DELTONA, Fla. – Animal control officers confiscated 33 dogs and six puppies from two residences in Deltona after the city received complaints of breeders selling sick pedigreed dogs, according to a news release.
Officials said a resident at 934 Wilmington Avenue in Deltona, who is not a licensed breeder, was breeding and selling Yorkshire terriers, Pomeranians and Yorkie-Pom puppies for up to $1,000 each, both domestically and internationally.
According to Volusia County property appraisers the home is owned by Irena Yeater.
In 2015, she was charged with uttering a false certificate of veterinary health inspection.
According to court documents, two people said Yeater sold them sick dogs.
Two residents at 2130 Montecito Avenue were breeding dogs to be sold, officials said. No information on the conditions or breeds of those dogs was immediately available.
Lee Lopez, with the city of Deltona, said all three people knew one another. The Montecito address provided puppies to the Wilmington avenue address to be sold.
The 41 dogs were confiscated Monday and taken to the Halifax Humane Society to be examined for health issues.
"There are visible outside wounds. There are parasites, hair loss, skin conditions, things like that, that are so typical in puppy mills and we're seeing that in this case. Whether of not that is a puppy mill, we are seeing these kinds of wounds and these kinds of malignancies on these type of animals," said Halifax Humane Society CEO Miguel Abi-hassan.
Abi-hassan said the center is already at full capacity, with around 350 animals. The addition of more than three dozen dogs is a strain, to say the least.
"In cases like this unfortunately, when we're completely full, we need the community to come out and help us and help by adopting," Abi-hassan said.
A veterinarian is examining each dog. When the exams have been completed, the results will be turned over to investigators.
"Our veterinarian has already been working them over to evaluate for parasite. Unfortunately, we found a little bit of that," Abi-hassan said.
The city is working toward gaining custody of the dogs.
Officials have not released the names of the three people. They are being investigated for a possible violation of Deltona's animal cruelty ordinance.
Halifax Humane Society already at capacity takes in 40dogs. Investigation began after complaints came in breeders were selling sick dogs. pic.twitter.com/tQvMnbKCEl
— Vanessa Araiza (@AraizaReport) December 7, 2017