Puppies and dogs seized from a suspected puppy mill in Langley are being helped by a donation from Vancouver Police K9 officers.
The BC SPCA seized 66 dogs on Feb. 4, 32 adult animals and 34 puppies, from a Glen Valley property.
The dogs had ailments and injuries including broken limbs, missing ears and eyes, infections, abscesses, dental disease, and matted or feces-caked fur.
Animal handlers with the VPD donated $1,300 from their overtime hours, and challenged their colleagues around B.C. to do the same.
“We talked about how we could best help the Langley 66 dogs, and we thought financial support would be best, so the K9 unit held a drive and donated overtime hours to help the BC SPCA,” said VPD Sgt. Randy Fincham. “We’d like to challenge other canine units to do the same.”
Fincham had initially offered to foster one of the seized dogs.
“Nobody wants to see animals hurt or neglected so badly, and I think it gets people wondering if there are other people running similar operations out there,” Fincham said. “Our dog handlers wanted to reach out and support these dogs, who are like kin to their (four-legged) colleagues.”
Several of the 66 dogs and puppies have already been adopted, but many more remain in care.
The Vancouver SPCA is accepting adoption applications for the adult dogs, which include Bernese mountain dogs, Wheaten terriers, Portuguese water dogs, and poodle mixes.
The SPCA had recommended charges be laid in the case.
Just two weeks after the raid on the alleged puppy mill, the SPCA also raided a boarding and breeding facility just over the Surrey-Langley border, seizing 69 cats and 15 dogs.
Both seizures were among the largest in the SPCA’s history.
Some of the pets seized in the second incident have been boarded.