Update On Dogs Rescued From Trenton Puppy Mill

By LYDIA BERGLAR
News Editor

It’s been about a month since the Trenton puppy mill bust, and the Sentinel followed up with Emily Richards (Trenton-Dade Animal Center director) and Beth Debord (Sun Dog Grooming owner) for an update on some of the dogs.

Multiple news outlets have reported that at least one dog and potentially others have had their vocal cords cut or removed, a controversial practice used to silence the dogs. However, Richards reported that none of the dogs the City of Trenton housed and inspected had evidence of tampered vocal cords, but they did have affected barks.

“These are very quiet dogs,” she said, explaining that they have been conditioned, likely through brutality, not to make noise.

She and Dr. Jennifer Zarecor (TDAC veterinarian) did not see any scarring around the necks of these dogs that would indicate surgeries had been performed on their vocal cords, but she said others from the puppy mill could have been less fortunate.

As for other medical conditions, Richards reported that some of the French bulldogs had evidence of past Caesarean sections. (Frenchies can’t give birth naturally, a defect caused by generations of being bred.) This means that these dogs had been to a vet at some point to give birth.

The Sentinel asked Richards if a pregnant Frenchie needing a c-section should cause a vet to be suspicious. While a one-off situation might not raise concerns, she said, “There are some things that would be red flags to me, like the sheer number of pregnant animals.”

She noted that the dogs the city took in didn’t have parvo (canine parvovirus), but many had bad dental health and needed teeth pulled due to poor breeding, poor diet, and lack of access to clean water. Some had intestinal parasites which (like parvo) isn’t uncommon.

Regarding the dogs’ behavior and temperaments, Richards had some encouraging news. “The behavioral change has been really miraculous,” she said, sharing how they went from terrified, skittish, and crouching down in corners during the rescue mission to opening up to humans, running around with other dogs, and seeking affection and playtime.

The Sentinel asked about the effects of overbreeding. “Especially with small dogs like this, their bodies are designed by man for a specific function,” said Richards, “—to be small and cute and to be held.”

She explained that it’s quite a toll on a ten-pound dog to produce an average of six puppies twice a year for many years. Using seven years as an example, Richards said, “You imagine what a woman’s body goes through after having one child, now multiply that by 84.”

The Sentinel also asked about the ability to adopt the rescued dogs. Richards could only speak about the ones under the care of the City of Trenton. She explained that the team waited a couple of weeks to make sure the dogs didn’t carry contagious diseases, had time to be assessed physically and behaviorally, and were spayed/neutered.

The city handled 30 dogs, but some had to be transferred for long-term care, so between 15-20 will be available for adoption. However, the city received over 800 adoption applications from across the United States.

Richards sorted through the applications and narrowed them down to those from the tri-state area. “I want to make sure these dogs are going to folks who have experience with small dogs, the space for them, and the ability to monitor their long-term rehabilitation,” she said, explaining that these dogs will require a significant financial investment in the future. “We want them to receive individualized care in their forever home.”

She said that the high level of interest seems to be because these particular breeds are very popular right now, especially Frenchies, but also because of the large amount of publicity the case received. Some people reached out when the news broke just to offer help in any way possible.

Unfortunately, help is not always easy to find with other cases. Local rescue groups like Luck’s Rescue have been seeing a lot of pit bulls, labs, and mixes that don’t get the same kind of attention that the Pomeranians, Frenchies, and Chows have received.

The groups have been working a number of other hoarding cases, so people who have offered to help can anticipate being called upon—it just might not be for the puppy mill dogs. “We’ll definitely be utilizing and calling these people,” said Richards.

Richards will be sharing information about adoptable dogs on the Trenton-Dade Animal Center social media pages.

Sun Dog Grooming offered insight into the rescued dogs’ grooming needs. Monda Wooten called Debord around 9:30 p.m. on July 1 looking for temporary housing for some dogs. Debord took in 12 dogs (Pomeranians and a few Frenchies) for one night and spent hours that night grooming two that were in very bad condition. The next day, she bathed others that were covered in fleas and had irritated skin.

Of the two in very bad condition, Debord said, “Even if you bathed them, you could not get the tangles out. It was probably years since those dogs had had anything done. Their toenails were two inches long, and they couldn’t hardly walk. That was probably the worst that I’ve ever seen, and I’ve groomed some pretty far gone coated dogs.”

One was an old male. “He was completely pelted with probably years’ worth of fecal matter and urine in his fur, all the way to his skin. It was pitiful.” Debord had to be extra careful when shaving his coat because of his old, delicate skin.

He didn’t have maggots or bugs in his fur, but the pelted coat pulled on the skin, caused severe irritation “like really bad diaper rash,” and made it difficult for him to walk.

The other in very bad condition was a slightly younger female who had the same issues as the male, as well as a lot of fleas. “The fur came off in one solid piece, really,” said Debord.

The Sentinel asked whether Debord noticed any evidence of tampered vocal cords. She said, “It didn’t dawn on me at the time, but they didn’t bark. The Frenchies barked and they’re fine, but the Pomeranians did not bark. Sometimes, when dogs are pulled out of a situation and put into a new situation don’t bark.”

She didn’t see any evidence of harmed vocal cords, however. “If that happened, that’s exceptionally sad, and I’d be interested to know who did those surgeries.”

Debord wants people to know that there is never a need to buy a dog from a puppy mill or to hoard animals in unsafe conditions. “There are so many resources out there. Even while Dade County doesn’t have a shelter, everyone knows Monda Wooten and Audray Luck at this point. There are so many dogs that need homes, even purebreds. If you’re looking for a specific breed, there is a good chance that there is a rescue that specializes in those breeds.”