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In West Virginia, there are no laws that require puppy mills or breeders to be registered by the state. Hundreds of backyard breeding facilities exist housing dogs in inhumane conditions for the sole purpose of capital gain. So when more than two-dozen frail and terrified adult small purebred dogs and puppies were found huddled along a rural Doddridge County Road, it was pretty clear that they were dumped by a breeding facility that found them no longer useful.
All of the 31 dogs raging in age from puppy to senior were found underweight with long nails preventing them to walk and severe cases of mange and some blindness. One was found dead several hundred meters up the road. The dogs were dropped at The Ritchie County Humane Society for urgent medical attention and care around the clock.
SPCA International learned of their plea for supplies and donations through an online article and quickly contacted the non-profit shelter to offer them assistance.
This is not the first time The Ritchie County Humane has made news. Tragically, the facility, left in an estate by an animal loving resident, caught fire in early 2010 and 13 dogs and 50 cats perished in the disaster. The officers, members and staff vowed that those animals did not die in vain, and quickly set out for the biggest fundraising effort of their existence since their beginning in 1992, in order to rebuild the shelter. A memorial garden was built in the back where the remains of the animals were buried.
The Ritchie County Humane Society strives to promote anti-cruelty and care education to the public and schools, spay/neuter programs and adoptions to wonderful forever homes in the community. We are very proud to support their efforts through our Shelter Program.