Puppy Mill Investigation Continues

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By Rudabeh Shahbazi

Summary

Sheriff's deputies were called out to the property last year, but say Provost cleaned up the kennels and started taking care of the dogs.

Story Published: Jul 14, 2008 at 6:21 PM PST

ADAMS COUNTY-- Two days after more than 100 dogs were rescued from a filthy puppy mill near Lind, the survivors saw a vet for the second time Monday.

Almost a dozen dogs were either found dead or put down by the vet, including five that were euthanized Monday.

Sharon Provost kept 111 dogs in her residence and in an off-site kennel. Rescuers say they think she had been breeding puppies for a decade.

Neighbors and deputies say Provost kept the dogs out of view on her isolated property, which is probably the reason they slipped under the radar for so long.

The City would never allow that many dogs on one person's property, but Provost lives in the County's jurisdiction, where there is no limit to the number of animals people can have.

"I wish now, knowing what was really going on, that they would have done something sooner," said Provost's neighbor, Sharon Reeve. "But you never saw any dogs over there. You could hear them, but you couldn't see them."

Undersheriff John Hunt said he was not aware if anyone had asked her how long she had been breeding the dogs for profit.

He said deputies were called out to the property last year, but that Provost cleaned up the kennels and started taking care of the dogs. Deputies followed up after that incident and found that she was in compliance with county ordinances.

Hunt said deputies didn't know about her other kennel until a prospective buyer responded to an advertisement in the newspaper and reported the abused dogs. Provost apparently boarded up older dogs there when they grew too old to breed.

Neighbors described Provost as reclusive and "different." She is known around the neighborhood for feeding her livestock onions. One neighbor said wounded and sick livestock often wonder off her property.

Although they found her strange, they say they never realized what kind of conditions she and her dogs were living in. Four dead dogs and a cat were found in the basement, including one in the shower.

The 50 dogs remaining at the Pet Rescue shelter still need foster homes. The nonprofit organization is relying entirely on donations. Volunteers say they've already exhausted their funds, and they don't even have a plumbing system to clean up after the dogs. The shelter was in the process of being built when the dogs were rescued.

If you are interested in fostering a dog or donating to Pet Rescue, please call (509) 855-1402.