100 dogs found; owner cited
BY BRIAN BARBER World Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
11/14/07 at 11:39 AM
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City investigators
won't call the operation a puppy mill,
but a local Humane
Society official does.
Tulsa animal control investigators last week found more
than 100 dogs crammed into a
trailer where a local puppy-selling business is based.
The owner, Jerry Hine, received misdemeanor citations
for having more than the
three dogs allowed under city
ordinances and not sterilizing
them. He is due in municipal
court Dec. 10.
But investigators said they
wouldn't necessarily call
Hine's business at 6836 E. Admiral Place a puppy mill.
"There was not a cruelty issue whatsoever," investigator
Jake Wilson said Tuesday.
"We would have confiscated them had that been the
case. They are being well-cared for. They all have vaccination records."
The issue is that Hine has
far too many dogs, Wilson
said, adding that by his count
there are 51 adult dogs and 53
puppies, mostly Yorkies and
Malteses.
"Bottom line, you can't
breed dogs in the city," he
said.
Also, all dogs have to be
spayed or neutered unless the
owner has received a hobbyist exemption -- meant for
hunting dogs, Wilson said.
Although Hine has such an
exemption, it is on a different
address and would not apply
to toy breeds, he said.
Hine maintains that he is
following all city ordinances
and plans to fight the citations
in court.
"I'm totally innocent," he
said. "There's no limit on the
number of puppies you can
have, and I'll prove just that.
I've followed all the rules."
Hine said he got into his
business years ago because
he loves dogs.
"They're my babies," he
said. "I feed, bathe and take
care of them and send them
off to good homes. I'm doing a
service to mankind and I'm
doing a service to the dogs."
Sarah Burnam of the Humane Society of Tulsa recently went to Hine's business
posing as a potential buyer.
"I would certainly call it a
puppy mill based on the number that he has in a relatively
small space," she said.
Burnam said the dogs
seemed healthy.
"But they shouldn't be
treated like this," she said. "It
was very sad."
Having more than the allowable number of dogs carries a maximum penalty of 30
days in jail and a $500 fine; not
sterilizing dogs carries a maximum penalty of a $200 fine.
Wilson said it's rare for animal control investigators to
find such a large puppy operation within the city limits.
"Mostly, we deal with people who have too many dogs
because they keep taking
them in out of the goodness of
their hearts," he said. "Not
something like this."
Brian Barber 581-8322
brian.barber@tulsaworld.com
