Oklahoma Blog: Criminal Law Situations

 

Last month, the Tri-County Humane Society and The Shawnee News-Star coordinated an adoption event where over 90 dogs were placed in new homes. Although their hearts were in the right place, none of these dogs had been fixed. It's a state law in Oklahoma that legitimate animal rescue groups spay and neuter their dogs before they are adopted by the public.

The dogs in question were all rescued from a puppy mill in Bethel Acres. The identity of the owner of the breeding operation was promised to be kept private in exchange for about 100 dogs, the majority of which were adopted out through the event. Many of the females were already pregnant, and their new owners were notified of the situation. The owner of the puppy mill has not been charged.  

Although the adoption fair seemed to be a success in the short-run, it received scrutiny from many animal rights groups and activists across the state. Puppy mill dogs often do not know how to behave in social situations. They spend their entire lives in cages, and are continually bred for years with little to no human companionship. Many are frightened, shy away from human interaction, and could possibly end up being aggressive because of the environment they have lived in. Because these dogs have not been socialized, many may be returned if they turn out to be a wrong fit, and could end up right back in a mass breeding operation since they were never spayed or neutered. Cara Baxter, a Tri-County Humane Society founder acknowledged her mistake, and said that in the future, all animals that have been rescued by the organization will be sterilized.

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