When law enforcement officials in Sac County recovered a large number of animals being kept in unsanitary conditions, one local animal shelter stepped up and offered help to those animals in need.
Although the Almost Home Humane Society of North Central Iowa in Fort Dodge hasn't taken in any of the animals, Chris Ball, animal care manager, said it's possible the facility will receive some of them.
"I've contacted the Animal Rescue League today to offer our services if they need help placing animals," she said.
On Wednesday, around 11 a.m., Sac County officials searched a farm site in the rural southern part of the county. According to a news release from Sac County Chief Deputy Scott Brouwer, dozens of animals were found in cages.
"(The) animals were being kept in what is believed to be unsanitary conditions," Brouwer wrote.
In all, there were 88 dogs and one cat taken from the property.
According to Tom Colvin, executive director for the Animal Rescue League of Iowa in Des Moines, which helped in the search, most of the dogs were cocker spaniels.
"The condition of these dogs are typical of what we see coming out of these unlicensed puppy mills," he said in a statement from the ARL. "The dogs have been living in deplorable conditions for some time now. It will be a long road and a lot of love and patience to help these dogs become 'normal dogs.'"
Ball-Slotten said Almost Home has dealt with puppy mills before.
"We had one large puppy mill rescue two years ago this spring, and we have had a couple smaller cases where we've gotten puppy mill dogs in," she said.
She said puppy mill cases are becoming more common.
"A lot of people get into breeding dogs for strictly money," she said. "They don't care about the integrity of the breed. It's only about the money and it can get out of hand really quickly."
Ball-Slotten added that one of the reasons puppy mills are prevalent is because of people's interest in getting purebred dogs.
"If there weren't designer breeds or purebreds, this wouldn't be as big of an issue," she said. "People need to start viewing pets as more of family members."
Though puppy mills are becoming more frequent, Ball-Slotten said they are also being reported to law enforcement more often.
"With people becoming more and more aware of animals' rights, I think complaints get turned in a lot more often," she said.
Although the Sac County animals have been rescued, Ball-Slotten said it can take time before they are ready to be adopted.
"It all depends on the shape these animals are in," she said. "Very often there are psychological issues that come from being housed in poor conditions and being treated as nothing more than breeding machines."
She added that "a lot of these animals have never known kind contact with humans. There's a lot of work that needs to be done building up trust with people."
The pets' owner, who has not been identified, could face punishments anywhere from a fine up to jail time, according to Ball-Slotten.
In the meantime, she said there are ways in which people can help prevent puppy mills and make sure dogs that have been through puppy mills get safe homes.
"Support your local shelter and rescue," she said. "A lot of the animals in them don't necessarily come from puppy mills."
She added that when looking for a pet people should be cautious about where it's coming from.
"Be aware that when you go to your pet stores, the animals may have come from a puppy mill," Ball-Slotten said. "And if you are concerned about it, or if you witness something you feel is not on the up and up, or if there's someone who may be an unscrupulous breeder, notify the proper authorities."
Contact Peter Kaspari at (515) 573-2141 or pkaspari@messengernews.net