43 German Shepherds Living in ‘Terrible’ Conditions Seized from Breeder: BC SPCA

Dozens of German Shepherds have been seized from “horrible” living conditions at a breeder in northern British Columbia

The BC SPCA said in a news release Thursday that 31 adult German shepherds and 12 puppies were being housed by an “irresponsible” breeder on a property southeast of Prince George.

“The conditions these dogs were living in were appalling,” Marcie Moriarty, BC SPCA’s chief conservation and outreach officer, said in the news release. “The plywood floors in their outdoor kennels were soaked with urine and piles of feces. The stench was overwhelming.”

Moriarty added that the dogs also showed several signs of stress, including circling and walking around in their kennels and banging their snouts against the walls.

“When our animal control officers entered their kennels, the dogs were so paralyzed with fear that some were cowering in the back corner and staring at the wall. It was heartbreaking,” Moriarty said.

The dogs were also found extremely underweight: water was visible in each kennel, but no sign of food.

“Their body condition scores range from a three to a low one out of nine,” Moriarty said. “An ideal score would be five.”

According to the SPCA, the 12 puppies range in age from about one week to nine months old.

The younger puppies were found with their mother in a dark basement, sitting in a plastic tub with only paper towels as bedding.

“Another mother and her young were in a confined space with such high ammonia levels that it became physically uncomfortable for animal control,” Moriarty said.

Moriarty added that most older dogs suffer from stiff, arthritic joints, damaged teeth and some have painful stomach upsets or visible wounds.

The dogs are currently being cared for at the BC SPCA’s North Cariboo Animal Centre in Prince George.

The SPCA said this is an ongoing investigation and therefore it is not yet known when the dogs will be available for adoption.