Commercial breeder surrenders 19 dogs to Humane Society

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Humane Society is in possession of 19 dogs after a commercial breeder voluntarily turned them in.

"I believe they are Malteses, a type of Maltese mix," said Jorge Ortega, vice president of the Humane Society of Charlotte. "The breeder got in over their heads and some of the dogs needed medical attention."

During the early morning hours of Saturday, the Humane Society's emergency response team left the shelter en route to the site of a breeding operation in Western North Carolina.

From eye problems to skin problems and dental issues, the Humane Society said the dogs were in bad shape.

Currently there are no standards or regulations for commercial scale dog breeders in North Carolina, but N.C. House bill 930 hopes to prevent using state resources on incidents like what happened Saturday.

State lawmakers, including Rep. Jason Saine, want to push for stricter rules for breeders, so every dog has the care it needs.

"We don't have laws that codify and explain what is reasonable expectations of care for dogs," Saine said.

If passed, House bill 930 would establish standards for commercial dog breeders, making things like exercise, fresh food and humane treatment a priority. Saine believes it could also free up state resources.

"Authorities that have to be called in and investigate, taking multiple hours and resources to deal with these issues (is wasteful)," Saine said.

The Humane Society of Charlotte said it will work to get these dogs healthy and hopefully a new home. House bill 930 is in committee. The dog breeder bill has 29 co-sponsors.