I wonder why the other party didn't report this to the RSPCA when they took the dogs back from this lady - or if they did, why didn't the story come to light then ?!

They alledgedly did but were told she has such a good reputation that no inspection would be carried out.

Brigstock in shock over abandoned animals

The former owner of Wardana kennels is among those shocked by the news.
Former owner John Chudley had the site for 30 years and sold it to Mary-Ellen Collis in 2001.

He said: "It's unbelievable. How can you leave all those dogs behind? I can't imagine she had gone away. She can't be well. I believe she bred dogs. It wADVERTISEMENTas a boarding kennel when I had it.

"Of course it's sad to hear about this. We are all upset.

"I was born there. I had it for 30 years but I was moving towards 60 and my children weren't interested. It may have been a bit of a mistake."

Ray Rodden, of Corby, said: "For the last three years I boarded my cat, Chloe, at Wardana. I always found the girl who signed her in to be friendly and efficient.

"I've never had a problem with Wardana. The cats were boarded outside while the dogs had indoor kennels which, from the outside, seemed a well-built brick structure. Obviously, something has gone very wrong with the people running it.

"In the past Wardana won awards for its dogs so something dreadful has happened here."

David Warren, of The Syke, Brigstock, said: "It's wrong that any animal is ill-treated."

Maureen Druce, of Maureen's Newsagents in Brigstock, said: "In a village of country folk who are animal lovers, you don't expect this."

Corby Council leader and dog owner Pat Fawcett said: "I fell out with Wardana over my dogs about May or June time. I took them there when I was going to the local government conference. They seemed to be having problems. My dogs didn't like going."

County councillor, dog owner and resident in neighbouring village Stanion, Stan Heggs, said: "A friend of my daughter's works at the kennels on Sundays.

"She hasn't been paid for several weeks and has been very upset.

"I've been told there were also some dogs in the house and that the owner has just cleared off and nobody knows where she's gone.

"I'm disgusted with this."

http://www.northantset.co.uk/news/Brigstock-in-shock-over-abandoned.4750150.jp

and

Rescuer horrified at starving St Bernard dogs in Brigstock

The man who raised the alarm about the abandoned dogs at Wardana said he was "horrified" by what he saw inside the kennels.
David Nolan visited the site numerous times over a number of days and made up to 100 phone calls to try to check on his dog Benson, who had been put into kennels about a week-and-a-half ago.

Mr Nolan, of Kettering, said: "I had been trying to see him since three days after he was dropped off here. I came down during the day and no-one was here. I left between 50 and 100 phone messages."

Eventually, he climbed the fence of the kennels to find out what was going on.

He said: "Me, my sister and a friend called the RSPCA and it went from there.

"It was horrific. The dogs were skin and bones, they were starving. There were a couple of them that couldn't stand, ones with ulcers on their eyes and dogs with various ailments.

"One of them had to be destroyed before it was moved and one didn't make it through the night.

"Benson was going to be in the kennels until after Christmas so it's a good job I came back, otherwise there's no way he would have lived.

"I was very angry. Benson had probably lost 40 per cent of his body weight from when I dropped him off. Fortunately he was a chubby little dog, otherwise we would probably be looking at a different picture, or if I had come later.

"That anger I felt was quickly overcome by concern for the other creatures here."

Mr Nolan said he regretted not acting on his instinct that something was wrong a day or two earlier, but was glad the situation had been brought to light.

He said: "I'm happy that my dog's going to be ok, I'm just not happy about the condition I found him in.

"I had a gut feeling something was wrong."

http://www.northantset.co.uk/news/Rescuer-horrified-at-starving-St.4750151.jp

I am very concerned about this lady's welfare by now, why is no one looking for her? Or if they are why isn't there an appeal out?

ok this is going to sound crazy but i remember many moons ago a friend of the family who was a pig farmer went missing and after a few weeks the alarm was raised when someone found his farm empty, pigs killing and eating each other in desperation........and eventually it was discovered (well presumed as there were no witnesses!)hed fallen over, banged his head, become uncounscious and the pigs had eaten every last morsel :(  Hope this has hasnt happened to her!

