JEFFEFERSON CITY -- Scores of dogs rescued from two troubled breeders in rural Missouri were sent to an animal shelter in St. Louis today.
Forty-five dogs living in what state officials described as "filthy, unhealthy conditions" were removed from an unlicensed breeder in Republic, Mo., near Springfield. Owner Gary Dotson was charged with operating an animal care facility without a license, a misdemeanor punishable by a $1,000 fine.
Meanwhile, a licensed breeder in Camden County in central Missouri voluntarily relinquished about 90 dogs, saying he could no longer afford to care for them.
Teams from the Humane Society of Missouri and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals transported most of the dogs to the Humane Society's shelter in St. Louis.
The two groups are part of a coalition that wants state voters to approve tougher standards for dog breeders. That proposal, on the Nov. 2 ballot, would cap the number of breeding dogs in a facility at 50 and set standards for housing, veterinary care, and food and water.
"Having these two (rescues) does emphasize the importance of Proposition B," said Jeane Jae, a Humane Society spokeswoman.
Jae said the dogs seized in Greene County were living in cages with mesh flooring covered with feces. Their water bowls were filled with algae and food was moldy, she said.
A court hearing was set for next week in Springfield to determine legal custody of those dogs, which included schnauzers, boxers, miniature pinschers and Boston terriers.
The dogs that were surrendered in Camden County -- mainly small breeds such as dachshunds, Malteses, Shih Tzus and Lhasa apsos -- will be readied for adoption.
"This isn't a cruelty case," said Emily Brand, a spokeswoman for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "This is more of a situation where the owners could no longer afford to care for the dogs and reached out for help."
The Missouri Department of Agriculture, which has been criticized for lax enforcement, said that since January 2009, the state has rescued more than 3,600 dogs in substandard facilities.
