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“I wish we knew the answer to that, ma’am,” said George. “A friend of ours is tryin’ to nurse back more than fifty puppies right now. Don’t know if they’ll all make it.”
“Let me get the techs. They’re back there cleaning cages and feeding the animals right now.”
“Can we go back there?” asked Antoine. “We won’t interfere.”
“Sure,” she nodded.
Opening the big door to the back, they were surprised at the lack of any odor in the facility. Clearly this was a shelter that took great care with their animals.
“How many animals do you have right now?” asked Sven.
“As of last night, we’ve got seven dogs, fifteen cats, three pesky raccoons that we’ll release once they’ve been tested for rabies, and two pythons.”
“Pythons?” winced Sven.
“Idiots. Stupid young folks go down to South America or find some pet store sellin’ them a big snake they can’t feed and can’t control. It ain’t like they take commands,” she laughed, shaking her head. “Snakes didn’t do anything wrong. Just too big for an apartment in the city. We’ll see if we can’t relocate them or send them to a zoo. We got two coyotes as well, but they’ll be released today.”
“Mallory, Craig, these men would like to talk to you about a possible puppy mill in the area,” said the woman. “Nice to meet y’all. I need to get back up front.”
“Thank you,” they all nodded.
“A puppy mill?” asked Craig.
Antoine told them the story of what was now at their sanctuary and the story of what happened at the small lake the day before. Both looked sad, still holding two dogs in their arms, cuddling them closer.
“I won’t lie,” said Mallory. “We see it all too often. Someone finds a dog, or two or three, on someone’s property that’s been left in the elements, no cover, no shelter at all. They’re usually not fed properly, and they call us to pick them up. When you ask why they even have the dogs, it’s usually their child wanted one for Christmas, or the wife wanted one for safety.
“The problem is no one wants to take care of it. The animals are either so frightened of humans or so angry with them they’re almost unable to be saved. We try. We try with them all. Unfortunately, we’re publicly funded, and it’s not a lot.”
“We understand that,” said George, nodding. “Have you had any puppies come in?”
“No,” said Craig, shaking his head. “One or two, here and there, but none were harmed or ill. It was like we said earlier. Someone bought it for their family and realized how much work they are. Stupid people. It’s why I like animals better.”
“Any thoughts on who might be doing this?” asked Antoine.
“My grandfather was a law enforcement officer,” said Mallory. “He used to say that every bully he ever knew, every man who abused women and children, started with abusing animals. Maybe check there?” She shrugged as if unsure that she was being helpful.
“That’s a good idea, Mallory,” smiled Antoine. “You guys are doing a great job here. I know it’s hard, but you’re helping to give these animals a new start. That’s awesome.”
“Thank you for saying that,” she smiled. “Some days, it feels as though we’re beating our heads against the wall. Then someone shows up that really wants an animal in their family, and we know that they’re getting a good home.”
“We’ll leave our number out front. If you hear or see anything, let us know.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“What’s up next?” asked Baptiste.
“We’ve got a twenty-four-hour clinic that reported three cases of rabies in the last two weeks and five children with strange urinary and bacterial infections,” said Otto.
“Let me guess, they’re usually found in dogs,” asked Pork.
“Yep.”
The clinic was in a low-income, underserved community. The waiting area was packed with people with the flu, small cuts, sprained ankles, and so much more. The staff seemed completely overwhelmed.
“Damn, I’m not sure we’re gonna get anyone’s time here,” said Pork.
“Baptiste? Baptiste Robicheaux, is that you?” called a voice. Baptiste looked up, cocking his head. The person didn’t look familiar, but she apparently knew him.
