Image via WikipediaThe B.C. SPCA plans to recommend animal-cruelty charges against a Vancouver Island woman accused of breeding genetically unhealthy dogs.
The SPCA seized 71 dogs, including 43 puppies, from Green Acres Kennels in Merville last Tuesday, alleging the dogs were in distress and in poor health.
"A significant number of the problems were the result of bad breeding and genetic conditions produced by bad breeding and [the owner] is not taking care of them," said Marcie Moriarty, SPCA manager of cruelty investigations.
Some animals have severe dental decay, including one that will require most, if not all, of its teeth removed.
Several pugs and French bull dogs seized have stenotic nares, or pinched and narrow nostrils, causing difficulty in breathing. Some animals with the condition were found in an unventilated barn in high heat, said Moriarty.
Other health issues include dermatitis, yeast infection, spinal malformation and "swimmer puppy" syndrome, a congenital defect marked by a flat chest and abdomen, which compresses the organs and causes the legs to move in an abnormal paddling motion.
Moriarty said some of the puppies were seized because they were too young to be separated from their mother, but the veterinarian who examined the animals reported many of them should not be bred because of hereditary defects.
"A good breeder would never breed those dogs," she said. "It's not fair to the dogs and it's the public who suffers when they have to spend thousands of dollars on vet bills."
Owner Nancy Kitching denied the allegations: "That's a bunch of crock," she told The Province. "The dogs are not in distress."
SPCA officers have visited her property twice in recent weeks. She said she has been trying to comply with the checklist of issues they gave her, but needed more time.
She admitted one Yorkshire Terrier needed dental work, but said she was waiting to sell a dog before incurring the vet costs.
She added she has been in the dogbreeding business for 18 years and hasn't received a complaint from customers about sick puppies.
On Friday, she surrendered ownership of the animals to the SPCA, citing the high cost -up to $60,000 in legal, boarding and vet fees -to get them back.
Kitching said she plans to offer laser treatment for dogs with skin problems. She said she still has six dogs and eight puppies so may still "dabble" in breeding.
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