Puppy mill warning in South Dakota

[Anastasia]

A local puppy mill owner is a member on this site & has been charged with 37 counts of mistreating animals. Please see links below. On 12/19 75 animals were seized. & as of 1/6 43 pups have been born.
http://www.doodlekisses.com/profile/JanellGibson
http://kfgo.com/news/articles/2017/jan/02/sd-kennel-owner-charged-7...
https://www.facebook.com/215612149464/photos/pcb.10155693155049465/...

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Makes me want to reach through my iPad and cuddle this pup. So sad that all they know of life is misery.
Shame on these people that do this to defenseless dogs.

[Amy and Annabelle]

This has really upset me. So I followed the link to the facebook page of the rescue group that took in the dogs. Seeing some of the puppies happily enjoying their bubble baths made me smile, so with that I am going to bed.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

And at least ten of the dogs were pregnant at the time of the seizure; 4 have had litters since they've been with the humane society shelter. So breeding was still actively going on, as were sales:

http://www.keloland.com/news/article/news/pregnant-dogs-in-animal-s...

[Anastasia]

Keep watching the humane societies Facebook page. I know there are more puppies to come. Thank God they are in a safe, warm place now.

[Kaitee and Orwell]

This is so sad. I'm following the situation and I hope all the animals find great homes. If I was at a time in my life to adopt, I would. 

Question: Anyone know how much jail time will she get for these 37 counts?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Probably not much. The laws in most places are pretty lax about animal cruelty, and that's probably only going to get worse now, with all the calls for deregulating everything and eliminating oversight agencies. It's all about making a buck as cheaply and easily as possible. 

[Kaitee and Orwell]

I just read that she was able to post bail so I'm not too hopeful anymore. 

[Anastasia]

This is an excerpt from the article below. We can pray she gets the max sentence but in reality I'm sure they will plea bargain down to something that is certainly not just at all!

Each count against Gibson is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in the county jail and a $2,000 fine. That means the maximum combined penalty for all 37 counts is 37 years in jail and a $74,000 fine, although a judge could impose a lesser sentence.

http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/criminal-counts-filed-agains...

[Kaitee and Orwell]

$300 bail, wow. That's just a speeding ticket. 

This makes me very angry and I hope she gets at least a couple of years since it's pretty safe to say she'll probably weasel her way out of 37. 

[charlotte bednarsh]

I, like all of you, am distraught and appalled by this woman's inhumane treatment of helpless, vulnerable animals.   Admittedly, I am unfamiliar with the legal ramifications, however, I am wondering how easy it will be for this heartless woman to change her puppy mill's name and start over somewhere else?   How difficult would it be to "red flag" this woman if she attempts to start her business elsewhere?   In my heart, I doubt this woman will cease this behavior, because the punishment certainly doesn't fit the crime, so I'm just hoping there is a way the word could be spread to discourage future buyers.  I looked at her website and would never suspect she is running a puppy mill...

[Amy and Annabelle]

Same here, she is good at being bad, because I never would have suspected she was such a heartless creature by looking at her website.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

From my internet searches, it appears that family members may have already relocated the "breeding business". 

This is the whole point of the many warnings not to buy a puppy online, to visit the facility, to check health testing, etc. You cannot judge by a website. You cannot judge by pictures of cute puppies. And you certainly cannot judge by "testimonials". As Adina so wisely says in our What to Look for in a Breeder guideline, you must "dig deep".