LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — It's no secret that Clark County is dealing with animal overcrowding. Local shelters like The Animal Foundation said it is running out of space.
"In June, we saw over 2,500 animals taken into the shelter," said Marketing and Communications Coordinator Max Blaustein.
From strays to surrenders, the problem keeps getting worse.
Animal advocate Dave Schweiger believes a big source of the problem is illegal breeding. He runs "Illegal Breeding Busters," a group of volunteers working to stop illegal breeders.
"If we were proactively going after the illegal breeders, we wouldn't need so much help at shelters and rescues," Schweiger said.
Last month, 39 dogs were taken from a single home near Lake Mead and Lamb to The Animal Foundation.
The dogs were mostly French bulldogs and police believe the home was running an illegal "backyard breeding" operation.
Originally, Henderson Police were serving a search warrant on the house related to a drug investigation. Police said officers stumbled across the puppy mill.
Channel 13 filed a public records request to get a closer look at what officers came across.
We received an Animal Protective Services report detailing everything officers saw, as well as photos from the inspection and screenshots of what appear to be a breeding business advertisement.
According to the report, along with more than three dozen dogs; two horses, over 100 chickens, and a couple of goats were also on the property.
Officers said they saw four pregnant French bulldogs and also saw a nursing French Bulldog mother and four neonatal puppies in their own individual room.
While officers noted the dogs appeared healthy, several photos show dogs in cases with feces.
Schweiger said the illegal breeding problem is rampant in the valley.
"If you go on Craigslist any weekend, you'll see hundreds and hundreds of illegal breeders," Schweiger said.
Screenshots obtained by Channel 13 show the breeder, that police have identified as Yankiel Gonzalez, had several social media accounts advertising the dogs. One page is called "Game Over Frenchy 702."
In one post, Gonzalez writes in Spanish:
"Merle is 11 months old. Look at those blue eyes. I couldn't take better photos. She's the crazy one in the house. Blessed."
In another picture, one of the dogs is shown selling for $5,000 with a $1,000 deposit.
According to the animal protective services report, Gonzalez did not know he needed a breeding permit and admitted selling the dogs between $2,000 and $5,000. The report states Gonzalez was cited and was looking to find a way for his "dogs to be reclaimed intact."
As of last check, the 39 dogs are still on a legal hold pending the investigation.
