VANCOUVER – Less than two weeks after taking 66 dogs from a Langley puppy mill, the B.C. SPCA has made another major seizure.
Officials took 70 animals — 56 cats, 12 dogs and two puppies — from a breeding and boarding facility in Surrey Tuesday after a vet deemed they were all in distress, said spokeswoman Lorie Chortyk.
The cats are Persians and short-haired exotics, while the dogs include four French bulldogs, a poodle, a Boston terrier, a Chihuahua, a Rottweiler, a Doberman, a Jack Russell terrier, a Shiba Inu, a Pomeranian and the Pomeranian’s two puppies.
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The owner of the facility told Global Mandarin the animals were not mistreated and that her business licence was deemed invalid due to a clerical error.
Ivy Zhou showed Global Mandarin the cats’ living quarters.
“I’ve got toys for them and I’ve got food and drink here and litter as well,” she said. “They can either stay in the cage or play outside. And I’ve installed an anti-bacterial floor used in hospitals.”
The seizure comes after the animal welfare agency took 66 dogs from a Langley puppy mill on Feb. 4. The non-profit organization says the two raids have left it overwhelmed.
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“They’ll be working around the clock tonight in this case and it absolutely stretches our resources,” said the B.C. SPCA’s Marie Moriarty.
The large-scale seizures aren’t just a financial burden. Peace officers and volunteers say they’re also feeling the emotional weight of dealing these investigations.
As for the seized dogs, Chortyk said they are doing great, but require further treatment before they can be adopted.
“They’ve all been groomed and bathed and they’re undergoing ongoing treatment,” she said.
– With files from The Canadian Press, Catherine Urquhart and Frank Qi
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