In September, Hope Rescue in Wales was asked to help with a multi-agency rescue of over 200 dogs from an unlicensed breeder.
The Hope Rescue welfare team attended the site, taking 47 dogs to safety. The conditions the dogs had been kept in were shocking. Among the 47 dogs were 5 nursing mums with a total of 18 puppies and another 5 pregnant mums.
It was clear that the health of all the dogs was severely impacted by the dreaful neglect they’d been subjected to. Some had nasty injuries, life threatening pyometra in one case, all had various infections and infestations. Immediate veterinary needs were addressed and treatment plans organised and implemented for all the dogs.
During the weeks following the rescue, puppies were born, increasing the load on Hope Rescue’s team, which includes an excellent network of dedicated foster carers.
The first of the puppies saved at the time are now heading off to their homes. Some of the adults have also been homed but it will be some while before all the dogs are well enough to do so.
This has been a major, and expensive commitment for Hope Rescue to undertake. A Schnauzerfest Grant has provided financial assistance towards some of the veterinary costs of treating and caring for these survivors of an illegal puppy farming operation.