Dozens of dogs rescued from Kentucky home in worst case animal control officer had seen in 2 decades

Two people in Bell County, Ky. are facing more than 70 misdemeanor charges after Middlesboro authorities said they investigated one of the worst cases of animal cruelty they had seen in nearly two decades.

A puppy mill in Middlesboro was shut down on Thursday, according to the Friends of the Bell County Animal Shelter. The Middlesboro Police Department searched a property on North 15th Street and said they found dozens of dogs and nearly a dozen rabbits in deplorable conditions. Police did not use the term "puppy mill" in their incident report.

Police found animals inside the home in cages stacked on top of cages, saying dogs in the upper cages had been defecating on the lower cages. Outside, they found dogs in pens with "waste all over," saying several dogs were in knee-high grass in different stages of mange. Police found a water bucket that was black with mold on top of the water.

Some animals had little to no water. Police found more dogs with mange in the back of the building with matted hair, saying it was "so bad some couldn't walk." One dog was also found malnourished on a different road.

A total of 77 animals were taken, including 66 dogs and 11 bunnies. Nine of the animals had to be euthanized.

https://www.wbir.com/article/news/crime/kentucky-puppy-mill-middlesboro-bell-county/51-68e85283-2503-43ab-a719-8f7765f1bcf5