Alleged puppy farms were located close to RSPCA greyhound raids years earlier

Almost 80 dogs seized from alleged puppy farms west of Brisbane this week were taken from close to where other high-profile RSPCA raids were carried out years earlier.

ALMOST 80 dogs seized by the RSPCA in raids on Tuesday were taken from near to where greyhound raids were carried out in the Lockyer Valley years earlier, according to residents.

Members of the RSPCA Queensland Inspectorate Taskforce discovered hundreds of dogs and puppies of various breeds on four properties in Churchable on Tuesday in what the RSPCA has described as a “large-scale, intensive breeding operation in conjunction with one another.”

Daniel Young, RSPCA Chief Inspector said inspectors executed warrants on the four properties, in the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane, simultaneously on Tuesday, following a number of complaints, in an operation dubbed Rolling Thunder.

He said 78 puppies and dogs were seized from two of the properties, but none of them were greyhounds.

“Though there were greyhounds at one of the properties,” he said.

The Courier-Mail is not suggesting a connection between Tuesday’s raids and the greyhound raids from 2015.

These French Bulldog puppies were among 78 dogs and puppies seized by the RSPCA in a raid of alleged puppy farms in the Lockyer Valley earlier this week. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

The dogs and puppies seized — which ranged from French Bulldogs to Golden Retrievers to dachshunds — were allegedly suffering from medical issues or had behavioural issues, mostly as a result of lack of socialisation.

The RSPCA’s Chief veterinarian, Anne Chester, said the most critical dogs were brought in to the RSPCA Animal Hospital in Wacol first on Tuesday, with others arriving throughout the day.

“The more critical ones came in first, then the mums and puppies, and we finished up about 10pm that night,” she said.

Dr Chester said an 18-month-old Boston terrier, named Gracie, was anaemic so she was placed in intensive care and given an immediate blood transfusion.

“She had a high hookworm burden, as did a lot of the puppies and dogs,” she said.

“If not the actual cause of the anaemia, it certainly contributes.”

Gracie the Boston terrier was seized by RSPCA Inspectors and given an emergency blood transfusion. Picture: RSPCA Queensland

Dr Chester said Gracie was now out of ICU and was stable, but is still on fluids and being monitored carefully.

“She was stable yesterday, but because she’s a very thin little dog that had suffered a major illness, we’re still not saying she’s out of the woods,” she said.

Some dogs had broken bones or had previously had broken bones that appeared to have healed on their own, while other dogs were treated for bite wounds, ear infections or dental diseases.

“There were bite wounds that required antibiotics, and there were a dogs with dental diseases, some with a severe amount of calculus,’ she said.

One of the dogs seized in the RSPCA's puppy farm raid receives vet care. Picture: RSPCA Queensland

Dr Chester said some of the dogs were so severely matted they would have to be sedated to be clipped.

She said a behavioural team had already started working with some of the dogs.

“They’ve been in (dog) runs with very little human interaction, so they are scared and shut down,” she said.

A resident of the road where the raids were carried out Tuesday said there used to be some greyhound breeders nearby until a live-baiting scandal within the racing industry was revealed in 2015.

Piglets, rabbits and possums were tied to a mechanical lure arm with greyhounds encouraged to catch the live animals.

Some of the then-residents were later convicted of being involved in live-baiting and banned from racing greyhounds.

One of the dogs seized by the RSPCA from two Lockyer Valley properties on Tuesday. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

A neighbour near a property in this week’s raid, who asked not to be named, said some of the footage released by the RSPCA showing at least one of the properties was questionable.

“If you look at that RSPCA footage, none of the kennels are really dirty,” she said.

She said that property had always been clean and maintained.

Messages left by the Courier Mail with some of the dog owners who were raided this week were not returned.