States like Missouri, Oklahoma, and Iowa are well-known for their puppy mills – profit-oriented, large-scale breeding operations that have no regard for the health and well-being of dogs. But while these states have high numbers of puppy mills, they aren’t necessarily the worst states for animal cruelty.
Recent puppy mill rescues in North Dakota, on the other hand, paint a different picture of the state, ranked by the Animal Legal Defense Fund as one of the worst five states for animal protection laws. Most notably, the rescues help justify the need for tougher animal cruelty laws in North Dakota, where puppy mills with deplorable conditions have been operating for quite some time.
Recent Puppy Mill Rescues in North Dakota Uncover Animal Cruelty
Called the “Four Seasons Playground of North Dakota,” Bottineau has always been a popular spot for hunters, skiers, and fishermen, thanks to the area’s abundant lakes, rolling hills, and parkland, But today the town may be better associated with its recent puppy mill rescue, which occurred in January of 2011, when 90 dogs were removed from a Bottineau puppy mill – news that spread quickly through the region and beyond.
Living in a pole barn in a climate with sub-zero temperatures, filthy, and scared, the Bottineau dogs had little chance of hope, until complaints prompted the USDA to intervene. Many of the dogs are now healthy and adopted, but a litter of golden retrievers didn’t fare so well. Although turned over to the rescue organization Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota (RAGOM), they contracted parvovirus, a deadly canine disease that killed three of the pups.
The Bottineau situation, however, isn’t North Dakota’s worst puppy mill nightmare. In October of 2010, a puppy mill in the quiet town of Scranton, located in the state’s scenic Bowman County, put nearly 200 dogs at risk before they too were rescued. Discovered at an abandoned farmstead, the dogs had little food or water, and some had nearly died of starvation. Others were found crowded in a small kennel or tied to fences or buildings, with parasites, wounds, ear infections, even pregnancies.
But puppy mill rescues and other animal abuse problems are nothing new for North Dakota. Pet-abuse.com lists many cases dating back to 1991, involving neglect and abandonment, hoarding, or malicious killings in towns throughout the state. The question is why does a state blessed with rich land, plenty of space, and quiet living have such heart-wrenching animal cruelty stories? Ironically, those blessings may hold part of the answer.
North Dakota, a Haven for Puppy Mills
In fact, North Dakota’s vast rural space actually puts puppy mill owners at a big advantage because puppy mills in remote, rural parts of the country are often hard to locate. For North Dakota puppy mill dogs especially, that fact can be disastrous. With temperatures and wind chills known to plummet in the winter, dogs living in unheated or poorly heated facilities are at severe risk for frost bite, disease, and death.
To add to the problem, North Dakota is just one of four states with no felony penalties for cases of animal cruelty, which includes the operation of puppy mills. And although certain large-scale breeders require licensing and regular inspections under the Animal Welfare Act, enforcement of those requirements is loose at best. Further, the absence of puppy lemon laws (which offer protection against buying sick pet store puppies) in North Dakota only helps keep puppy mills in business.
Yet despite North Dakota’s bad ranking for animal protection laws, there is a ray of hope. Currently, legislation is being considered that would, for the first time, allow felony penalties for egregious animal cruelty in North Dakota – as opposed to today’s misdemeanor penalty that carries only a maximum $2,000 fine and a year in jail.
With the passing of new legislation and continued support from humane societies and rescue groups, the animal cruelty problem in North Dakota should one day improve. It’s certainly a goal worth working toward, because in a state with vast amounts of rural land, frigid winter temperatures, and poor animal protection laws, puppy mills and animal abuse will continue to exist and be among the harshest in the country.
Sources:
Donovan, Laura. “Another 70 Dogs Rescued from Scranton-area Breeder.” The Bismarck Tribune, October 10, 2010.
Humane Society of the United States. “Puppy Mills: Frequently Asked Questions,” July 8, 2010. Hsus.org.
Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota. Ragom.org.
Wetzel, Dale. “North Dakota Legislature: Animal Cruelty May be Considered Felony.” The Fargo Forum, February 12, 2011.
Susie Yakowicz - Susie Yakowicz is a Minnesota freelance writer whose work has appeared in dozens of publications for children and adults.
Join the Conversation