The future of many canines once housed at Puppy Luv Animal Rescue has taken a turn towards hope as the organization agrees to relinquish its remaining dog population to the Arizona Humane Society (AHS), as confirmed by a FOX10 Phoenix report. The North Phoenix shelter, once a haven for rescue dogs, came under scrutiny for noncompliance issues that included inadequate kennel sizes and improper water conditions up until October 15.
According to AZFamily, within a short timeframe, the Arizona Humane Society visited Puppy Luv on numerous occasions, delivering three notices of complaints. The allegations detailed unclean kennels, cramped living spaces, and insecure water sources, though the Phoenix Police Department has not yet issued citations against Puppy Luv. “The violations that we did observe while we were there were unclean, unsanitary kennels. Kennels that were too small for the animals, and we found unsecure water buckets,” Tracey Miller, Director of Field Operations at AHS, described the unsettling situation.
Additionally, the AHS's involvement stems from tips suggesting severe neglect. Animal activist Samantha DiGiandomenico, who delved into the welfare of the animals at Puppy Luv after hearing distressing accounts months ago, expressed shock and dismay at the conditions saying, “Immediately your heart hurts. It’s just unconscionable for someone to be in a rescue and operate that way,” in a statement obtained by AZFamily.
In defense, Puppy Luv issued a statement asserting that the person behind the accusations was a former cleaning manager who was dismissed after failing to maintain the shelter, thus causing the animals' ill health her statement was relayed from the shelter and contained assertions that cast blame on the former employee for the unsavory conditions found during the owner's absence, they said in part, "It’s important to clarify that the person making these accusations was a former employee who served as our cleaning manager. During a week when the owner was away rescuing dogs, the facility was regrettably left in a state of disarray, leading to her prompt dismissal. Now, she is sharing photos of dogs that were left in filth during her care, which unfortunately resulted in some of them getting sick ... We have not been sighted (sic) by Phoenix PD or Mesa PD," AZFmaily noted.
