County Seizes 15 Dogs From Unlicensed Breeder

NORCROSS, GA -- Gwinnett County animal welfare officers this week seized 15 dogs they say were being bred and sold illegally from a home in Norcross.

On Tuesday, police say an animal control officer saw a "Puppies For Sale" sign in front of a home on Williams Drive in Norcross.

No one answered when the officer knocked on the door. But when he walked to the side of the home, he found several dogs in a fenced area in what appeared to be a backyard breeding area.

When the dogs started barking, the owner came outside, police say.

The officer found nine chihuahuas (one male and two females with three puppies each) and six pit bulls (four pregnant females, a six-month-old female puppy and one adult male).

He informed the owner that he was in violation of the county's "Backyard Breeders" ordinance, which states it's against the law to breed animals without a license from the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

The owner agreed to surrender the animals to Gwinnett County Animal Welfare and Enforcement.

The two female chihuahuas with puppies were released to a local rescue group. The county continues to seek homes for the pit bulls.

(Photos courtesy Gwinnett County Police Department)