A 57-year-old Edmonton woman is facing animal cruelty charges in connection with an alleged puppy mill operating in the city’s far northeast.
Edmonton police and animal control officers seized 72 dogs from a rural property near 247th Avenue and 18th Street during a search on Sunday.
The dogs, mostly Havanese puppies, showed serious signs of neglect and potential illness, Edmonton police said in a news release Tuesday.
During the search, several of the puppies were hidden from investigators inside a closet and others beneath a hutch, police said.
“Officers, when they walked in, there was the stench of urine in the air, and feces that was fairly overwhelming even for a human to inhale,” Edmonton police spokesperson Scott Pattison.
“Seventy-two dogs and puppies in one residence in various rooms and corners, cages and playpens and then, out on the porch, under a covered roof. [They were] in every square inch of that residence by the sounds of it.”
Pattison said the puppies had been posted for sale on Kijiji and the investigation was prompted by reports from several would-be customers who visited the property.
“The accused would never allow any potential clients inside the house,” Pattison said. “She would bring the puppies outside … so they didn’t get the chance to actually see inside the residence and the conditions they were living in.”
The puppies are being cared for at the Animal Control and Care facility and will be getting full medical examinations, police said.
The woman is charged under the Criminal Code and Animal Protection Act for causing animals to be in distress and for failing to provide adequate care.
The woman is facing additional charges.
Investigators would also like to speak with any other potential consumers who visited the property. Anyone with information is asked to contact police.