53 dogs and puppies seized from registered breeding kennel, says SPCA
More than 50 dogs and puppies have been seized from a registered breeding kennel in northwestern New Brunswick, following an unannounced inspection by animal protection officers last week, says the SPCA.
The animals were found "confined in unsanitary conditions" and "suffering from medical issues such as ear mites, emaciation and dental problems," according to a Facebook post by the organization Wednesday.
A total of 53 bulldogs, Yorkshire terriers, poodles, Australian shepherds, schnauzers, Maltese, pugs, and Boston terrier dogs and puppies were immediately seized from the facility, located west of Campbellton.
"I can't say too much about it," said chief animal protection officer Tony Porter, citing the ongoing investigation.
"But I can say that it was severe enough that the animals had to be removed from that location."
The animals have since been surrendered by the owners, assessed by a veterinarian and relocated to various shelters across the province, said Porter.
Once the animals recover, Porter expects they will be adopted out, but he declined to reveal their locations, saying he didn't want the shelters to be overwhelmed with inquiries.
It's too soon to say whether any charges will be laid, he said.
Once the SPCA completes its investigation, it will send the file to the Crown prosecutors' office for consideration.
Porter declined to say if the kennel had a history of problems but said the SPCA will often conduct "periodic checks" of licensed operations to ensure they're "fulfilling their requirements under their licence."
"That was just a random inspection and found to be not suitable," he said.
Depending on the conditions of a kennel, animal protection officers sometimes issue a warning and conduct a followup inspection, said Porter.
