Prairie Paws Rescue saved 18 dogs from a Bottineau County puppy mill, or breeding farm, Tuesday afternoon.
Those dogs are now in Jamestown and some are looking for new homes, said Kaye John, Prairie Paws Rescue co-founder.
After an inspection, the puppy mill failed to meet criteria set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, John said. In North Dakota there is no state law regarding puppy mills, so the USDA notified Prairie Paws.
"We were called in to get the animals out and find new homes," she said.
The dogs were rescued from small cages, and most had coats so long they could not see.
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In puppy mills, animals are kept in small wire cages, which damage their nails. Sometimes the cages are stacked on top of each other and feces from the top slips through down to the lower cages, John said.
Some mill operators treat the dogs like money and keep conditions below par to save on costs, said Becky Johnson, volunteer and animal control officer.
This is the fourth puppy mill dogs have been rescued from by Prairie Paws since it started nearly three years ago, Johnson said.
Since the dogs arrived in Jamestown on Tuesday they have become more relaxed and stopped fighting for food, John said.
Almost all had ear infections so volunteers cleaned 36 ears and trimmed their shaggy coats, she said. The dogs are poodles, collies, pekingese and other mixes. Volunteers named each after a North Dakota city.
For information on adoption, visit www.prairie pawsrescue.com or call John at 320-4553. John is also looking for more foster homes to take in some of the dogs while they wait for adoption.
"The more foster homes we have, the more animals we can help," she said.
Sun reporter Ben Rodgers can be reached at 701-952-8455
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or by e-mail at brodgers@jamestownsun.com
