Post by Brooke on Jan 24, 2004 12:38:37 GMT -5
Recent puppy mill raids post a question....
Did Spot really run away?
By: DANETTA BARKER
Submitted: 1/21/2004
FLEMINGSBURG -- Since Thanksgiving Diane Lee has been looking for her Mother's Day present.
It isn't earrings, clothing or money she has been searching for, but her dog; the gift her children knew she would love. And she does, so much that she has spent a lot of money to find her beloved Hank.
The boxer disappeared the day before Thanksgiving. When Lee started looking and asking questions she was led to an alleged puppy mill, a place that sells stolen pets, that was recently busted by Grant County Sheriff Randy Middleton.
'People started telling me about this woman who steals pets,' Lee said. 'They told me I was in striking distance.'
Through her search, Lee found Tonya Moukaddem. More than 100 dogs were seized from Moukaddem's farm in Berry over the weekend. Lee hoped that Hank would be among the dogs held at the Grant County Animal Shelter where the dogs were taken following the raid.
'He wasn't there,' Lee said after her two-hour trip to the shelter.
It wasn't the first trip to Grant County Lee had made to find her dog; she was there about a week before Christmas in response to an ad Moukaddem had placed advertising boxer puppies for sale. Lee and her husband Terry were also among the many pet owners who waited to see the dogs that were confiscated.
'I heard a couple more places were going to be raided,' Lee said. 'I hope we find him then.'
Since the dog's disappearance, Lee has placed ads in several newspapers, handed out fliers and searched the Internet hoping to find Hank.
After finding out how poorly authorities said Moukaddem had treated the animals on her farm, Lee's worries about the safety of her dog began anew.
'It was not a very pretty sight,' Lee said about the news coverage of the raid. 'Some of those dogs were in bad shape.'
Lee hasn't given up hope for Hank. The news story she watched said some people had found their pets after years of searching.
'A man found his poodle after it had been missing for three years,' Lee said.
According to Lee, boxers are very popular with pet owners and one of Moukaddem's favorite breeds. Although she didn't find her dog, Lee helped two other owners find their pets and rescued a couple of dogs.
'I kept one boxer that has cancer,' Lee said. 'Nobody wants a dog that is dying. I thought I would give him a home.'
Lee encourages people to visit their local pound when they are shopping for a pet. There are so many good dogs, she said.
The Grant County Animal Shelter is open for people who are searching for a missing pet. Owners must bring a picture of their pet, Lee said.
Mason County resident Marra Ruark plans to make the same trip Lee made to search for her Yorkshire terrier that has been missing since September.
'We let her out to play and she didn't come back,' Ruark said. 'She always played with my mother's dog which was still there; my dog was gone.'
Boo was 10 months old when she disappeared. Ruark has put out fliers and ads to find the dog but hasn't had any luck. Her friend told her about the dogs taken form Moukaddem's farm so now Ruark will begin to search there.
'I know it's a long shot,' Ruark said. 'But it's worth looking into.'
Contact Danetta Barker at Danetta.Barker@lee.net
Source:
Link To This Article: maysville-online.thimblemedia.com/article.asp?catid=2&articleid=2990
Did Spot really run away?
By: DANETTA BARKER
Submitted: 1/21/2004
FLEMINGSBURG -- Since Thanksgiving Diane Lee has been looking for her Mother's Day present.
It isn't earrings, clothing or money she has been searching for, but her dog; the gift her children knew she would love. And she does, so much that she has spent a lot of money to find her beloved Hank.
The boxer disappeared the day before Thanksgiving. When Lee started looking and asking questions she was led to an alleged puppy mill, a place that sells stolen pets, that was recently busted by Grant County Sheriff Randy Middleton.
'People started telling me about this woman who steals pets,' Lee said. 'They told me I was in striking distance.'
Through her search, Lee found Tonya Moukaddem. More than 100 dogs were seized from Moukaddem's farm in Berry over the weekend. Lee hoped that Hank would be among the dogs held at the Grant County Animal Shelter where the dogs were taken following the raid.
'He wasn't there,' Lee said after her two-hour trip to the shelter.
It wasn't the first trip to Grant County Lee had made to find her dog; she was there about a week before Christmas in response to an ad Moukaddem had placed advertising boxer puppies for sale. Lee and her husband Terry were also among the many pet owners who waited to see the dogs that were confiscated.
'I heard a couple more places were going to be raided,' Lee said. 'I hope we find him then.'
Since the dog's disappearance, Lee has placed ads in several newspapers, handed out fliers and searched the Internet hoping to find Hank.
After finding out how poorly authorities said Moukaddem had treated the animals on her farm, Lee's worries about the safety of her dog began anew.
'It was not a very pretty sight,' Lee said about the news coverage of the raid. 'Some of those dogs were in bad shape.'
Lee hasn't given up hope for Hank. The news story she watched said some people had found their pets after years of searching.
'A man found his poodle after it had been missing for three years,' Lee said.
According to Lee, boxers are very popular with pet owners and one of Moukaddem's favorite breeds. Although she didn't find her dog, Lee helped two other owners find their pets and rescued a couple of dogs.
'I kept one boxer that has cancer,' Lee said. 'Nobody wants a dog that is dying. I thought I would give him a home.'
Lee encourages people to visit their local pound when they are shopping for a pet. There are so many good dogs, she said.
The Grant County Animal Shelter is open for people who are searching for a missing pet. Owners must bring a picture of their pet, Lee said.
Mason County resident Marra Ruark plans to make the same trip Lee made to search for her Yorkshire terrier that has been missing since September.
'We let her out to play and she didn't come back,' Ruark said. 'She always played with my mother's dog which was still there; my dog was gone.'
Boo was 10 months old when she disappeared. Ruark has put out fliers and ads to find the dog but hasn't had any luck. Her friend told her about the dogs taken form Moukaddem's farm so now Ruark will begin to search there.
'I know it's a long shot,' Ruark said. 'But it's worth looking into.'
Contact Danetta Barker at Danetta.Barker@lee.net
Source:
Link To This Article: maysville-online.thimblemedia.com/article.asp?catid=2&articleid=2990