OKAWVILLE, Ill. — Nearly 100 puppies were found traveling in a van through Illinois over the weekend.
According to Okawville police, officers were called to the Road Ranger truck stop at 905 Hen House Road around 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 22 for a medical call. The driver of the van was transported to a hospital. First responders found the van full of puppies.
Shortly after, the puppies were brought to Washington County, Illinois Animal Control.
A volunteer for Washington County Animal Control said the man was driving from Loogootee, Indiana to the Joplin, Missouri area with dogs from puppy mills and some private breeders. Police said the man is from Neosho, Missouri.
The volunteer said Joplin is a ‘distribution area’ and the puppies would then be sent all over the country and mostly to pet stores.
The puppies were all purebred or ‘designer breeds.’ Washington County Animal Control is working with ‘Partners for Pets.’
Washington County Animal Control said the puppies are not up for adoption and they’re all going to their ‘original destinations.’
One of the volunteers said the puppies didn’t have water and all seemed to be very hungry when they got to the shelter. Some of them had worms and diarrhea.
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