GREENUP - An ad on Craigslist led an animal rescue group and police this week to what authorities believe may be an illicit and abusive puppy mill. Two people have been charged with animal cruelty and several dogs have been moved to safety after the group bought two dogs and brought their injuries to the attention of the Greenup County sheriff. Deputies found injured and malnourished dogs in a Greenup house that was described as filthy and reeking of animal waste and putrefaction. Joe and Lois Rhea of Greenup have been charged with second-degree animal cruelty, a misdemeanor, said deputy Larry Pancake, who saw and retrieved four dogs when he went to the house Wednesday with another deputy, an animal control officer and a humane society representative. One of the dogs had a cast on its leg and it was not immediately known how long the cast had been on or what it was for. The animal rescue group had bought two dogs on Sunday and one of them had serious injuries on its neck caused by a too-tight collar. Both were underweight. The organization is the Craigslist Liberation Fund, formed by a small group of dog lovers concerned that too many mistreated dogs are being sold through the online classified ad service. Cheri Johnson of Caneyville, near Louisville, is one of the founders. She has made a habit of scanning Craigslist ads since her Boston terrier disappeared. She and like-minded dog lovers banded together to raise money to buy dogs from questionable owners and then place them in better homes. When she saw the pictures of one of the Greenup dogs it appeared to be in good shape, but when she and her husband met the couple in a parking lot near their home, she soon realized the two they were there to buy were in bad shape. 'When the woman opened the car door it smelled like rotting flesh,' Johnson said. The dogs were cold and wet and 'smelled so bad I thought it was dying,' she said. The owner didn't seem concerned about the animals and appeared to be in a hurry to complete the transaction, she said. One of the dogs, which they almost immediately named Fiona, had a deep and festering wound on her neck caused by a collar pulled so tightly it cut into the flesh. On top of that was another collar. The dog also had on a sweater which also was too tight and cutting into her haunches. Its back was curved from apparent long confinement in a too-small cage and her leg muscles appeared to have atrophied. The Johnsons immediately drove to the Lexington home of Allison Sparling, a regional coordinator for Boston Terrier Rescue of East Tennessee. They cleaned the dogs, administered preliminary first aid and the next day Sparling took both to a veterinarian. Since then both have gained weight and are in good spirits, Sparling said. When Pancake and other officers went to the Rheas home Wednesday, he asked to see dogs for sale and was shown two pomeranians and two chihuahuas. There also were some empty cages, he said. The house reeked of urine and feces and the animals were soaked and soiled with their own waste because of close confinement. One of the pomeranians had a cast on its leg. The dogs were removed and county Judge-Executive Bobby Carpenter ordered immediate veterinary treatment. All are in better shape now, Carpenter said Friday. The dogs are being held at the shelter, and it will be up to the sheriff's department to release them for adoption once they are no longer needed for the investigation. The misdemeanor charge is a sign Kentucky's animal cruelty laws are not strict enough, Sparling said. A first-degree animal cruelty charge would involve fighting the animals, Pancake said. Sparling and Johnson said Craigslist is not a good venue for seeking pets because disreputable dealers use the online service to sell mistreated and neglected animals. Advertised prices are often lower than typical market prices and that is a sign the seller is questionable, they said. The Boston Terrier Rescue League's website is bostonterriertn.org, and its Facebook page is http://ift.tt/1ozOlqx. Johnson's group has set up a Facebook page for Fiona where well-wishers may follow her healing process. That page is http://ift.tt/PBdJw9.
Local News Believed puppy mill shut down
An ad on Craigslist led an animal rescue group and police this week to what authorities believe may be an illicit and abusive puppy mill. Two people have been charged with animal cruelty and several dogs have been moved to safety after the group bought two dogs and brought their injuries to the attention of the Greenup County sheriff. Deputies found injured and malnourished dogs in a Greenup house that was described as filthy and reeking of animal waste and putrefaction.
Meth lab busted in Lawrence County, Ohio
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Salt and Light soup kitchen lifts hearts
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04/04/2014 - What's Happening
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