Seventeen puppies are being cared for after being recently seized from a residence near Kamloops, the B.C. SPCA says.
According to the society on Tuesday, the puppies are all under a year old and include 16 Pomeranian and Yorkshire terrier-cross puppies and one three-month-old Labrador retriever.
It said the dogs were seized due to unsanitary living conditions, overcrowding and lack of ventilation.
The SPCA also said seven young chickens were seized, as they too were being kept in overcrowded, unsanitary containers.
“We have dealt with this individual in the past and she was convicted of animal cruelty in 2005, following a B.C. SPCA investigation where numerous dogs were seized,” said chief prevention and enforcement officer Marcie Moriarty said.
“The judge handed down a sentence that included a ban on keeping animals, but unfortunately the ban had expired.”
Moriarty continued, saying, “We learned of her most recent location and activity through a complaint to our animal cruelty hotline — it appears she has been breeding puppies again and selling them for up to $2,000.”
The puppies are not yet available for adoption, pending legal action, and have been moved from the Kamloops area.