Charges pending after dogs rescued from puppy mill

MONROE COUNTY, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Authorities may file criminal charges after finding more than three dozen dogs in dire conditions at a Monroe County puppy mill.

According to the Atlanta Humane Society, they rescued 44 Maltipoo dogs found living in "extremely neglectful and unsanitary conditions."

The investigating began after a concerned citizen alerted the Towaliga District Attorney’s Office and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department about the conditions and asked them to do a welfare check.

The Monroe County Sheriff Brad Freeman sitting down with FOX 5 Tuesday night to talk about the pending criminal charges against the owner of a puppy mill on Unionville Road after investigators found dozens of dogs that were being neglected. 

“They were covered in feces and urine, their hair was matted and some had lost their lower jaws,” said Sheriff Freeman.

Investigators were tipped off when they got a call, asking them to do a welfare check. Investigators say the owner abandoned the house about a year ago and believe the neglect started at some point after that.

“No one was living at the house. She was periodically coming and checking on the dogs,” said Sheriff Freeman. “Obviously because at some point they had had food and water.”

%INLINE%

The Humane Society said it is in the process of processing all the animals.

"Many will need extensive medical care and long-term foster care before they are ready for adoption," a spokesperson for the group said.

“For the majority of the dogs, homes will be found for them and they will be well taken care of,” said Sheriff Freeman.

This is still an active investigation.

%INLINE%