A civil injunction is expected to be filed in Wake County (Raleigh, NC ~ capital of NC)this morning to permanently prevent the return of 100-plus animals confiscated from Janie Conyers' home this month.
Wake County animal cruelty investigators seized 106 dogs, including about 80 toy poodles, and nine birds from Conyers' home, 8252 Holly Springs Road in Raleigh, on Oct. 19. They wrote in search warrants that the home was full of animal urine and feces and that it was infested with cockroaches.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund, a nonprofit group dedicated to preventing animal cruelty, is listed as a plaintiff on the motion. Also listed are the county and Kelli Ferris, an animal cruelty investigator who also works as a veterinarian with N.C. State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. Ferris was one of the investigators who responded after a person who had taken a dog to Conyers' home for breeding complained about the animals' living conditions.
Conyers, 77, a breeder of champion AKC poodles, could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.
"This is our way to go in as a private organization to make sure these animals are not returned to the conditions they came from," Animal Legal Defense Fund spokeswoman Lisa Franzetta said Tuesday. "It's clear that these animals have been suffering in an environment that would constitute criminal animal cruelty."
Lover, one of the dogs seized from the home, is described in the affidavit as having severe medical issues brought about from the lack of care he received.
"[He] was soaked in urine when removed from [Conyers'] home," the affidavit notes. "... Half his jaw had completely disintegrated from infection and decay; ... his coat was soiled and matted with old and new feces and urine, as well as dried pus from his mouth."
The motion asks that Conyers be barred from owning another animal for 10 years after a decision is made. It also seeks repayment from her for costs incurred by the county for services including medical treatment, food and shelter.
News of the seizures was shocking to several dog owners who have purchased their animals from Conyers.
"She's not a puppy mill," said Fuji Daussin, who has purchased three poodles from Conyers over the past seven years. "I guess they just got out of hand."
Daussin said he and his wife, Sandra, found Conyers through an Internet search when they decided to add a dog to their household. They purchased Sophie, a female black-haired poodle, in 2000. They later purchased 4-year-old poodle Reuben and 2-year-old Muffin, a toy poodle. He said Conyers would care for the poodles when the family took trips. He said he never saw anything out of hand.
"[The dogs] were happy," he said. "They all have great personalities. She knew all their names. This is just a blip on the screen of a long career."
Michael Williams, director of Wake County Animal Care, Control and Adoption, said Tuesday that the next step after the motion is filed is that possible criminal charges would be discussed with the Wake County district attorney. Most of the animals already have been put in the care of foster owners, he said.
Thirty-nine of the dogs in Conyers' care were owned by someone else, Williams said. That owner has already signed the dogs over to the county.
Exactly how many dogs are involved in the case will continue to fluctuate. Two dogs have either died or been euthanized since the seizure, Franzetta said. Two were born Tuesday, and other dogs could be expecting litters, she said.
marlon.walker@newsobserver.com or (919) 836-4906
Thursday, November 1, 2007
penalty sought for breeder
you know, this really makes me very angry, i hope it makes you angry too.
pray tell, how can this happen? how could these babies get this bad and not one single soul know about it - someone, somehow had to know ~ the mailman, the neigbors, people coming to buy dogs, the person that owned the 30 something dogs, a vet, a family member ~ somebody knew ~ i imagine a lot of people knew and they turned a blind eye.
the smell, the barking, crying ~ and not one single person knew? come on ~ those people are just as guilty. the people they name that purchased 3 dogs from her have to be just plain s t u p i d ~ s t u p i d ~ s t u p i d.
something has got to be done, this can't continue. I am mad ~ ~ very, very mad. i'm writing all the folks in government positions, beginning with the city, county and state i live in ~ i want them to fund an agency (or one of these major player companies, there are plenty of people in charlotte, nc that could donate to make this happen) to go out & investigate and keep a watchful eye until this never happens again. i will head it up, i want to be the leader and i want to start now. what are you going to do to help? mail me and i'll send you a sample of what i write to help get you started.
help me make a difference for these helpless living beings. look at those eyes, they didn't deserve this and to think it didn't have to happen. read the article below from raleigh's newspaper.
A civil injunction is expected to be filed in Wake County (Raleigh, NC ~ capital of NC)this morning to permanently prevent the return of 100-plus animals confiscated from Janie Conyers' home this month.
Wake County animal cruelty investigators seized 106 dogs, including about 80 toy poodles, and nine birds from Conyers' home, 8252 Holly Springs Road in Raleigh, on Oct. 19. They wrote in search warrants that the home was full of animal urine and feces and that it was infested with cockroaches.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund, a nonprofit group dedicated to preventing animal cruelty, is listed as a plaintiff on the motion. Also listed are the county and Kelli Ferris, an animal cruelty investigator who also works as a veterinarian with N.C. State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. Ferris was one of the investigators who responded after a person who had taken a dog to Conyers' home for breeding complained about the animals' living conditions.
Conyers, 77, a breeder of champion AKC poodles, could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.
