After 'tough time,' N.C. puppy mill dogs in Norfolk

NORFOLK

Thirty of the 283 dogs seized from an alleged puppy mill in eastern North Carolina will be available for adoption from the SPCA, but only after a special screening of potential owners.

The dogs have "been through a tough time," Jeff Roberts, chief executive of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Norfolk, said Thursday. Officials want to ensure "good matches," he said.

Wayne County, N.C., authorities seized the dogs Friday and turned them over to the Humane Society, while officials filed an injunction against the woman who was raising them, The Associated Press reported.

The Norfolk-bound dogs - Richmond received some too, Roberts said - arrived about 5:30

p.m. Wednesday: adult small breeds, some purebred, including poodles, Shih Tzus, Lhasa apsos and Maltese, he said.

They had been kept in cages inside dark buildings, with little socialization, veterinary care or housebreaking, Roberts said. They were still being evaluated, vaccinated and groomed, and some appeared to have broken bones and skin problems, he said. "Just about all of them are dirty," Roberts said. "Some are very matted."

That didn't stop people Thursday from filling the shelter at 916 Ballentine Blvd. for a look. Applications will be accepted starting today, although the dogs won't be released probably until Feb. 21, Roberts said.

The adoption fee will be $200 - $50 more than usual, to help defer the higher costs of caring for the rescued dogs, he said. Shelter hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. More information is available at (757) 622-3319.

Matthew Bowers, (757) 222-3893, matthew.bowers@pilotonline.com