Support pours in for abused dogs

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Mat-Su Animal Shelter officials say the money, supplies and aid continues to pour in as they care for 150 starving dogs taken from an alleged puppy mill earlier in the week.

Monetary donations to the Mat-Su Animal Shelter have topped $14,000 dollars and people have been dropping off dog food and supplies at the shelter by the truck load. Now local businesses are getting involved.

Alaska Mill and Feed has been taking phone orders for the last couple of days for discounted dog food which will be delivered in one of their trucks Friday.

Alaska Mill and Feed said as of this morning they had sold more than 300 bags of food, which they say, on average, will feed one dog for a month.

The Shelter says they will gladly welcome the donations and even had to get a Connex trailer to hold it all.

Blanche Tinius bought 20 bags of dog food to donate. She says it's the least she can do.

“We love animals. We've always loved animals and we'll do anything to help them and there is too much animal cruelty in the state of Alaska and the legislature needs to get together and do something,” said Tinius.

That may be about to happen. Lawmakers are gearing up for the legislative session in Juneau next week and a bill tightening animal abuse laws could end up on their plate.
“We're going to go down there, talk to the Department of Law, see if anything needs to be tightened in the current legislation that I sponsored or any other legislation and proceed from there,” said Rep. Bob Lynn, R-Anchorage.

Alaska Mill and Feed says their fundraiser will continue as long as there is demand.