A dog kennel club in Pottawattamie County has been shut down after neglecting dozens of dogs and leaving them in unsafe conditions.
About 30 dogs had to be removed from the 'Young Gunz Kennel' near Oakland after they were found suffering from malnutrition, dehydration and general neglect. Three other dogs at the kennel were found dead when authorities arrived. A 911 call directed Pottawattamie County deputies and animal control officers to the location and there they found the dogs without food or water and poor living conditions.
Matt Wyant with the Pottawattamie County Planning Department tells 6 News that nineteen dogs were removed and put in a county facility. "We made an initial determination that the animals and their well-being were at risk and that's when we just decided that we were going to have to take them all with us, due to health concerns and no food or water. There were people out on site but they weren't the property owners and I think they pretty openly told the deputies that they weren't going to be able to care for this number of animals."
Wyant says the situation is very shocking. "We have owners that are contacting us from California, Michigan, Kansas, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado."
One of those owners is Jim Garvey of Kansas City, who tells 6 News he had hoped to have his dog trained at Young Gunz for hunting season. "My dog's name is Lucy. She's a ten-month-old pointing black lab. I did some research and we had got recommended for Young Gunz Kennel from several trainers. So this is all a huge surprise to us and probably all the other customers. Thank God she was ok."
Wyant says the kennel was not properly registered and says he can't imagine how anyone could be so heartless to these animals. "It was illegal as far as being permitted in Pottawattamie County, yes the number of animals, obviously too many animals for this site. It's horrible, horrible that anyone can do this to an animal."
(Photo courtesy of 6 News)