daily lives, especially the mothers who languish behind the scenes to pump out puppies.
I was on scene for my first animal rescue as a volunteer with our Animal Rescue Team. We were helping the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office in Oklahoma rescue an estimated 150 dogs from suspected animal cruelty at this property and another nearby.
The early morning went by in a chilly blur of assembling crates while the rescue team and law enforcement completed a property inspection. As the sun rose, I was assigned to a team with field rescue specialist Amanda Wallace. My role was to take photos of the dogs and their living conditions for evidence.
Hearing a cacophony of barks, we walked down a path lined with pens holding dozens of dogs. Tucked away near some woods were two Australian shepherds. I could see dark-green water in their bowl, filled with algae, leaves, bugs and other debris. I wondered how long water must go unchanged to get to this state.
Wallace entered the pen and easily leashed a friendly black Aussie, but the brown Aussie slunk as far away from us as she could in the small enclosure. Wallace crouched down and looked away, letting the scared dog dictate the interaction. She sheepishly approached a few times, then slipped out of Wallace’s grasp. After recruiting some help, Wallace leashed the dog and gently picked her up.
The tension in the dog’s body loosened. Her legs dangled and her head rested on Wallace’s chest. I felt tears welling up. I’d written about moments like these before—when a scared, traumatized animal takes the first step into their new life—but the joy of seeing it firsthand is indescribable.
We moved on to a wooden building housing Boston terriers, bulldogs and Malteses in adjoining pens. The dogs excitedly greeted us, jumping at the wire fencing. The outdoor section of their enclosure had feces scattered throughout. The floors and walls of the indoor portion were smeared with even more feces. The Malteses’ long fur was stained yellow with urine and full of thick mats encased in feces. A bulldog was biting into the side of his giant water bowl and flailed his head around, trying in vain to pick it up. The water bowl was encircled in bite marks, and there were two cinder blocks inside the bowl, holding it down, surrounded by murky gray water. That’s when I realized I hadn't spotted a single dog toy on the property.
The last dog I saw was a pregnant basset hound, her engorged stomach overwhelming her small frame and her head hanging down. She was a heartbreaking sight.
As night settled in, rescuers collected the final dogs. The estimated 150 animals turned out to be 250 dogs and four cats.
After she was carefully moved to the medical tent, I saw two piles of black, tar-like feces in the enclosure. Wallace and I exchanged worried glances, knowing this could indicate a serious health problem.
As the day moved on, our team got into a groove, rescuing and photographing sociable corgis, huskies with the gymnastic ability to evade rescuers and so many more. Wallace pet a corgi she believed to be elderly due to her bony frame. As she felt along the dog’s body, she realized what she thought was old age was malnourishment, and the dog was, in fact, pregnant.
As night settled in, rescuers collected the final dogs. The estimated 150 animals turned out to be 250 dogs and four cats. We began the long drive to an HSUS-supported temporary shelter, where the next phase of our work would begin.
Over the next two days at the shelter, where the team expanded to include volunteers with the nonprofit RedRover and local veterinarians, I helped photograph evidence of medical conditions while a veterinary team conducted exams.
It’s there that I saw the real impacts of puppy mills. Although the living conditions were bleak, medical issues were at the heart of this case. When profits are put ahead of animal welfare, dogs often suffer from untreated medical conditions and go without prenatal care. In two days, our team examined around 75 dogs with conditions such as matted fur, dental disease, malnutrition, ear infections and eye infections. Many of the French bulldogs at the facility had scars down their stomachs, likely from past C-sections.
As we worked our way down the first aisle of kennels, my eyes paused on two French bulldogs cuddled together in a corner. The black Frenchie wrapped a paw over her companion, a tan-and-white Frenchie who seemed especially fearful. They readjusted themselves a few times, but the black Frenchie always keept a close eye on the other dog, following her wherever she went. During the black Frenchie’s examination, the veterinarian found scarring on her ears and nose, chronic skin inflammation, dislocated kneecaps, a scar down her stomach from a suspected C-section, a wound hidden in her facial wrinkles and multiple broken teeth. She likely had been a mother in the past, and her maternal instincts clearly remained strong despite the physical and emotional distress she was probably feeling.
On my last day there, I walked down the aisles of kennels. I saw many new faces: 1-week-old corgi puppies whose eyes were still closed, emaciated Doberman pinschers and a massive Saint Bernard mother with her puppies. Among the many canines faces, there’s one I wouldn't find. Earlier, I learned that the pregnant basset hound my team rescued had died from cardiac arrest after an emergency C-section. She and her 12 puppies had an intestinal tract infection called coccidia. Only one would survive. A necropsy showed the mother was also septic, a life-threatening condition.
This wasn’t the outcome I had imagined for her. She likely spent her entire life at the puppy mill. She might have been pregnant before, only to have her babies sold while she stayed behind. She was so close to the life she always deserved, but her body just couldn’t make it.
Following the rescue operation, the team cared for the animals at an undisclosed location for several months while the court process determined custody.
The puppies who did survive were born into a nurturing environment where all their needs, and many of their wants, were tended to. Mothers cared for their babies in a safe and clean setting while human caregivers doted on them. This is where happy puppies come from.
The team cared for the animals at an undisclosed location for several months while the court process determined custody. As of press time, the dogs have been transferred to shelter and rescue partners with the goal of finding loving homes. Both breeders have been arrested and charged with multiple counts of felony animal cruelty.
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