Woman charged with 65 counts of animal cruelty
DOTY, Wash. -- A woman now faces a litany of charges after dozens of dogs were rescued from her home in Doty in October.
The Lewis County prosecutors office filed 65 counts of second degree animal cruelty against Nancy Punches Friday, one for each dog seized from her home.
Animal rescue teams said the dogs were found in deplorable conditions, living alongside mounds of their own waste. They said they had no choice but to seize the 45 dogs and 20 puppies.
The 65 puppies came from four foxhound puppies that were rescued along with Punches when she was trapped in her house by the 2007 flood of the Chehalis River.
A new home was donated, and Punches said her breeding operation started all over again with those four puppies. But the sheriff said somewhere along the way, it became too much for her to handle.
The dog breeding went unchecked and grew to 65 dogs with the 78-year-old breeder unable to maintain clean living conditions for them.
The Lewis County prosecutors office filed 65 counts of second degree animal cruelty against Nancy Punches Friday, one for each dog seized from her home.
Animal rescue teams said the dogs were found in deplorable conditions, living alongside mounds of their own waste. They said they had no choice but to seize the 45 dogs and 20 puppies.
The 65 puppies came from four foxhound puppies that were rescued along with Punches when she was trapped in her house by the 2007 flood of the Chehalis River.
A new home was donated, and Punches said her breeding operation started all over again with those four puppies. But the sheriff said somewhere along the way, it became too much for her to handle.
The dog breeding went unchecked and grew to 65 dogs with the 78-year-old breeder unable to maintain clean living conditions for them.
She needs professional help not punishment. Maybe that horrific experience she went through in the flood triggered something that has led her to this over and above her incapacity to care for the dogs. Fines/jail time in this kind of case wont solve anything. Getting the dogs out of their situation-which has happened- and helping her to prevent it happening again will be the best answer.
*sigh* When this story was initially reported they didn't mention that she was a breeder and I had given her the benefit of the doubt...now I hope they can relegate her to an acceptable number of animals and require that she spay/neuter those that she gets to keep.
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This is why I rescue dogs from either rescue organizations or shelters. I couldn't bear the thought of my puppy or their mother living in these kinds of conditions.
I am glad to see that charges are being brought up against this woman. I understand that she is old and got in over her head but those dogs suffered because of her neglect and she shouldn't get off scot-free. If she couldn't properly care for the animals anymore then she shouldn't have had them, period. She should have asked for help or found homes for them. Those dogs shouldn't have suffered the way they did at the hands of this woman.
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I seriously hope all the dogs are ok health wise. I find it atrocious that all these 65 pups came from the 4 that were rescued during the flood. Who knows what kind of health problems those poor dogs had to deal with because of her incestuous breeding practices. People have NO BUSINESS irresponsibly breeding animals. If she cared for the dogs she wouldn't have done it.
I do hope they don't charge this 78 year old with heavy jail time or anything. It does sound like she got in over her head.  (this is an edit to my others posts).
Ah poor dogs. People who breed dogs should have a license and the space and money to do it other wise we end up with this kind of thing. I purchased a pure bred black lab from Craigs list. He died at a year old. He would eat every thing all the time,( he finally ate a pair of head phones the wire perforated his intestines and he was poisoned to death). turns out he was lacking some thing his mother would have given him thru her breast milk. She was sick when she gave birth and was unable to feed the puppies so we got him at for weeks. They said they were not a puppy mill. I found out later that what they were. Its a shame.
@Cindertang I am so sorry about your dog... yes, puppy mills need to be wiped out! They cause too much heartache for all involved.
Sad how we have grown into a society that cares more for an animal then another human being. This woman is old. It simply got overwhelming for her. I'm sure she actually cared about everyone of them but was afraid to ask for help in fear of them being taken away. Just be glad they got rescued, even though most of them will most likely be euthanized because homes won't be found. Don't preech to me about "no kill" shelters because that's a load of crap. They may not kill on site but they do transfer unwanted animals to other shelters for euthanasia. I used to volunteer at a "no kill" shelter that did that exact thing.
@Barlion Taking care of animals also takes care of people. When we get rid of rotten meat due to factory farming - we help people's health. When we take this woman's dogs away - we help both the dog and her - if she was too proud or sick or whatever - we have helped both. Now, maybe she can get some help for herself. This idea that people either take care of animals or take care of people is also a load of crap.
 @Barlion I agree with you Barlion. It's sad the animals lived in those conditions however, she did surrender the animals and she is definitely old. I'm upset they charged her. Sometimes things just get overwhelming and out of our hands and panic sets in. I hope they give her leniency on the understanding she is not to have more than one dog going forward.Â
 @Nicola  @Barlion that is balanced,
 @Barlion It is caring more for dogs than humans, it caring about living creatures who can't defend or care for themselves. Ever hear of dog rescues? They don't kill.Â
I also believe in feeding and housing homeless adults and children, giving hungry children lunch and breakfast if needed at school. Â
At 78 I hope they have some mercy.
