100 sick dogs found in Quebec puppy mill

Authorities have busted yet another puppy mill in Quebec, this one with about 100 dogs living in "appallingly inhumane conditions" in a three-car garage northeast of Montreal, the head of the Montreal SPCA said.

The dogs were living in filthy, cramped cages inthe poorly ventilated garage in the town of St-Jacques-de-Montcalm, said Alana Devine,acting executive director of Montreal's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Conditions in the garage were so bad that the smell of ammonia burned the eyes and it was hard to breathe, the CBC's Amanda Margison reported.

Some of the dogs are pregnant and others are young puppies. Several have urgent medical issues including "ear problems, eye problems [and] skin problems," said Alain Dessureault, a veterinarian.

The animals have beentaken to Montreal, where the SPCA will clean them up before they're matched with foster care homes.

There may be enough evidence to file criminal charges against the owner, Devine said.

This is the third puppy-mill bust in Quebec in the last two months.

Animal rights activists have called for tougher laws to crack down on breeders who mistreat dogs.