(C) Iowa Capital Dispatch.
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Court will hear dog breeder’s request to transfer 189 dogs

['Clark Kauffman', 'More From Author', '- October']

Date: 2021-10


A federal judge has agreed to hear a request by Wayne County dog breeder Daniel Gingerich to transfer all 189 dogs still in his possession to an Indiana organization.

Earlier this week, U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie Rose ordered Gingerich, who is accused of more than 100 violations of Animal Welfare Act, to surrender all dogs in his possession that were in acute distress and in need of medical care.

On Friday, Gingerich’s attorney, Michael Byrne of Mason City, filed a motion with the court asking for an expedited hearing on his request that Gingerich be allowed to give up all of the dogs that are still in his possession. In that motion, Byrne said his client has complied with the court’s previous order by surrendering an unspecified number of dogs that were judged to be in acute distress.

Rose has granted Byrne’s request for an expedited hearing on the matter, which is now scheduled for Monday morning.

Gingerich, Byrne told the court, wants to “be relieved of further responsibilities for the care, control and management of all dogs under his care.” He said the animals would be transferred to Dr. Denise Katz and the Love Pet Project, a tax-exempt charitable organization that is based in Zionsville, Indiana, and is willing to take the dogs for the purpose of “re-homing” them.

Byrne told the court that the Love Pet Project will cooperate with the court and with federal regulators in allowing oversight of the transfer and in providing whatever follow-up care is deemed necessary for the dogs.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship recently fined Gingerich $20,000 and suspended his Iowa license for 60 days, although that suspension has yet to take effect.

State and federal records indicate Gingerich does business under the name Maple Hill Puppies and that he has been operating kennels or breeding facilities in 10 different locations throughout Iowa.

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