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Owner arrested, over 400 dogs rescued from Stroud breeding facility

By: TJ Eckert

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TULSA, Okla. — Days after horrible conditions at a Stroud dog breeding facility went viral, the owner was arrested and the over 400 dogs at his facility were rescued.

"It was probably one of the worst we've seen in such a small area," Lawrence DePriest from the Humane Society of Tulsa said.

They, along with organizations like Skiatook Paws and Claws, Oklahoma Westie Rescue and others, worked through the night to rescue over 400 dogs from "Add Love Pets."

Local News

'It's pretty rough looking:' Conditions at Stroud breeding facility go viral

TJ Eckert

"They were just kind of piled on top of each other in cages," Stroud Chief of Police Clint Gaylord said. "They had feces matted on their fur. Some of their skin was starting to separate from their bodies."

Gaylord called it one of the worst scenes he's been a part of as an officer, adding that the smell was even worse.

"It's one of the highest levels of ammonia that I've experienced in one of these cases, DePriest said. "It was horrible. We had to have the fire department actually put a ventilation system in there for us to work."

On July 15, authorities arrested the 83-year-old owner Jerry Hine on animal cruelty charges.

"He didn't really seem apologetic or remorseful," Gaylord said. "He wanted to play the blame game. He blamed a lot of different people for the situation he was in. He blamed his rough childhood. He blamed the humane society for his difficulty in selling the dogs."

Ironically, it was the Humane Society that was there overnight with multiple other organizations, gathering up the dogs and taking them to safety.

"We are working through a full and complete medical exam, making sure we have a full record of everything that's wrong with these animals," DePriest said.

Many people on social media were relieved to see the brutal conditions at the facility brought to light, but some were frustrated with how long it took. People say they've complained about Hime for years.

"Well it was a different situation this time," Gaylord said. "My understanding from the Department of Agriculture was that his last dog count was around 180 dogs back in December. He had well over 400 this time, so the situation had escalated."

Now over 400 dogs, in their worst possible situation, back on the road to living their best life.

"They're on their way to their happy ending," DePriest said. "They're a lot closer than they were yesterday."

All of the organizations taking in these dogs say donations are the best way to help. We've included a link to their pages below.

Humane Society of Tulsa

Skiatook Paws and Claws

Oklahoma Westie Rescue