By Nicole June
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – A local animal rescue group is asking the public for help after approximately 630 dogs were saved from ‘horrific conditions’ at a puppy mill in Valdosta, Georgia over the weekend.
Several of those dogs have made their way to Clarksville after local group United Yorkie Rescue was called to help. Team members from United Yorkie traveled to Georgia on Sunday to transport dogs to local foster homes.
Photos courtesy of Leslie Heimback
Shelters called to help with rescue efforts said the dogs were kept in small cages, and many of the animals had never been walked or held before. One shelter, Release Atlanta, calls it “an extreme hoarding puppy mill case.”
The dogs were piled in cages on top of each other and many were covered in feces.
A transport coordinator with the Humane Society in Valdosta, Tim Hill, said the dogs did appear to have been fed and watered. He said the owner had asked for help from the state Department of Agriculture.
Authorities didn’t immediately release the owner’s identity, and it’s unclear if charges will be filed.
“The last few days have been spent getting these Yorkies the medical care and grooming they so desperately need and our amazing Clarksville community has been right there to help,” Leslie Heimback from United Yorkie Rescue told ClarksvilleNow.com.
A GoFundMe account has been set up by United Yorkie Rescue for the 20 Yorkies taken in by the shelter.
Once the dogs receive medical care and undergo rehabilitation, they will be available for adoption through United Yorkie Rescue. For more information, visit the official website.
*The Associated Press contributed to this report.