80 Dogs Removed From Adrian’s Puppy Paradise, Puppy Mill in Illinois

April 7, 2015 8 Comments

Remember Adrian’s Puppy Paradise? (If you live in the area, I know you can’t forget it, even when you close your eyes to sleep!) Animal Rescue Corp rescued 80 dogs from this hellish breeding facility today.

Around 150 dogs have been living in a basement, trapped in cages, their plight ignored by the authorities but never far from the minds and hearts of local folks who’ve tried for ten years or so to get this puppy mill shut down. Tonight, St. Anne’s residents can celebrate, and relish the thought of the much-needed veterinary care and loving homes these dogs can now look forward to.

I know a woman who is tickled pink about this rescue – Ida McCarthy. She’s the Companion Animal Protection Society Illinois Director, and has relentlessly pursued this business for years. Initially learning of the breeding business by witnessing a man roughly handling puppies he was selling in a flea market in Villa Park, Ida was determined to see they could no longer sell in such a horrible place for puppies.

Ida approached the Villa Park village board, and the end result was a ban on selling pets in outdoor venues within Villa Park. But she didn’t stop there. She knew the “breeder” was obviously selling via other means as well, and was determined to find where she was and stop the cruelty. It took a lot of time and hard work, but she found the elusive breeder, Adrian’s Puppy Paradise, in St. Anne, IL.

Ida’s tireless efforts to track down this business, research its history, and then to approach the Kankakee County Board on behalf of what had become obvious in the comments on my initial blog post and social media shares – a town full of caring people who wanted Adrian’s shut down – all this and more she did for the sake of those dogs.

Together with Dianne Arp, CAPS Chicago Coordinator, CAPS volunteers, and folks from the local rescue at Kankakee County Humane Foundation, she made it clear to the Kankakee County Board and County Animal Control just how determined they were to see something positive done. There would be no more dragging of feet and shuffling a bad situation “under the carpet”.

So tonight she will also be sleeping just a bit easier, knowing those 80 dogs are now safe. There are many more to be concerned about, though, and I imagine they’ll be on her mind as she drifts off to sleep. Sweet dreams, Ida, those 80 dogs are undoubtedly grateful to you.