A Humane Society sponsored raid in Mississippi may bring some small-breed dogs — favored for their “desirability” on the market — to Atlanta.
The Atlanta Humane Society announced Thursday that 123 small-breed dogs —Yorkies, Pekingese, Italian Greyhounds, Chihuahuas, MaltiPoos and Shih Tzus — were seized in Alcorn County Mississippi at what the group called a puppy mill.
Local residents raised concerns about the treatment of the dogs and the national Humane Society investigated and signed an affidavit for a warrant to seize the animals, said Meredith Millwood, spokeswoman for the Atlanta Humane Society.
Five members of the Atlanta chapter participated in the seizure, Millwood said. The dogs were kept in filthy, cramped conditions and repeatedly bred for profit and sold at local flea markets, she said.
The animal-welfare organization also seized livestock including chickens, ducks, goats, a miniature pig and a donkey. The animals are undergoing vet exams, flea treatment, vaccinations and grooming, Millwood said.
No one was arrested in the operation and the breeders surrendered the animals when presented with the warrant, Millwood said.
It is unclear how many dogs will come to Atlanta, but the society expects no trouble in finding homes for the favored breeds, she said. People had shown strong interest in the seized breeds in the past.
“The last time we did a bust like this we had a line out the door,” Millwood said.
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