A Georgia man is facing numerous charges for the “cruel treatment” of more than 700 dogs, mostly puppies, seized from his home this month.
Reason Craig Gray, 58, of Nashville, Ga., is the operator of “Georgia Puppies” just outside of town. His business was named on the Humane Society’s “Horrible Hundred 2018” — a list of 100 problem puppy mills and dog sellers in the United States.
After Gray asked the state’s Department of Agriculture for help, animal shelters from around Georgia were called in to help authorities rescue approximately 630 dogs.
According to news outlets, the shelters say the dogs were kept in small cages, and many of the animals rescued had never been walked or held before. Footage appeared to show some of the dogs with unusually long hair and nails, indicating a lack of grooming and neglect.
As of this writing, the website and Facebook page of Georgia Puppies has been disabled. The Twitter account remains open but no posts are visible past Oct. 18, 2018.
One shelter, Releash Atlanta, called it “an extreme hoarding puppy mill case.”
The dogs, however, appeared to have been fed and watered, according to Humane Society transport co-ordinator Tim Hill.
An additional 85 dogs were rescued on Thursday when Gray confessed that “he brought more puppies back to the Barney Parker Road Property.”
“Due to the extent of this operation and as many documents and veterinary reports that are currently being inspected by the Sheriff’s Office, there is no way to know at this time how many charges there will be,” a police statement explained.
Footage of one of the dogs, shared by Releash Atlanta, shows “Marky Mark” cowering and shaking inside a cage.
“There’s a good chance this past week is his first week experiencing human contact,” the shelter posted on Facebook. “And his big, brown eyes want to trust so desperately, you can just feel it.”
The shelters say the dogs will be up for adoption once rehabilitated.
Meanwhile, authorities are still scratching their heads over the conditions on Gray’s property.
“There are many questions yet to be answered and one huge one is how this licensed pet dealer was allowed to have an operation with this many beautiful creatures to be able to populate to the point of being out of control and inhumane,” Sheriff Paulk stated.
Many breeders in Canada are members of the Canadian Kennel Club. CKC members are asked to adhere to its Code of Ethics and Code of Practice.
“Regular veterinary care, screening for genetic problems, pre-breeding health tests, exercise and good nutrition should be standard procedures,” the organization states on its website.
“It is the responsibility of every breeder to adhere at all times to proper and ethical business practices when buying, breeding, selling and placing their dogs.”