Video shows poor condition of dogs found at apparent puppy mill in west Modesto
More than 100 dogs found Thursday night in a suspected puppy mill at a duplex in Modesto appear to have been kept in poor, overcrowded conditions, a video of some dogs shows.
An animal control officer took video of the conditions of some of the 150 dogs found inside both sides of the west Modesto duplex in the 500 block of Roselawn Avenue. It shows multiple dogs in small cages, and the officer also talks about the dogs having insufficient access to fresh water and food.
The discovery came as part of a Sheriff’s Office investigation into an April 30 domestic violence call. Deputies with the department’s Special Investigations Unit were at the home when they found the dogs.
Sgt. Luke Schwartz said the domestic abuse victim had endured continuous abuse and torture. Nicholas Dean Baugh, 38, allegedly burned her with a butane torch, beat her with an ashtray and used a shock collar on her.
The Burbank-Paradise Fire Department responded to the scene as well, after a fire broke out. Assistant Chief Chris Bernardi said some firefighters stayed to help with the dogs — one of which died of smoke inhalation — after the fire was out.
Some of the dogs had open C-section wounds that had become infected, Schwartz said.
Animal control took possession of the dogs, which are French bulldogs, Dobermans and other breeds, many of which had American Kennel Club registration, Schwartz said.
He said it was early on in the investigation but believes Baugh did not surrender the dogs to authorities and therefore has a right to request a hearing to try to get at least some of them back.
The interim director of the Stanislaus County Animal Services Agency had not returned a phone call seeking information on the process as of Friday afternoon.
Responsible breeding
National organizations such as the American Kennel Club and ASPCA give instructions for responsible breeding and pet buying on their websites.
Both talk about the time and care needed to breed dogs, and AKC in particular gives instructions only for raising individual litters at a time.
The ASPCA said responsible breeders “are transparent and provide a complete history of the dog” and “encourage prospective owners to visit where dogs are bred and raised, meet the litter and preferably both parents (but at least one), and discuss their breeding and sales practices.”
The American Kennel Club highlighted the importance of potential dog owners examining the breeding site.
“Pay particular attention to the environment and the dogs themselves,” the AKC website said. “Does the house or kennel look clean? Do the puppies appear to be in good weight, lively and vigorous?”