That is one reason I will never have a pet pig! *shudder* (GCG takes a bite out of her bacon bun)

I am really worried though.  I truly hope the police have put out a missing persons alert and checked if her cards or passport has been used recently.  What a horrible thing to happen at this family time of year.

It looks like she bought the boarding kennels in 2001.  I've seen soooo many times, people who keep/show/breed a few dogs themselves buy a boarding kennel, thinking that it's just doing more of what they already do!  They have no boarding experience and the business gradually declines, while in the meantime, they fill any space with more and more of their own dogs and it doesn't take too long before there's more going out than is coming in. :(

Unfortunately, anyone with the money can buy a boarding kennel with no experience at all. :(  But I do hope that she's OK.

There is a rumour that the owner is in Tenerife and due back tomorrow.  But like I say, just a rumour.

Hadn't any members of the staff reported things before it got this far?

Do we know if food was on the premises, it is possible she went away leaving someone in charge who never bothered to care for the dogs. There are so many possibilities. We must keep an open mind i guess, but if she did leave someone in charge why did they not care for the dogs. Will be interesting to find out the outcome.  I do find it strange there has been no huge media coverage, usually press and tv news are quick to jump on these stories, I have seen no national tv coverage so far. Has anyone else seen any?

Not that I'd believe anything that I read on here, but it says that the dogs were fed and watered!  Curiouser and curiouser!
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1994069.ece

Yes but it also says she is a trained vet and that is not true if you read other stories, she it a vet nurse!! but then it is the Sun lol. But if bowls were turned over what evidence is there they were fed and watered, it just gets more confusing as it goes on. Still no mention of Staff but read somewhere a young girl used to book boarders in, so where was she?

Let's face it though dogs this size leave pretty big parcels so wouldn't actually take very long for a kennel to be full of it! 

Wouldn't like to be the owner if she is coming back tomorrow!!

She's been arrested...

Police make two arrests in St Bernard dogs inquiry

A man and a woman have been arrested in connection with an RSPCA investigation into the discovery of 98 St Bernard dogs that appeared to have been abandoned at a kennels.
A 50-year-old woman was taken into custody by police who arrested her in Brigstock this morning.

A 57-year-old man was also arrested in Thrapston at the same time.

Police officers carried out the arrests on behalf of the RSPCA.

Dog owner David Nolan broke into the Wardana kennels in Stanion Road, Brigstock, on Friday evening after becoming concerned about the safety of his beloved pet because he could not contact the owner.

There he found 98 St Bernard's and four other dogs locked in their kennels and covered in excrement. One was already dead and a second later died on the operating table.

On their arrest, the man and woman were taken to Corby Police Station in Elizabeth Street and interviewed.

The woman was released yesterday evening and the man was still in custody last night.

An RSPCA spokesman said last night: "We have interviewed a man and a woman in connection with the discovery of the dogs.

"The arrest was carried out by Northamptonshire Police.

"We are no longer looking for the people we were searching for earlier this week but we do have more interviews to carry out in connection with the case."

"The dogs concerned are recovering and are all being well looked-after."

A police spokesman said: "We carried out the arrests on behalf of the RSPCA. The 50-year-old woman has been given police bail until January."

Those poor dogs. It all sounds really weird, with the missing and now possibly arrested owner???

Sounds bad now doesn't it, oh well we were all very kind in giving the benefit of the doubt to start with,

Looks now as though the dogs were left whilst the owner jetted off, with someone to feed them, obviously no exercise and no cleaning up every day, I agree it would not take long for dogs to dirty the kennel. Perhaps the person that was left in charge was unreliable, well no doubt this person was, but to be honest that is the kennel owners fault to leave someone like that in charge of all those lives, but just maybe she thought the dogs would be cared for?

Knowing the way the world works, she will most probably get a slapped wrist and be open again for Christmas.

Perhaps the person that was left in charge was unreliable, well no doubt this person was, but to be honest that is the kennel owners fault to leave someone like that in charge of all those lives, but just maybe she thought the dogs would be cared for?

