NASHVILLE — Animal-rescue groups have been working to help, house and find homes for more than 600 dogs recovered last week from a Berrien County property.

Thirty-six of more than 630 dogs found with a Nashville breeder are in the care of BARC Humane Society, said Itaska Borowski, BARC vice president.

The humane society picked the dogs up Friday, March 1, at the Berrien County Animal Shelter after they were surrendered by pet dealer Reason Craig Gray, according to authorities. 

Borowski said BARC unloaded the animals at its already full shelter.

When BARC arrived to the county shelter, several dogs were in individual cages. A large kennel held many of the dogs, Borowski said.

“You could not even see the concrete,” she said. “There were just so many dogs in the kennel.”

Borowski said the breeds represented small dogs including Yorkies, Cocker Spaniels, Jack Russells and Pomeranians.

They hadn’t received proper care — the animals didn’t live in a clean environment and had urine burns, she said. 

“A lot of them were not only dirty, but they had gnats,” Borowski said. “Their nails were overgrown, and all of them had ear mites.”

Since many of them are “emotionally and socially damaged,” she said they are not yet ready for adoption. Adoption readiness depends on the dog.

“Some are more friendly than others,” Borowski said. “Some are more traumatized than others.”

Search BARC Humane Society on Facebook for updates and information on how to adopt.

NASHVILLE— More than 630 dogs were retrieved from a Nashville breeder, according to the Berrien County sheriff Wednesday. 

The sheriff’s office responded Thursday, Feb. 28, to Barney Parker Road where Reason Craig Gray was keeping dogs for breeding and selling, Berrien County Sheriff Ray Paulk said.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture arrived to conduct a routine inspection when Gray told officials he needed assistance and wanted to voluntarily surrender the animals, according to the sheriff’s office.

The agriculture department reached out to the county sheriff’s office, which in turn contacted Berrien County Animal Control, Paulk said.

Community members from Georgia and Florida helped get the dogs transported to rescues, a task that was completed Saturday, March 2, Paulk said. No dogs were left on the property.

“It was a very quick operation for as many dogs as it was,” he said.

The sheriff said the case is under investigation, and he could not detail the condition of the animals.

“I can’t go into too much detail on that, but the dogs that we found had been fed and watered and had been taken care of to a degree,” he said.

Paulk said there is no limit as to how many dogs residents can own if they have a certain amount of land.

He said this case is a first for Berrien County.

“Everbody’s got pet dealers in their counties, but I don’t think that any of them to date, that I know of, has had so many dogs at one time,” Paulk said.

Gray has surrendered his pet dealer’s license, according to the sheriff’s office. 

The Valdosta Daily Times will continue investigating this matter. 

Amanda M. Usher is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. She can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1274.