 @Komo Dragon Of course, but she knew what she was doing. She ran a puppy mill in the past.
my yard can afford and will welcome more dogs. This is a tragidy of mental instability.Â
These dogs will have serious medical problems for life due to inbreeding. Speaking of inbreeding, I think Nancy Punches is the result of it.
How horrible. Hope this is the end of dog breeding for this lady.
 @STK If she's found guilty for even 3 counts she'll be barred from owning dogs for the rest of her life. It's in the law now.
It just never ceases to amaze me how many folks believe they are "rescuing" an animal when they purchase their pets from stores, newspapers, the internet...you name it. All this does is fund more cruelty behind closed doors and a female dog to be held hostage in deplorable conditions, bred over and over until she no longer serves a purpose- ultimately being discarded by her keepers.Â
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Supporting selfish, greedy backyard breeders means one less home for a much deserving animal sitting in a shelter waiting for it's forever home.
 @skepticaloptimist Agreed. petfinder.com
Dog breeders suck, all of them. These animals are bred for ONE reason - $$$$$. The females kept constantly pregnant, the puppies are not socialized, many of them aren't even seen by veterinarians and are sold with weakened immune systems and breed specific tendencies to ill health and physical deformities. Â
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Until there are no longer healthy animals being put to death in animal shelters all over this country by the millions every year, breeders need to be banned. All of them, period.
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You want a "purebred?" Â There are tons of rescue groups who specialize in purebreds. Yes, people dump those animals for all the same selfish reasons they dump any dog, cat, bird, chicken, lizard, hamster, guinea pig, rabbit, you name it. Pets aren't disposable, they are living, sensate beings. If you can't care for them for their lifetime, don't get one!
@comdown That's a way too generalized statement. Many dog breeders are rotten, I'll agree. But many are excellent for keeping good bloodlines, good health and keeping those lines going. Not the puppy mills and not those that are just out for a quick buck that's for sure. But not all breeders suck, as you say.
 @comdown Sometimes circumstances arise that prevent people from keeping a pet that they thought they were going to have for a very long time. Don't judge just because it hasn't happened to you yet. Be thankful you can provide such a home and hope that you are never one of those "selfish" people you mentioned.Â
@comdown There are many, many good breeders and it's a wonderful thing that there are -- or there would be no dogs. Where exactly did you imagine dogs come from? If you ban breeders (who are the people who breed strong, healthy, good tempered dogs that are free of hereditary problems), then all you have left is random breedings of sickly, badly built dogs with lists of hereditary health and temperament problems. What you are describing in your first paragraph is a puppy mill scenario. First off you must make up your mind whether you are talking about breeders or puppy mill operators. They are not the same. Puppy mill operators do indeed contribute to the number of dogs euthanized in shelters by doing the things you named. Breeders do not. Breeders breed carefully to eliminate tendencies toward epilepsy, blindness, deafness, and dozens of other hereditary problems. Breeders socialize all their puppies to give them a better start in life. Breeders carefully match puppies to potential owners for the best chance of a successful forever home. If the dog owner has problems with the dog, he can always depend on the breeder to be a mentor. If a health or behavior problem arises that the owner can't deal with, the breeder takes the dog back. If the owner's circumstances change and he can't keep the dog, the breeder takes the dog back. In addition to that, many breeders also do rescue work for their chosen breed. Some of my dogs have been rescue dogs, but I have lots of dog experience and I knew what I was getting into --- a lot of time and money spent working through problems that somebody else caused. Oh, and did I mention surprise health problems because nobody knew where the dog came from or what health issues the dog's parents had? A first time dog owner should get a healthy, trustworthy dog from a breeder who will be a friend and mentor. If more first time dog owners did that, there would be far fewer dogs dumped in shelters by people who are overwhelmed with problems they didn't anticipate and don't know how to solve.
 @grmnshepherdess  @comdown This is so well said........I too have worked in rescue operations. As a matter of fact German Shepherds is what I always have worked with......... I have seen both good and bad operations. A good breeder does it for the love of the breed, usually makes little money on it (certainly they arent getting rich). They promote and enhance the positives of the breed to enhance the breed.......
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I am saddened by this report, as I always am when I see animals in poor conditions. I am not, however, prepared to become Judge, Jury and Executioner towards her. At 78 any number of things could have happened in recent years to put her in this situation. I can only hope that some loving souls puts in the energy to help rehab these pups.......
 @comdown I normally would agree with you, but there are reputable breeders out there, (especially if you need the animal for service work) My Boxer, Zach came from one such kennel, where they only breed for service, therapy, and pet only. Because my dog has to start training before he's 3 months old, I'm not left with many options, (trust me, after my last service dog passed away from cancer, I looked in 6 states and 3 provinces for a puppy in shelters, rescues, ect.) I didn't have the luck in finding a puppy so I reached out to Wa State Boxer rescue, the founder of the group gave me a VERY short list of breeders that she felt were more than reputable. I was able to find Zach, and because of the Boxer rescue folks, they understand. Zach has passed all of his tests with IAADP (International Association of Assistance Dog Partners) to become an amazing service dog to help me live a better life. So as for your statement, there are a few good, decent, hard working, and caring breeders out there, if you need to get a dog from one contact the local rescue group first.