Humane officers and Pennsylvania state dog wardens executed a search warrant at Calico Creek Critters kennel last week as part of Governor Edward G. Rendell’s efforts to crack down on dog breeders who operate unsatisfactory kennels. Authorities removed between 20 and 30 deceased dogs and 72 others living at the kennel located in Northwest Pennsylvania, according to Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture officials.
Kennel owner Lore Massey is being charged with operating a kennel without a license and failing to maintain sanitary and humane conditions, state officials said.
Kennels housing 26 or more dogs must have a license to operate and are routinely inspected by state investigators.
In a separate and unrelated incident, dog wardens removed 18 dogs from a kennel earlier this month in Lancaster County, Pa., and humane officers charged kennel owner Ervin Zimmerman with animal cruelty.
Zimmerman had previously received five citations for unsatisfactory kennel conditions. State dog wardens were on Zimmerman’s property to revoke his kennel license due to the citations, when they saw dogs with matted fur and open sores, which prompted authorities to confiscate the dogs and charge Zimmerman with animal cruelty.
Last October, Governor Rendell proposed an overhaul to the state’s dog law to improve conditions for dogs bred and sold in the state. Since then, Rendell has appointed a special deputy secretary, a special prosecutor, and an investigation team to enforce state dog laws. In addition, all inspection records for the state’s 2,600 licensed kennels have been posted online.