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| Tamara Beebe and her daughter, Tiffany Wilkerson-Hood, doing the typical photo that bad breeders do -- posing beautiful looking dogs while the others are dying a slow death crammed in filthy kennels |
DECATUR, IL -- A Decatur dog breeder faces multiple charges of animal cruelty and child endangerment after allegedly spending time at her boyfriend’s home while leaving her children to fend for themselves in a house littered with dead and diseased dogs.
Tiffany Wilkerson-Hood, 34, is charged with four counts of endangering the life or health of a child for each of her children, ages 10, 11, 13 and 16. She also is charged with four counts of contributing to the dependency and neglect of her children.
In regards to the dogs, she is charged with four counts of aggravated cruelty and four counts of being a “companion animal hoarder” who neglected her dogs.
In a sworn statement, detective Janette Carlton described the children as living in nightmare conditions at their mother’s home in the 2000 block of Ramsey Drive.
“As soon as police officers and animal control officers entered the home (on June 5), they noted the stench and foul odor of animal feces and urine, and the general filth of the home was nearly unbearable,” Carlton said.
“The first floor of the house was soaked with urine, covered with feces and approximately one inch of standing water.”
Police found the bodies of two “Mi-Ki breed dogs” as they sorted through the mess: One was left “rotting in a bag in the bedroom,” and the body of the other was found in the backyard. The house was overrun with 37 living dogs in various states of illness, and neighbors told police that Wilkerson-Hood’s children were left to look after the animals and themselves as best they could.
The living dogs were examined by a veterinarian and had ailments ranging from gum disease to skin infections caused by “urine scald.” All had fur heavily matted with feces.
Wilkerson-Hood allegedly later told police she had been spending time at her boyfriend’s home without her children and tried not to stay at Ramsey Drive. Carlton, emphasizing certain words in her written statement, then adds, “Tiffany could only advise a couple of times that her children were NOT in the home in the past 60 days when she was asked.”
Wilkerson-Hood had a state license to operate a breeding kennel and was fined in February for its poor condition. [see notes below about the USDA]
“Tiffany … told animal control officers that she and her mother were award-winning dog breeders and things had just spiraled out of control for her at the home,” Carlton said.
Free on bond, Wilkerson-Hood is due to be arraigned July 12.
"Majestic Mi-kis is operated by mother/daughter team Tamara Beebe and Tiffany Wilkerson-Hood. When I (Tiffany) received my first Mi-Ki puppy, my mother actually wanted to take her back home to Arizona with her. Of course, I told her "No Way", but volunteered to get her a Mi-Ki puppy of her own, and that was the start of this little venture. We were hooked on this loveable little dog called a Mi-Ki.
"We both feel an enormous responsibility to produce only the very highest quality Mi-Ki puppies. All efforts are taken to ensure the purity, quality, and health of our Mi-Ki puppies. Very careful consideration is given before breeding in order to achieve the very best in lineage, temperament, color, and coat quality. We understand that we must never compromise the original purpose for which the Mi-Ki was bred...overall loving companionship." - Tiffany's website[NOTE: The article mentions that she was fined in February by the USDA for 'unsanitary conditions'? Do you think it's possible that the animals and living conditions weren't in that bad of a shape in February and then suddenly in four months went to horrific conditons? The USDA fined her a measly $200. That's not even, what, 1/6th the cost of a puppy?
Having a USDA commercial breeder license means nothing in terms of legitimizing the breeder as quality or humane. Check out this link, which the USDA itself released: http://www.usda.gov/oig/webdocs/33002-4-SF.pdf, which has absolutely horrific photos of what is found at these USDA licensed commercial breeder facilities -- and then get outraged at the lack of action that is taken by the inspectors in regards to these poor animals.]
(Herald Review - June 21, 2011)
