Dogs seized from P.E.I. ‘puppy mill’

Animal protection officers have seized all remaining breeding dogs from a Darlington farm which the P.E.I. Human Society describes as a “puppy mill”. Jennifer Harkness, development manager with the Humane Society, says they are also in discussions with the RCMP and the provincial Crown to see whether a criminal investigation is warranted.

Dogs were also seized from the farm on Dec. 13.

The owners’ names are not being released.

“I know these are harsh words,” Harkness told The Guardian. “But we would define it as a puppy mill”.

The P.E.I. Humane Society seized the remaining breeding dogs on Thursday, saying the owners were not able to comply with or meet the standards of care in the Animal Welfare Act or the Canadian Kennel Code. The owners have seven days to appeal the seizure.

The owners do still have animals on the farm, but Harkness said they are not breeding animals and are not in immediate distress.

Harkness said this is far from an isolated case. In 2018, more than 600 cases were investigated by the P.E.I. Humane Society, many involving breeders.

That’s double the number of cases that were investigated in 2017.

Public awareness is believed to be partly responsible for the increase in cases, she added. “We want to send a message that this will not be tolerated in P.E.I.”