I originally heard about this case from friends who helped in grooming the dogs from the Trinidad, CO seizure. Read it all, but park your stomach at the door.
Some advice to follow up:
If you have to surrender a pet for adoption, be extremely careful about where you are sending it. Many of the animals seized in these disasters were “saved” by hoarders who offer “private rescue”. Legitimate private and club rescue organizations exist, and in most cases, they are highly preferable to even government-supported humane societies and dog pounds – but they will be recognized and endorsed by a national breed club or local kennel club. Spend an extra few days and check them out, before you surrender your animal to them. With the availability of information on the internet, there are plenty of resources out there.
Some hoarders breed the animals (or more accurately, collect the puppies that are accidentally produced and lucky enough to survive) to support their compulsion. If you are purchasing any purebred or “designer mix” puppy, you should be able to visit and see the conditions that all the dogs live in. Don’t buy the excuse that kennels are off limits for fear of introducing disease. Large breeders bring dogs in and out all the time – this is where disease risk is high, and it certainly doesn’t stop them from buying or attending auctions. (Though home visits are not always a guarantee – some puppymills actually meet buyers at a different “home” location, where a few clean and cared for animals serve as surrogates for the factory breeders in the barn down the road. )
Finally, it helps reduce the risk of buying a puppy or dog from such conditions if you ensure that rescuers or breeders are members of a national or local breed club. A disclaimer, though – clubs can be large and members scattered, meeting only on occassion at dog shows. Or they may have lost control with age and formerly good conditions and policies degenerate without the knowledge of those who know them. Many hoarders are quite competent in their “real life” – and do a very good job of creating a false impression to their peers.
Bottom line – do your homework, trust your instincts, and be prepared to say “no”.
Conversely, people who’ve done their homework and selected a breed appropriate to their needs, family and lifestyle may be able to get a rescue dog for a fairly minimal cost. Apart from cases of abuse or neglect, rescue dogs may be surrendered due to divorce, death of the owner, inability to find rental accommodation that allows pets, etc.
We have a rescue dog who’s a conformation disaster and has a genetic flaw affecting his coat — pet quality all the way. He’s also the sweetest old dog you could possibly imagine.