Sixty-six dogs that were seized from a Langley puppy mill in February 2016 were reunited on Saturday.
Some of the dogs, mostly Bernese and Labradoodles, had broken limbs, missing ears and eyes, infections and were malnourished when they were discovered a year ago. They were living in small, stacked crates and investigators said there were dangerous levels of ammonia in the building due to the accumulated urine.
Many of the dogs were so matted and covered in feces that officers were forced to wear masks and protective suits when they rescued the stricken animals.
“They’ve come a long way from the scared, dirty, starved-for-affection dogs that they were,” said SPCA animal protection officer Christine Kerry.
The owners planned the anniversary get-together as a way to check in on how everyone was doing.
The new owners went through a vigorous adoption screening process, and the dozens of dogs had to be medically treated and trained.
“When we first got her, she had very little fur and was quite underweight. Ever since then she’s just really come out of her shell, so she interacts with all people. She interacts with all dogs. She’s a very affectionate dog,” Sue Gagne, the adoptive owner of Ivory, told Global News
Zureen Kumar, who helped organize the event, says she bought a dog from what she believed was a breeder in Langley. It turned out to be the raided puppy mill.
Her dog came with a number of health issues, which was what prompted her to make the reunion happen.
“They’re just beautiful dogs,” Kumar said. “They are so gentle. We are their everything. We want to be everything for her.”
–With files from Jill Bennett
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