Although I am totally reliable, I have been let down by others before now - many times! :( 

I think there's more to this than we are being told by the newspapers at the moment - even they aren't all telling the same story. :(  From personal experience, when papers have done articles on me and mine in the past, the finished article has never borne any resemblance to the interview that took place!  All that I believe at the moment is that  she has been found, alive and well, arrested and bailed.

> Looks now as though the dogs were left whilst the owner jetted off, with someone to feed them, obviously no exercise and no cleaning up every day

"It was horrific. The dogs were skin and bones, they were starving. There were a couple of them that couldn't stand, ones with ulcers on their eyes and dogs with various ailments.

"One of them had to be destroyed before it was moved and one didn't make it through the night."

If  the report is to be believed,
A little more serious than that I think.

If reports are to be believed

That's my point. :)  Some reports said they were well fed and watered, just dirty.  And out of 100 dogs, some must have been very old and infirm, and obviously not getting the right care with the arrangements made, whatever they were. 

I'm rarely give people the benefit of the doubt where dogs are concerned but I don't believe anything that I read in the press.  Something has gone very wrong but that's all I'm sure of at the moment. :)

Hopefully this will be a serious criminal prosecution.  They have not only abused animals but have charged for the service! They have also been breeding from bitches they do not own and so puting the bitches at risk and then stealing the pups!

It's lovely that folks here have though it not piossible for someone to be so deliberately cruel and abusive towards animals but it's a sad fact of life that some are.  There is no excuse for this. No punishment is strong enough for these people.  

So many cruel and selfish people get away with their behaviour and their crimes because they are able to put on a good face and persuade people they are respectable and reputable!  Maybe people need to be less trusting and more thorough with their checks before crediting breeders with good reputation. Especially the KC.  This is their 'industry'!   It is about time they ran some home checks before registering litters of pups!   This would help weed out bad breeders but also act to protect good breeders too by providing official inspection  information about the standard of care they do actually offer their dogs so that if something goes wrong they have some defence.

> They have not only abused animals but have charged for the service! They have also been breeding from bitches they do not own and so puting the bitches at risk and then stealing the pups!
>

Has there been a court case already?

>It is about time they ran some home checks before registering litters of pups!

They are a breed registry.  There are other agencies involved in the criminal neglect or abuse of animals.  People that sign up to the ABS are subject to inspections and are inspected and expelled if found wanting but they are not the best placed agency for inspecting all breeders, many of which do not even use their registry.  The RSPCA are far more likely to obtain entry for a start.

a lady was on the radio this morning she has one of her dogs their and she is desperatly trying to find out about her dog
she was on the phone from america asking if anyone could contact her and let her know if her dog was still alive,
she said if she had been in her own home of holland she would of now been driving over to get her dog back

carolann

At the end of the day TWO dogs are dead. Alot of peeps seem to be forgetting about those. I, as much as anyone else on here, don't know the ins and outs of this case but lives have been lost and I would like to see someone being held accountable for that. Had she been a BYB or Puppy Miller the response on here would have been different. She has been given the benefit of the doubt and I hope the full details will come out eventually.  I don't think she would have been released on bail if she is entirely innocent of neglect.

The other party is still being held which is very interesting.  The owner of the facility obviously has to be held accountable for the tragedy.  However there are probably several members of staff who have to be held responsible also, this may have been prevented.  Did the staff (or former staff) not report the kennels to the appropriate authorities?  There is still so much we do not know.  It is so difficult not to judge on what little we know and I think it shows how wonderful and levelheaded the CD crowd people are.  I know of other forums where people are calling for blood already.

The lady from America/Holland, is this not the same lady who is mentioned in a link above?  She already rescued 2 of her dogs, one which looked like it had puppies recently.

just because she showed her dogs or made up champions etc dosent mean she isnt a puppy farmer how else would anyone explain having 98 dogs of the same breed?

just because she showed her dogs or made up champions etc dosent mean she isnt a puppy farmer how else would anyone explain having 98 dogs of the same breed?

