Justice does NOT abound in each state of this country
AKA Junior Horton - Largest puppy mill bust in this nation's history

Can someone please explain this to me, for I must be ignorant...

Remember the story in November of 2007 regarding Junior Horton and the largest bust of a puppy miller in our nation's history?  In case you didn't hear the details, let's go back through the timeline of this... In September 2005, his puppy house burned down..

Horton said the fire did $100,000 in damage to the building. He said he had no insurance. But plans to bulldoze the burned out structure and immediately begin construction of a new metal building on the same site. (Source)

and then from another news article regarding the fire...

"Just have to move on, I guess," he said. "I got enough money to put in another building, I hope." (Source)

Two years later in November of 2007, Mr. Junior Horton is found with 1,100 dogs when he's licensed for only 500 and is called a local disaster by the county administrator.... 980 dogs were removed... According to one of his employee's:

"My boss is losing about $450,000 worth of dogs. I don't see how they can do something like this -- take his dogs away when he bought and paid for them."  (Source)

(pulling my handy dandy calculator out)... $450,000 divided by 980 is $459.18 (average)...

And Mr. Horton's reaction to what occurred?

Horton said the term “puppy mill” is a slanderous word that groups such as VA PAWS and the Humane Society use to gain publicity. “It's just a cop out. I call it racketeering what they are doing (taking my dogs),” Horton said. “It's another form of Communism.” (Source)

From the news story of 11/12/2007...

Many dogs rescued from an illegal puppy mill in Carroll County this week are on their way to new homes and a better future, but approximately 200 to 300 animals escaped rescue, Danville Area Humane Society Director Paulette Dean said. “It was an illegal operation,” Dean said of the puppy mill. “Authorities up there worked out an agreement with him (the owner) but they didn’t tell him he couldn’t move any of the animals. They thought he would honor his word about keeping the dogs there. “But sometime in the past two nights he hid or sold at least a couple hundred of the dogs,” Dean said. She added that due to that agreement the man was able to sell, hide or get rid of almost 300 animals before officials could seize them. The worst part about it, Dean said, is “there’s absolutely nothing anyone can do about it.” “He knew it (the rescue) was going to happen,” Dean said. “He just didn’t know when.” (Source)

So Mr. Horton moved/hid/sold 300 dogs at $459 (average) to avoid seizure --- or $137,700 in "stock"... So government officials stepping in and seizing his dogs when he's over license by 500+ dogs is a form of Communism - I assume Mr. Horton believes moving and/or hiding 300 dogs after the first partial seizure is considered the 'American way'?

It takes until January 30th of 2008 until Mr. Horton is actually charged by the Carroll county investigators...

Thursday, Carroll County, Va. investigators charged Horton with 14 counts of animal cruelty and 25 counts of neglect. Horton turned himself over to authorities and has been released on a $5,000 bond. ~~snippet~~ Many of the more than 700 dogs Horton surrendered were taken to shelters across the U.S. Horton did not return our calls. If convicted, he could face up to 14 years in jail and/or a $35,000 fine. (Source)

And according to the undercover article from February 2/6/08 -

The kennel's owner, Lanzie Horton Jr. is currently licensed to have 200 dogs over 4 months old, and unlimited puppies. His assistant let it slip, that there was another farm where they breed dogs. So how many dogs he has is up for debate. We weren't able to get on that farm. Animal Control hasn't been there either. When we were confronted by the Horton's father, he made it clear that they are not going to stop breeding dogs. He said if they shut one kennel down, they'll open another one in a different family member's name. Horton said they lost 4-5 HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF DOGS in the November raid. (Source)

On May 16th, 2008, Mr. Horton is found guilty...

He was found guilty of 14 counts of animal cruelty, 25 counts of animal neglect, and one charge of not obtaining a proper license. (Source)

And the details?... Now remember, he faced up to 14 years in jail time and a $35,000 fine for the charges brought against him...

The judge also suspended $2,250 of the 14 $2,500 fines for animal cruelty and $450 of the 25 $500 fines for animal neglect. He imposed the mandatory $25 fine for failure to obtain a dog license, and ordered Horton to pay the to-be-determined cost of veterinary services provided for the approximately 700 dogs taken from his property during the sting. Horton also was sentenced to active probation. (Source)

Let's see (still using that same handy dandy calculator... 14 x $250 = $3,500 and 25 x $50 = $1,250 for a grand total of $4,750... Oh, let's not forget the $25 fine for failure to obtain a dog license...

Less than five grand for the largest bust of a puppy mill in our nation's history - and when rescues and shelters stepped in up and down the entire East Coast (as far north as New York, as far south as Florida and clear to the Mississippi!) to take in these dogs when he was busted... For a puppy miller that had $100 grand in his bank account to rebuild after the 2005 fire and didn't have insurance?

Where in ANY court in the land is this even CLOSE to justice????  Mr. Horton served NO jail time, and didn't even pay 15% of the fine he could have paid, had the judge ruled according to the Commonwealth's statues... Oh, need I remind anyone, this happened in the same state as the Michael Vicks affair...

ENOUGH SAID???...

Those that make the laws and enforce them in the Commonwealth of Virginia should be very proud of how this entire matter was handled... Mr. Horton stayed in business this entire time and plans to appeal this 'back-handed slap' of justice.