First of the Langley puppy mill dogs now ready for adoption

A number of the dogs seized from a Langley puppy mill, Feb. 4, are now ready for adoption, according to the B.C. SPCA.

The organization says 66 dogs were found living in deplorable conditions — many had medical issues such as infections and abscesses or were malnourished, while some had more serious issues including broken limbs and missing eyes and ears.

"Our immediate issues were just making sure they were in good health. So they were all vetted, provided with vaccinations, reworking, flea treatment, grooming," said BC SPCA Vancouver Branch Manager Charlotte Ellice. "There's definitely some psychological issues that will be probably life-long."

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"Fear, phobias — some of these dogs never saw daylight — obviously some compulsive behaviour like spinning, tail chasing, circling in their kennels, anxiety. House training is a big one," said Ellice.

Twenty-three of the dogs are now ready for adoption, including Wheaton terriers, Old English sheepdogs, Portuguese water dogs, a Bernese mountain dog, and a standard poodle.

There are also some puppies, including a litter of Wheaton-poodle dogs called 'whoodles.'

Looking for 'best possible match'

"We're certainly not going to have an issue with adopting these dogs out. It's just now we're going to determine, what's the best possible match for these dogs," said Ellice.

"These dogs are definitely not going to be your typical dogs that you adopt or rescue and take in," she said. "These dogs have never lived in homes before."

Ellice said unlikely things like kitchen blenders, door-knocking, or toilet flushing could trigger fear responses, and many of the grown dogs have never been house-trained.

"We've certainly have never had difficulty finding those special people that are equally looking for a project to take on."

Anyone interested in adopting the dog must attend one of the SPCA's information sessions on March 2. They're being held at 4:30 p.m., 6 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. in Room 1228B at Vancouver Community College (1155 East Broadway), and pre-registration is required.