Maybe she couldn't give them up to other homes after she finished showing each one?  Mental health reasons?  I have the same problem with paperwork, I can't get rid of it I need to keep it as it is "mine".  Nobody has said it isn't odd, but at one point this was a well respected person who was at one point an embassador for the breed, something very tragic has obviously happened.  IMHO I would say it sounds like the little old ladies you hear with cats everywhere, you see them on the TV. 

> just because she showed her dogs or made up champions etc dosent mean she isnt a puppy farmer how else would anyone explain having 98 dogs of the same breed?

Maybe she is "old school".  The fact that she seems devoted to one breed, and not a terribly commercial one either, is one indication that money may not be her driving force.

maybee it all does seem very odd and its not something that has just been bought to light with the kc or relevant societys either if you look on this breeders website in america her dispute of basically the same thing neglect of her dogs was from june/july of this year so strange how nothing was done earlier but now that they have arrested the people concerned maybee answers to all the above will soon follow. it almost makes you hope there are mental health issues that play apart in this as i would hate to think this neglect has been carried out by a sain minded person. but untill the facts come out i guess we will never know

The driving force SHOULD be the welfare of her dogs.

> The driving force SHOULD be the welfare of her dogs.

Indeed but people do get mentally ill or they go away and believe they have left them in the hands of someone they believe to be competent.  I think we need to wait for the end of the process before we know just who, if anyone, is responsible for what happened.

oh my god!! what an awful way to go!! :(

It's lovely that folks here have though it not piossible for someone to be so deliberately cruel and abusive towards animals but it's a sad fact of life that some are. 

I personally hadn't made my mind up either way - what I was saying was that, at the time of my posting, there wasn't any evidence as to what had occurred and I was not going to condemn someone on speculation and possiblities. In fact there still isn't any evidence to say what has gone on in in this tragedy so my judgement is still reserved :-)

I am very aware that acts of cruelty are a sad fact of life but, to date, I do not know the facts of this case and so am unable to know what has happened or who is to blame.

If you read through all the post and click on the links to the newspaper articles it explains what has happened to the dogs etc. :)

The driving force SHOULD be the welfare of her dogs.

We all agree on that BUT we all look after our dogs differently.  Some are kept indoors, some in kennels, some are taken to the Vet once a month, others don't see a Vet from one year to the next.  Some part with their older dogs, others would find that unacceptable etc etc.  100 dogs wouldn't suit me but I know some people who choose to live in what I consider to be a kennel tehmselves and devote their whole lives to their dogs! 

Of course I'm sorry that 2 dogs have died but we don't know under what circumstances.  Dogs die regularly in RSPCA and Dogs Trust kennels for all sorts of reasons and nobody has a clue so far what's been happening here.

If this woman has been deliberately neglecting her dogs, then of course she should be taken to task.  But at the moment, we know nothing apart from gossip and red top newspaper rubbish.

The report was a strange one eh.. is said in one sentence they had been fed and the very next sentence it said 2 had died.

How long can a dog survive without food and water? 

I always like to give the benefit of the doubt but that was a strange one with the alledged 3 puppies that were returned to the breeder abroad after not being paid for in an awful state and that was in the summer months.

Something sadly went seriously wrong.  Really I question being able to own so many dogs I know people do.

It is sadly another dig at breeders one we didn't need right now.   Just hope it is not neglect and something has went sadly wrong but explainable.

I know some people who choose to live in what I consider to be a kennel tehmselves and devote their whole lives to their dogs!

OMG...youve been to my home!!!! LOL

Each to their own Sam, each to their own! :) :)  Tee hee!

Really I question being able to own so many dogs I know people do.
Blue I used to run kennels with 100 quarantine dogs, 100 boarding dogs, 32 owners dogs, 60 in the cattery plus litters etc!  I had 11 staff and the owner gave her directions as to how it should be run, which I didn't think was acceptable for the dogs or staff.  I did my best to persuade her to change things but failed and so I left before 12 months was up!  On days when the rostered staff didn't turn up, the dogs barely got fed, watered and exercised, which to me isn't satisfactory at all but she paid them peanuts, and she got monkeys.  And that's not an uncommon story. :(

Shocking Val. I still think actually owning 100 is a bit much as that is 100 dogs you are finacially responsible for to..

