For more than a decade, an unpermitted dog breeding operation reportedly ran in the Clarkston Heights area of Asotin County, Washington. This fall, the owner was cited and charged with 20 counts of animal neglect, and the sheriff’s office seized the animals that hadn’t already been rehomed.

Court documents describe 14 unlicensed dogs and six horses in urgent need of care. During a warning visit about a year earlier, deputies reportedly found three blue heelers shut inside a horse trailer with a floor buried in waste, swarms of flies, and only dirty water to drink. Other dogs on the property allegedly had nothing but green, algae-filled water. During a later intervention, rescuers reported horses with badly overgrown hooves, a painful condition that makes it hard to walk.

Investigators say the breeding activity dates back to 2012 and required a license it never had. Puppies were reportedly advertised for sale, which means families may have bought dogs from a kennel no one was inspecting.

The case is now in court, and the person charged has not been convicted. But the bigger problem is clear: an unlicensed kennel can run for years before anyone checks on the animals inside it.

The Asotin County Board of Commissioners can change that. The board can require every commercial breeder to hold a permit, pass regular inspections, and show proof of vet care. It can also give code enforcement the staff and authority to act quickly when warnings are ignored.

Responsible breeders, pet buyers, and animal lovers all benefit when the rules are clear and enforced.

Sign the petition to tell the Asotin County Board of Commissioners to license and inspect dog breeders now, before more animals suffer out of sight.