SLINGER, Wis. — The Washington County Humane Society seized 22 golden retrievers earlier this month from a breeder in the Town of Polk who was not providing adequate care to the dogs, according to court records.
WCHS wants the community to know the circumstances behind the seizure.
"Since the impound, WCHS staff and volunteers have been victim to countless harassing and discrediting comments on Facebook and Google, direct messages threatening legal action, and even direct threats of death and/or retribution," Joe Poczkalski, WCHS communication specialist, said in a press release. "Content of these and comments and messages ranges from calls for the dogs to be returned to their rightful owner, to claims that WCHS deceived the breeder into surrendering."
Watch: 22 golden retrievers seized from breeder in Washington County:
Poczkalski noted that "WCHS followed all legal and ethical practices."
The breeder, Mary Kim Burke, is now facing 22 counts — one for each dog — of "intentionally providing improper animal shelter sanitation standards." Each count is a Class A Misdemeanor, which upon conviction may result in a fine of up to $10,000 or up to 9 months of imprisonment, or both.
Law enforcement first got involved when a Washington County sheriff's deputy found Burke sitting on a trash can on the side of the road, appearing disoriented and indicating she had no power or heat at her residence for the previous two weeks.
The dogs were originally taken to the shelter to be held while the Burke was in the hospital; however, after "observing deplorable living conditions in the home, law enforcement ordered WCHS to hold the dogs longer for evidentiary purposes," Poczkalski explained.
Read: ‘No-kill’ Sheboygan Humane Society volunteers receive death threats after euthanizing shelter dog
According to court records, deputies found what "appeared to be smeared feces" all over the garage floor at Burke's residence. Inside the home, there was standing water on the floor and water actively leaking from the ceiling.
"All of the higher surfaces were covered in cobwebs and thick layers of dust. Additionally, there was feces over all surfaces and in the water on the floor. All of the furniture was wet, covered in feces, and falling apart," court records detailed.
Deputies reported that they did not find any food or water for the dogs, and that several of the dogs were "eating feces on the floor and drinking the standing water on the floor which was heavily contaminated with feces."
Once in WCHS's care, the dogs received treatment for a variety of issues, including kennel cough, pneumonia and adenovirus—which Poczkalski said is common in "an unvaccinated population of dogs."
"Unfortunately, one 11-year-old golden retriever was euthanized by veterinarian recommendation due to a cancerous mass rupturing," Poczkalski said.
The other 21 dogs have all found new homes.
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