"This is our way to go in as a private organization to make sure these animals are not returned to the conditions they came from," Animal Legal Defense Fund spokeswoman Lisa Franzetta said Tuesday. "It's clear that these animals have been suffering in an environment that would constitute criminal animal cruelty."
Lover, one of the dogs seized from the home, is described in the affidavit as having severe medical issues brought about from the lack of care he received.
"[He] was soaked in urine when removed from [Conyers'] home," the affidavit notes. "... Half his jaw had completely disintegrated from infection and decay; ... his coat was soiled and matted with old and new feces and urine, as well as dried pus from his mouth."
The motion asks that Conyers be barred from owning another animal for 10 years after a decision is made. It also seeks repayment from her for costs incurred by the county for services including medical treatment, food and shelter.
News of the seizures was shocking to several dog owners who have purchased their animals from Conyers.
"She's not a puppy mill," said Fuji Daussin, who has purchased three poodles from Conyers over the past seven years. "I guess they just got out of hand."
Daussin said he and his wife, Sandra, found Conyers through an Internet search when they decided to add a dog to their household. They purchased Sophie, a female black-haired poodle, in 2000. They later purchased 4-year-old poodle Reuben and 2-year-old Muffin, a toy poodle. He said Conyers would care for the poodles when the family took trips. He said he never saw anything out of hand.
"[The dogs] were happy," he said. "They all have great personalities. She knew all their names. This is just a blip on the screen of a long career."
Michael Williams, director of Wake County Animal Care, Control and Adoption, said Tuesday that the next step after the motion is filed is that possible criminal charges would be discussed with the Wake County district attorney. Most of the animals already have been put in the care of foster owners, he said.
Thirty-nine of the dogs in Conyers' care were owned by someone else, Williams said. That owner has already signed the dogs over to the county.
Exactly how many dogs are involved in the case will continue to fluctuate. Two dogs have either died or been euthanized since the seizure, Franzetta said. Two were born Tuesday, and other dogs could be expecting litters, she said.
marlon.walker@newsobserver.com or (919) 836-4906
A civil injunction is expected to be filed in Wake County (Raleigh, NC ~ capital of NC)this morning to permanently prevent the return of 100-plus animals confiscated from Janie Conyers' home this month.
Wake County animal cruelty investigators seized 106 dogs, including about 80 toy poodles, and nine birds from Conyers' home, 8252 Holly Springs Road in Raleigh, on Oct. 19. They wrote in search warrants that the home was full of animal urine and feces and that it was infested with cockroaches.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund, a nonprofit group dedicated to preventing animal cruelty, is listed as a plaintiff on the motion. Also listed are the county and Kelli Ferris, an animal cruelty investigator who also works as a veterinarian with N.C. State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. Ferris was one of the investigators who responded after a person who had taken a dog to Conyers' home for breeding complained about the animals' living conditions.
Conyers, 77, a breeder of champion AKC poodles, could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.
"This is our way to go in as a private organization to make sure these animals are not returned to the conditions they came from," Animal Legal Defense Fund spokeswoman Lisa Franzetta said Tuesday. "It's clear that these animals have been suffering in an environment that would constitute criminal animal cruelty."
Lover, one of the dogs seized from the home, is described in the affidavit as having severe medical issues brought about from the lack of care he received.
"[He] was soaked in urine when removed from [Conyers'] home," the affidavit notes. "... Half his jaw had completely disintegrated from infection and decay; ... his coat was soiled and matted with old and new feces and urine, as well as dried pus from his mouth."
The motion asks that Conyers be barred from owning another animal for 10 years after a decision is made. It also seeks repayment from her for costs incurred by the county for services including medical treatment, food and shelter.
News of the seizures was shocking to several dog owners who have purchased their animals from Conyers.
"She's not a puppy mill," said Fuji Daussin, who has purchased three poodles from Conyers over the past seven years. "I guess they just got out of hand."
Daussin said he and his wife, Sandra, found Conyers through an Internet search when they decided to add a dog to their household. They purchased Sophie, a female black-haired poodle, in 2000. They later purchased 4-year-old poodle Reuben and 2-year-old Muffin, a toy poodle. He said Conyers would care for the poodles when the family took trips. He said he never saw anything out of hand.
"[The dogs] were happy," he said. "They all have great personalities. She knew all their names. This is just a blip on the screen of a long career."
Michael Williams, director of Wake County Animal Care, Control and Adoption, said Tuesday that the next step after the motion is filed is that possible criminal charges would be discussed with the Wake County district attorney. Most of the animals already have been put in the care of foster owners, he said.
Thirty-nine of the dogs in Conyers' care were owned by someone else, Williams said. That owner has already signed the dogs over to the county.
Exactly how many dogs are involved in the case will continue to fluctuate. Two dogs have either died or been euthanized since the seizure, Franzetta said. Two were born Tuesday, and other dogs could be expecting litters, she said.
marlon.walker@newsobserver.com or (919) 836-4906
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