Jackson County sheriff's deputies were asked Monday to postpone arresting the operators of a Nicholson-area kennel on animal cruelty charges while authorities debate whether to negotiate a settlement instead.

Deputies had planned to execute arrest warrants at L&D Farm and Kennel after Magistrate Court Judge Billy Chandler signed them Monday, said David Cochran, chief deputy of the Jackson County Sheriff's Office.

However, deputies received a call early Monday to hold off on delivering the warrants, Cochran said.

Cochran said he did not know who placed the call.

The Jackson County Commission has scheduled a meeting for 7:30 this morning to decide whether to pursue criminal cruelty charges against the owners or to negotiate a settlement that does not involve formal charges.

A Typical Georgia Puppy Mill

The headlines are typical -  "Ga Dept of Agriculture Seizes Puppy Mill" -  or "Ga Dept of Agriculture Shuts Down Puppy Farm"

These headlines are very misleading to the general public. Or maybe it's that the general public and newspaper journalists are simply ignorant to just how long people like Marie Hughes have been licensed with the Dept of Ag.  IF the Ga. Dept of Ag was interested in "shutting down" any puppy mill, let alone L&D Kennels in Nicholson, Ga., they have had years, and years, to do so.  The condtions of her kennels have remained consistent throughout the years.  The problems associated with this particular kennel have remained consistent throughout the years.  The ongoing complaints against this kennel have remained consistent for years.  And years and years. 

The Ga. Dept of Ag did NOT   bust L&D Farm & Kennel.   A 19 year old woman did it for them.  Once the Animal Protection Division became involved, things seemed to become entirely screwed up. THIS is why the Animal Protection Division needs to keep their noses out of criminal matters. They area  regulatory agency, one that is responsible for the licensing, as well as the inspections of puppy mills like L&D Kennel. 

Does it make sense for the department that depends on monetary license fees for L&D Kennel, to be involved in any way, to "orchastrate" the investigation?  The Jackson County authorities should have told the Dept. of Ag, from the get go, to butt out, and stay off the property. Period.  Not only did they have no legitimate reason for being on site, their very presence during this investigation is a conflict of interest, if not out right obstruction of justice. 

That infamous Monday morning phone call made, following the initial raid on February 21, 2008, was nothing short of obstruction of an ongoing investigation.  To call the investigating authorities, who have legal jurisdiction, asking them to hold off on filing formal criminal charges to see if a settlement could be negotiated instead, is criminal in, and of, itself.    

This kennel is owned by Marie Hughes, a Department of Agriculture Animal Protection Division license holder.  She has been a licensee for many years.  To say the Animal Protection Division wasn't aware of the condtions that this licensee housed her animals in, would be, well, nothing short of a lie. 

Hughes' establishment is located in Nicholson, Ga, and was not one of the counties that I was responsible for.  During my employment, I heard her name enough times, in a negative light, to know she was one of the Ag's "problem establishments".    

Jackson County sheriff's deputies were asked Monday to postpone arresting the operators of a Nicholson-area kennel on animal cruelty charges while authorities debate whether to negotiate a settlement instead.

Deputies had planned to execute arrest warrants at L&D Farm and Kennel after Magistrate Court Judge Billy Chandler signed them Monday, said David Cochran, chief deputy of the Jackson County Sheriff's Office.

However, deputies received a call early Monday to hold off on delivering the warrants, Cochran said.

Cochran said he did not know who placed the call.

The Jackson County Commission has scheduled a meeting for 7:30 this morning to decide whether to pursue criminal cruelty charges against the owners or to negotiate a settlement that does not involve formal charges.

***

"....while the authorities debate whether to negotiate a settlement instead..."  The key word in this is "settlement".  I can just about bet my last dollar that this wording came straight from the Dept of Ag.  This certainly would'nt be the first time local authorities have chosen to "negotiate a settlement instead" of criminal charges.   This time is no exception but I do feel that the general public should be aware of who's really advocating for places such as L & D Farm and Kennels.

The first licensee that came to mind, after the Hughes' case broke, was  Larry Wendt of the infamous Augusta mall Petland cruelty situation. This Augusta Chronicle article says it all.  "Owner tries to get deal".    Other news articles regarding this case - March 6, 2004   March 26, 2004   

"Negotiations" that resulted in a Dept of Ag administrative consent order ensured that Wendt retained his Animal Protection license.

