ohmidog!

A task force has determined that mass dog-breeding facilities overseas are attempting to flood the U.S. market with pupppy mill dogs, the general manager of Los Angeles Animal Services says.

The task force was created this year, after three shipments of puppy mill dogs were flown into LAX from the Far East on Seoul, Korea-based Asiana Airlines. The dogs were intercepted and confiscated by LA Animal Services and LA County Public Health officials, and were found to have questionable health certificates and questionable health.

Of the ten dogs that survived – five underage Yorkies and five eight week-old Maltese puppies — all were seriously dehydrated after making the trip in the cargo hold of the airliner and with no food and water.

These puppies represent an “all too typical example of how the demand for purebred puppies has created a situation ripe for abuse,” said Ed Boks, head of animal services for Los Angeles.

The interception and rescue of the puppies prompted the formation of a multi-agency animal cargo task force that conducted a three-week survey of incoming animals at LAX from other countries.

In addition to undermining efforts to increase shelter adoptions, Boks said, the shipments raise concerns about disease (including rabies) and homeland security.

There are hundreds of thousands of puppy mills around the world – over 720,000 in South Korea alone, Boks wrote on his blog.

The ten puppies rescued in June will be available for adoption, starting Dec. 20.

(Photo from the blog of Ed Boks, general manager of LA Animal Services)