SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. – The Spokane County Regional Animal Service shut down a puppy mill in west Spokane County on Thursday.
SCRAPS executed a search warrant at the mill and over a period of nine hours, they seized 46 animals from deplorable conditions. The animals included 43 dogs, ranging in age from puppy to adult and included pregnant and nursing females, and three cats, who were found locked in a backroom.
"Some of seasoned officers have said that it was some of the worst conditions they have seen," said SCRAPS Regional Director Lindsey Soffes. "It was dark, there was no potable water for theses dogs, it was just covered in waste."
Authorities said the puppy mill had been on their radar for some time, but a recent tip gave what they needed for a search warrant.
"In this case we had gotten reports of that were concerning specific to what we believe to a particular breeder, but we didn't have enough information to tie all of them together," Soffes said.
While they get hundreds of tips about these types of operations, they do not usually end like this.
"It is very very difficult to undertake an effective investigation that will meet legal standards especially because most of these operations intentionally remain closed to public," she said.
Investigators said these breeders do everything they can to stay off the radar, making it difficult for them to get the evidence they need to legally search a property.
Right now those dogs and cats are safe and sound at SCRAPS. Since this is still an ongoing investigation, there are few details on who the people are running the puppy mill.
SCRAPS is investigating the property owner for first degree animal cruelty, second degree animal cruelty, transporting or confining animals in an unsafe manner and operating an illegal commercial kennel.