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60 ill, 12 dead dogs, puppies seized from alleged puppy mill in Canton

Investigators have not determined if the owners were licensed, but the owners did say they were selling the dogs for profit.

The Van Zandt County Sheriff's Office and the SPCA of Texas descended on an alleged puppy mill in Canton Wednesday afternoon, removing 72 dogs and puppies, 12 of which were deceased, according to a press release issued by the SPCA.

The animals were suffering from various health issues including fur loss, long nails, eye and ear issues and matted fur, and the 12 dead dogs were found individually wrapped in plastic bags in the kitchen freezer.

The seizure is the result of an investigation into the alleged puppy mill after the SPCA of Texas' Animal Cruelty received a compliant on March 1.

The statement reads in part:

Many of the dogs and puppies were found in living in feces-filled wire crates with no access to food or water. In one room, several nursing mothers with litters of puppies were found confined in small, plastic and wire crates in a closet. Other dogs roamed the urine-soaked, feces-filled house with little to no access food or water.

According to the SPCA, the measured ammonia level in the residence was at 22 parts per million (ppm). To put that in perspective, short term exposure to any level over 20 ppm or long term exposure to any level above 12 ppm can cause health problems in humans.

All large-scale animal breeders in Texas are required by law to be licensed and inspected on a regular basis. Investigators have not determined if the owners were licensed, but the owners did say they were selling the dogs for profit.

"There is a law in Texas that allows for the regulation for so called ‘large scale breeders’ and if anyone is breeding that many animals, they would fall under those guidelines as a large scale breeder, and they would be required by the state to be licensed and be inspected on a regular basis." says Maura Davies, SPCA of Texas

A custody hearing is set for Friday, March 23 at 10 a.m. at the Van Zandt County courthouse.

"In this particular case, this is judge Sandra Plaster and so this case will be presented to her and she would make that determination based on the evidence. If she does find the animals are cruelly treated, she does have a couple of options." says Davies, "We’re hoping that this all happens, that if she does find them cruelly treated she would award them to the SPCA of Texas."

To learn more about the SPCA of Texas, visit their website.

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