I am sure the story will unfold soon.. :-)

I have friends with 10 or 20 dogs and that seems too many to me! I can see myself with 4 or 5, but certainly no more than 6!

and its isnt as like she had 100 minature poodles!!!!

Absolutely.  Imagine clipping all those! ;)

and its isnt as like she had 100 minature poodles!!!!

Crikey!  My fingers and back cramp up from the two I have already lol!  You'd never have any time to do housework as once you finished grooming it would be time to start again.  Think that happened to a poodle breeder in Oz or US.

Can't imagine picking up 100 dogs poos every day, several times a day (huge dog=huge poo).

> I still think actually owning 100 is a bit much as that is 100 dogs you are finacially responsible for to

I agree. I can maybe understand somebody owning that many working dogs (ie, hunting dogs) as they can be fulfilled through thier work, but I can't imagine 98 St. Bernards going on a daily/weekly rescue missions :(

Has there been a court case already?

An owner of a dog don't need a court case to know what's happened to ther own dogs.

With children and abuse the kids actaslly come first. There is none of this innocence until proven guilty where child abuse is concered because you can't wait until a child is dead before acting. You must be much more careful.  The criminal prosecutions are a long way down the line after the protection of children ! And it is the same with animals or should be.

You must heed the alarm bells. And if it is a mistake the individual accused, if they love their dogs, will be grateful to know that people cared enough about their dogs to act!  If I got sick and wasn't taking care of my dogs I would want someone to step in! My dogs matter more then my pride and my reputation! And I know so because this happend with my children and after I recovered from the horror ( and it really was a terrible time full of worry over what I felt to be the safety of my kids  )  I am now very pleased that although it was a dreadful ordeal to go through that the safety of my children mattered so much to society.  Sometimes you have to risk being wrong to do the right thing. End of the day if you get it wrong through action you can say sorry and the harm is undone. If you just pretend it is all oky and do nothing and someone, a child or animal, gets hurt nothing can undo the damage.  Best to play safe.

But with these dogs it looks to me that it was ignored and not dealt with even though the alarm bells were ringing for months.

They are a breed registry.

They take money in exchange for registering Pups. They list Breeders on the ABS.  The public accept this as a KC endorsment of pups and pups are exchanged at times for large sums of money - morse so in some breeds.  Therfore yes the KC should hold a high level of responsibility.  Especially for the breeds which could be seen as money spinners!   These breeds need protecting not exploiting.

"you can't wait until a child is dead before acting."

I take it you've never heard of Haringey social services then?

I'm responding to the post made by Rottman about social services but I don't want to repeat it or use the quote mechanism 

This comment is in really poor taste and I'm sure I can't be the only one to find this offensive

Please keep this thread on topic - discussions & comments re child abuse cases are not appropriate for this thread.

Then perhaps you should ask Tenaj why she used child abuse as a comparison, rather than targetting the person who responded to her use of child abuse in the first place, she is afterall the one who said it was no different to child abuse.

Tenaj, all we know is what we are reading in the papers.  Until a court case or some other kind of official report we know nothing about what really happened regarding this persons state of health for instance or any other person who was possibly given any level of responsibility here.
Even social workers would not take action on the basis of a newspaper report without any sort of direct contact with the parties.

> Then perhaps you should ask Tenaj why she used child abuse as a comparison, rather than targetting the person who responded to her use of child abuse in the first place, she is afterall the one who said it was no different to child abuse.

I did not target anyone - my reply simply ended up underneath yours but my comments were directed at anyone veering off into a different subject completely.

> Had she been a BYB or Puppy Miller the response on here would have been different.

I agree.

>> Had she been a BYB or Puppy Miller the response on here would have been different.
> I agree.

So do I but if we had advanced to knowing that we would be on much firmer ground for commenting at all wouldn't we. 
I don't think anyone is defending her just acknowledging that we should have an open mind whilst so little is known or understood.