88 German Shepherds Rescued in ‘Most Horrific Case’ of Breeder Animal Abuse

On January 9, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) rescued 88 German Shepherds from an East Texas breeding ranch. The FBI partnered with the Florida-based Big Dog Ranch Rescue to help bring the abused dogs to safety.

Authorities were first made aware of animal cruelty at Giant German Shepherd Ranch in Hopkins County after a former employee recorded the owner, 50-year-old Kristine Hicks, killing one of the dogs. The footage depicts Hicks tying a dog named Kerra to a tree and shooting her multiple times.

“During my employment, I witnessed and documented extreme neglect, unethical practices, and criminal acts involving dogs,” Megan Sprinkle, the employee who recorded the video and brought it to the authorities, told CBS News. She also turned in several photographs depicting the skeletal remains of animals and many malnourished and injured dogs. “On the property, there were 27 deceased dogs documented since August 1 alone, all in varying stages of decomposition.”

Sprinkle told the authorities that Kerra had been shot because she was unable to breed anymore, but Hicks’ attorneys said that the killing was actually an act of mercy, since Kerra was terminally ill. “Kerra, the dog referenced in the video, had developed a grapefruit-sized mass on her breast tissue that was dragging on the ground and causing significant discomfort,” Todd Shapiro and Peter Ganyard with the Shapiro Law Firm said in a statement to CBS News. 

In the course of the raid, agents from the FBI and the Department of Justice discovered more than 100 dogs living in filthy conditions on the 80-acre ranch. Many of them needed emergency veterinary care.

The Dallas SPCA was able to take 56 of the dogs to the Russell E. Dealey Animal Rescue Center for medical attention. “This situation required an immediate and coordinated response for a large number of animals, and we are grateful for our experienced and compassionate staff members whose expertise is critical in providing lifesaving care,” said SPCA of Texas Senior VP and Chief Operating Officer MeLissa Webber in a statement.

A rescue team from Big Dog Ranch Rescue arrived by Saturday night and brought 13 of the dogs back to their cage-free facilities in Florida. Later in the week 13 more dogs — including nine puppies estimated to be seven-weeks old — arrived at the Florida rescue.

“This is probably one of the most horrific cases I’ve seen in a breeder and this breeder has been running under the radar,” Lauree Simmons, the founder of Big Dog Ranch Rescue, told CBS12. 

Simmons said that the footage and photographs from Giant German Shepherd Ranch were so terrible that she had nightmares. “Dogs that were emaciated, all kinds of skulls with collars next to them, and I was horrified,” she said. “I didn’t sleep for two days.”

Simmons says she plans to propose a law that would strengthen the penalties and oversight for breeders nationwide. She plans to call it Kerra’s Law, named for the German Shepherd whose murder was captured on video.

To help support Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Dallas SPCA with their heroic efforts, you can donate at the links below.