Dark Side of Dog Breeding Exposed in Lafayette Hoarding Case

The Lafayette Animal Shelter and Care Center was called to an intense dog hoarding situation on Tuesday. They shared heartbreaking photos of dozens of golden doodles, Shih Tzus, and other highly sought-after 'designer dogs' living in filth and confined to small cages.

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This situation shines a light on the potential dark side of dog breeders, even those who may start out with "good intentions." Just like in virtually every field of work or aspect of life there are those who take things too far, and this particular case happens to be one of them.

Acadiana Animal Aid and Dante's Hope - Animal Rescue both stepped up to help rescue the dogs from their lives of neglect. It's rescues like these that need community support whether is be through fostering and adopting to ensure that kennels stay open, or making a donation so they can continue to rescue animals in need.

As they explain in their facebook post, the shelters are full of healthy, adoptable dogs waiting for a loving home.

Please consider adopting or fostering from one of our local animal shelters.

It's not often that we get a hoarding case in Lafayette Parish, but today we did and we'd like to share a few tips in order to avoid these situations:
-If you're going to buy from a breeder- ask to meet the pup at the location it's being raised. Ask to see the parents. Consider the condition of all of the animals on premises
-If the conditions aren't good- don't buy the pup because you feel bad for it. You're not helping the pup and you're keeping the breeder in business
-Call us! All complaints are kept anonymous. It's better to say something- we can help!
-ADOPT, don't shop. The shelter is full of HEALTHY, loveable pets at a fraction of the price
This breeder had good intentions and did the best they could, but it got out of hand. They would've stopped if people would've stopped buying them.
**All of these babies are going to rescue thanks to our friends at Acadiana Animal Aid and Dante's Hope - Animal Rescue Please consider giving to these organizations as a lot of vet care and resources will go into getting the dogs healthy again.

UPDATE From Acadiana Animal Aid:

UPDATE: We want to first thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts for rallying behind these dogs and showing up to the conversation. We are overwhelmed with the community's outpour of love and concern for these animals and appreciate every ounce of your support! We cannot do this without you. The updates:

We are NO LONGER accepting new adoption forms on any of the 30 dogs from this case due to the volume of submissions. We have over 150 forms that our team will be tirelessly working over the next couple days. They will be processed in the order that they were received so please, please have patience with us. We do however have TONS of other dogs and cats still looking for homes: acadianaanimalaid.org/adopt.

We are NOT accepting visitors for the hoarding case dogs at this time. Their health is our priority and they must be medically and behaviorally evaluated before release. We have AWESOME veterinarians and techs on staff who are doing this amazing work to ensure that they receive all of the treatment they need. You CAN still visit us to see other dogs and cats who are ready to go home now.

We are aware of the amount of people who are looking for their lost or stolen pets and our hearts truly go out to you. However, there is proof of purchase, long standing record of their lineage/origin/registration and this was not a case of lost/stolen pets. This was a long term, devastating breeding operation.

This is the SEVENTH hoarding case we have helped with so far this year! These dogs were in crisis and you stepped up but please know that shelters across our country are ALWAYS in crisis mode! This is our DAILY. We still have animals from the previous two hoarding cases in our care who need homes too and the majority of the dogs you see in our care were pulled off of euthanasia lists. These breeds are not unheard of to enter shelters on a regular basis. Don't wait for an emergency to foster or adopt, there are way too many lives who need us year round.

Lastly, we will continue to update and make posts addressing this case and the impacts of breeding/placing value on animals based on designer breed labels. Over 20,000 animals died in Louisiana last year due to overpopulation. There are better, more educated and ethical decisions that have to be made in order for us to close the gap on this heartbreaking number. If you can't adopt or foster, please volunteer or donate: acadianaanimalaid.org/give.