KUSA - After the release of an undercover video, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investigating a breeder who sold numerous Airedale Terriers to Coloradans.
9NEWS is choosing not to identify the New Mexico based breeder or the name of the company until the outcome of the investigation, or until official charges are filed.
Rescue organizations in Colorado are familiar with the breeder for reasons they call, alarming.
Priscilla Lundblad's love for the breed kept her working with Airedale rescues for the past decade. She says she specifically remembers the dogs from the breeder under investigation in McIntosh, New Mexico.
"The best way to describe it is they were different," Lundblad said. "They're paralyzed by fear some of them and they're not socialized."
Undercover video recorded by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), an animal rights non-profit that aids with legal proceedings, shows matted dogs roaming outdoors with no apparent shelter, according to ALDF attorney Jessica Blome. McIntosh drops to about 15 degrees at night on a routine basis.
"What we discovered was absolutely horrific and appalling conditions," Blome said. "This is definitely at the top of my list for worst puppy mills I've ever seen."
The ALDF said everything from the enclosure to food and water, violated safe practices. The breeder is also operating without a license, according to the USDA.
Numerous buyers and rescuers say their Airedale's ended up suffering from hip dysplasia or autoimmune disease.
Blome says, anyone thinking about buying from a breeder should do their research and pick small breeders. "Pick breeders who only have one or two breeding pairs and who breed the dogs out of their home.”
