Many people are asking the Nova Scotia SPCA how they can adopt one of the 35 dogs seized from an alleged King’s County puppy mill.
Some of those dogs will be available for adoption soon, while others may take longer.
“The border collies that were part of the seizure are going to require an intensive amount of rehabilitation,” says Jo-Anne Landsburg, the Nova Scotia SPCA’s chief provincial inspector. “We have them in a special location. They are not at our regular shelter.
“We’re having them assessed all the time by veterinarians and our trainers. So they are really going to require a long-term rehabilitation process.”
On Thursday, the Nova Scotia SPCA was awarded legal custody of the seized dogs after an appeal made by Karin Robertson, who has been charged with two counts of animal cruelty.
Robertson is due to appear in a Kentville, N.S. courtroom on Jan. 21.
Since the seizure, three of the dogs have given birth to puppies at the animal shelter.
“We’re taking care of those as well,” says Landsburg. “So it brings the total number up to 53 dogs that were part of the initial seizure.”
The Nova Scotia SPCA says this seizure is one of the largest ever carried out by the organization. It was prompted by a complaint lodged from somebody who had been on the property near Wolfville, N.S. in September. The complainant claimed the animals were being mistreated.
People have already filled out applications to adopt a dog, but the SPCA says it will be quite particular with who it chooses as a match for the animals.
“We’re hoping to assess those applications, not on a first come first serve basis but to the specific needs of those particular dogs,” says Landsburg. “We really want to set these dogs up for their individual care and needs.”
