JOHNSON COUNTY — An anonymous tip led the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office to seize 53 dogs from a property in northwest Johnson County.
JCSO executed a search warrant Tuesday, June 7, regarding the neglect and abuse of several animals.
JCSO worked with the Old Drum Animal Shelter to collect the dogs.
Lt. Jeff Parsons said the JCSO received an anonymous tip and made contact at the property in late May regarding possible animal neglect.
“During the course of the interaction, there was evidence of possible animal neglect and abuse that was occurring,” Parsons said. “A search warrant was sought and received.”
Five dogs were removed in the first visit with the rest being removed June 7.
“When we made contact the first time, we were there for about an hour with the owner, who relinquished the first round of dogs that were outside,” Shelter Director Kayla Frank said. “Then the second time we went out, we were there from 8:30 a.m. until 3 (p.m.).”
Dogs were removed from a residence and outdoor structures before being evaluated at the scene by Mark Means, a retired veterinarian who volunteers with the shelter, and shelter staff before being transported to local shelters.
The dogs are reported to range in age from a few weeks to 12 years and span a variety of breeds, including Komondors, Pugs, French Bulldogs, Pekingese and several cross breeds.
“Because we have no way, ourselves, of securing the animals, they go to the shelter where they are held and treated,” Parsons said. “So we reached out to (the shelter) … they were great with assisting us at the scene. It was a long process.”
Due to the number of dogs, the shelter was assisted by other animal rescue organizations to temporarily house the animals.
“There is a big group with Midwest Animal ResQ in Raytown,” Frank said. “There’s a small group that needed more intensive care and immediate urgent care that is with Risen from the Ashes rescue group and then I took all the rest.”
Frank said the shelter is working to assess the dogs for medical needs as well as possible pregnancies.
“We are going to need financial assistance like crazy simply because every single one of them has to be treated for a type of health issue that is contagious to people,” Frank said. “Every single one of them has to be gloved-up, gowned-up to mess with and then treated accordingly. So we need additional support financially through our fundraiser that’s going on for them. We need supplies such as gloves, pill pockets and, really, the next biggest one is just volunteers to come donate their time.”
Frank said the dogs in the case are not available for foster but there are currently dogs eligible to be fostered at the shelter.
“We were able to make immediate contact with some of my local rescue friends who came to my aid and they were able to assist with dispersing the workload,” Frank said. “Right now the primary focus is to get all the animals the medical attention that they need. A lot of skin infections, ear infections and some concerns with possible pregnant dogs. Our focus is to maintain their health while the Sheriff’s Office finishes conducting their investigation and which charges are going to be brought forward.”
The dogs are considered evidence in the ongoing case and cannot be released for adoption. Photos of the dogs have not been cleared to be shared with the public as of press time.
Several counts of animal abuse and neglect have been submitted to the Johnson County Prosecutor's Office for criminal charges.
This is not the first large intake of dogs for the shelter.
“This is the first search-warrant-initiated puppy mill bust through Johnson County … I have worked a previous puppy mill bust with the county but it was an owner-cooperation with relinquishment,” Frank said.
Parsons said this incident was listed as a puppy mill because of the number of unfixed dogs of various ages and breeds.
Parsons said Johnson County does not have restrictions on the number of animals that can be kept as pets, but owners must be able to provide adequate care to each animal.
“If you own eight dogs, you have to care for, adequately, eight dogs; that’s food, water, any type of health issues,” Parsons said.
