Humane Society caring for dogs taken from breeding facility

MONETT, Mo. -- More than 70 dogs of various breeds are now being cared for by the Humane Society of Missouri in St. Louis after being removed from a breeding facility in southwest Missouri.

The Missouri Department of Agriculture said the dogs were taken Thursday in the first case under Missouri's new Canine Cruelty Prevention Act. The act was signed into law in April.

Authorities say the dogs taken from Moser Kennel in Monett included poodles, beagles, Labs and other breeds. Inspectors say they found trash, unclean drinking water and standing water in dog houses. Attorney General Chris Koster had sued the facility's owner in June.

The new law was enacted this spring after legislators replaced much of a dog-breeding initiative that had been passed by voters last year.