ohmidog!

Animal Planet takes a look at puppy mills tonight with a special episode of “Animal Cops” (”Puppy Mills: Exposed”) that provides video footage and firsthand accounts of the squalid conditions in some of the nation’s 10,000 puppy mills.

Starting in Pennsylvania, Animal Planet follows the law enforcement officers of the Pennsylvania SPCA (PSPCA) to take viewers inside the world of puppy mills, including Limestone Kennels, in Chester County, Pa., where investigators last July rescued more than 80 dogs, some with birth defects and missing eyes, that were packed into  cramped cages.

The program airs at 10 p.m.

“We rescued all of the dogs from the appalling environment and conditions they were subjected to, which was the most important thing,” said Humane Law Enforcement Officer Ashley Mutch. “But for the dogs that came before them, we were too late. Whether they survived or not, all of those dogs were victims of a puppy mill and will be forever damaged.”

The Pennsylvania SPCA, in addition to rescuing and sheltering animals, is responsible for enforcing Philadelphia and Pennsylvania animal cruelty laws.

The segment also features Deborah Howard, the president of Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS), a non -profit organization dedicated exclusively to protecting companion animals, and uses CAPS undercover video taken in USDA licensed kennels.

“Puppy mills are a blemish on a country that loves and respects its dogs,” says Marjorie Kaplan, president and general manager of Animal Planet. “Puppy Mills: Exposed” tells the truth about these operations — no matter how disturbing.”

(Photo: Limestone Kennels, courtesy of PSPCA)