Another case is Evelyn Nelson, Dept of Ag licensee of Sandies' Pets, located in Toccoa, Ga.  In 2005, Nelson was charged, and convicted, in Westminster, South Carolina when authorities found dead dogs, carcasses, and animals living in feces and filth. She pleaded guilty to three counts of ill treatment of animals after animal control officers removed more than 200 animals, mostly dogs and roughly 100 birds, from her home.  Ms. Nelson told the judge she had no help and had been too sick to dig holes to bury the dogs.  She was fined more than $7,000 in veterinarian bills and court fines and ordered to spend a month in jail.

In August of 2007, Oconee County, South Carolina, responding to a complaint, visited Nelson's Westminster home and found unsanitary conditions, again. They ordered her to clean the place which she failed to do.  14 dogs were seized and she was issued a citation for violating the animal control ordinance in Oconee County, specifically animal cruelty.  

Around this same time,  Toccoa City Marshal Ken Cox closed Ms. Nelson’s Toccoa pet store, Sandies Pets, after complaints from consumers that the store was filthy and smelled.  The Doa was contacted due to her holding an Animal Protection license;  her store re-opened several days later. 

During this time, Tommy Irvin was asked why her Toccoa pet store was allowed to stay open even though Nelson had been previously convicted once already of animal cruelty in Oconee County, S.C., and now charged, for a second time, for animal cruelty for cconditions at her Westminster residence. Irvin said that he didn't revoke Nelson's license because she hadn't violated any laws in Georgia.

In the 2007 South Carolina case, Evelyn Nelson was found guilty and convicted of one count of animal neglect in Oconee County Magistrate Court.   She  paid $1,087 to stay out of jail, and was ordered to pay for the cost of care for the 14 dogs seized from her Westminster residence.  

The fact that Nelson has been convicted of animal neglect/cruelty related crimes, twice now, whether it was in South Carolina, or South Africa, it shouldn't matter.  She is a twice convicted animal abuser that currently holds a Georgia Department of Agriculture Animal Protection license.  A license that allows her to house and be responsible for live animals in her care.  It is simply unacceptable that this woman is still being allowed to hold a licensee in Georgia. 

Another case that comes to mind is that of Donna Pegg, a Dept of Ag Animal Protection licensee located in Summerville, Ga. Chattooga County Animal Control Director Joe Johnson raided her kennel, and was quoted in the Summerville News as saying the condtions were 'deplorable'. Shortly afterwards, the Department of Agriculture was contacted. And within a few days, AC Director Joe Johnson appeared to change his story, saying that the conditions weren't as bad as he had first thought, that she had cleaned things up and would be allowed to continue her business. He was quoted as saying that he would monitor her kennels.  

Ok, Joe, which is it - were the conditions deplorable or not? If they weren't, as your second story implies, then why the need to monitor her kennels?   This was Joe's original story.

Three days later, this is the updated story published in the Channel 9 News article:

Note: Donna Pegg is licensed with the Ga. Dept. of Ag holding an Animal Protection PET DEALER license number  P02-0209.  You can view some of the dogs seized in this case here.

These cases are not isolated incidents by any means.  There are numerous puppy millers aka people that house their animals in inhumane conditions that dot the state of Georgia.  Alot of them are licensed by the Animal Protection Division, alot are not even licensed.   Due to the geography of the thirteen counties I was responsible for during my employment, I saw a few mills but to be honest, I did not have the time in my 8 month employment to even scratch the surface of how widespread, and serious, Georgia's puppy mills were. I can only imagine the extent of this problem down in middle and south Georgia.

I admire Tiffany Butler as much as I have ever admired anyone before.  At only 19 years old, she made a life saving decision to reach out to help hundreds of dogs, and puppies, that were being housed at L & D Kennels. She put aside her personal fears and contacted the authorities to report the horiffic conditions visible at this puppy mill.  Had she not come forward, those poor animals would still, today, be suffering and dying. 

Words cannot describe how I feel about puppy mills, and their money hungry operators. I use the word 'operator' because it seems fitting.  It gives the impression that it's an 'industrial' operation where the person, without thought or reason of suffering to animals, forces these creatures to endure the most horrible kinds of abuse.  All so she can make her money.  God has a special place for persons such as Marie Hughes. 

Animal cruelty arrests delayed against Jackson breeder