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Article Archive > SPCA taking kennel dogs from Howell SPCA taking kennel dogs from Howell HOWELL - Perry and Edith Bushko have been breeding dogs at their Windsong Acres kennel for decades, but now the operation has grown much too big for the aging couple. With close to 300 dogs in their care, the pair agreed to a voluntary surrender of almost half of their animals, said Victor "Buddy" Amato, Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals police chief. Animal rescue employees quickly shuffled the animals to their vans to protect them from the cold weather late Friday afternoon, while Amato bartered with Edith Bushko, 76, as to which of the pure-bred animals he could remove from the kennel on Lanes Pond Road. "For them, the animals are like their children," Amato said. "She is worried we are depleting her blood line." The couple's pure-bred Shar-peis and long-hair Chihuahuas lived in individual carriers and rarely saw the light of day, officials said. "The dogs are born, bred and die in their cages," said Associated Humane Societies Chief Bruce Sanchez, who warned about treatment of animals at what he termed puppy mills. "There is a situation of neglect in there, and neglect is a form of abuse," Sanchez said. Complaints of crowded conditions at the couple's kennel first came from clients who had visited the farm, Amato said. Amato described the scene inside the couple's kennel as boisterous and overcrowded but relatively well maintained. He said none of the animals seems to be suffering from malnutrition. "This is not an animal cruelty case," he said. "This is just a case where a woman has more animals than she can take care of." "There were some dirty bowls of water, and some of the animals needed their nails clipped," he said. "The fact is, she's having a hard time keeping up with the amount of work needed to care for the animals." The reasons for the overcrowding were partly financial, partly the affinity for animals and partly because the owners were unable to comply with new township guidelines, officials said. Their kennel license had been revoked two years ago for failure to meet sanitary regulations, Amato said. The SPCA hopes to remove the dogs over a period of days to avoid overwhelming the animal shelter system. Close to 10 dogs were removed Thursday and close to 40 on Friday, Amato said. Under township laws, the couple will have to limit their dog ownership to 165 animals and must show an updated license for each one. They must also install the appropriate septic system and lines for running water inside the kennel itself. The dogs are being transported to the Humane Societies' facilities, where they will be fed, cleaned, receive appropriate medical attention and placed in no-kill shelters for adoption, Sanchez said. "We're trying to get them out in an orderly manner so they can be adopted into good homes," Amato said, as two vans filled with the dogs left the home and another vacant van pulled in.
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