Officials Raid Hickman Co. Puppy Mill (again!), Rescuing Nearly 700

Wednesday, June 25, 2008, nearly 700 dogs were rescued from "deplorable" living conditions after several tips lead officials to a massive puppy mill, operating under the name Pine Bluff Kennels, in Lyles, Tennessee. The animals were found living in their own feces, without even the basics of food and water. Others were already dead. Various other animals, including horses, cows, cats, and even birds also on the property were seized in the raid. This is being called the "largest animal rescue ever conducted in tennessee."

Adkisson has relinquished ownership of the animals and they will now be sent to shelters across the nation to await adoption. Dispite all the media attention surrounding the raid, one key fact is being left out: this is not Patricia Adkisson's first offense.

In December 1998, officials removed more than 300 dogs, 30 horses, and 20 cats from Adkisson's "care." Most were placed in foster homes, but three dogs in extremely poor physical condition had to be euthanized. In 1999, Adkisson was indicted on 253 counts of cruelty to animals.

In January 2000, in a trial that lasted only 3 days, Adkisson was found guilty on 3 counts of animal cruelty. She was fined a total of 3,000 dollars (1,000 per dog) and the judge ruled that she could not own animals for 5 years without supervision from the Hickman County Humane Society. She also recieved just slightly less than three years probation.

No more than a year after Adkisson's conviction, Hickman County animal control officials discovered more than 164 dogs living in situations sickeningly simiar to the puppy mill discovered in 1998. This home was owned by the same person who ran that puppy mill: Patricia Adkisson. She was taken into police custody for a second time, now facing more charges of animal cruelty on top of the violation of her probation. However, in October 2001, a court of appeals overturned Adkisson's animal cruelty conviction due to an "improper search of the woman's propery."

The following excerpt is a volunteer's first-hand account of the appalling living conditions on this puppy farm in 2000: