ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. – It's the story that's outraged many people online. One hundred and seventy animals were removed from a St Charles County pet farm after inspectors found horrific living conditions.
Now, more than half a dozen former employees have come forward.
They're sharing, in graphic detail, what they saw during their time at the pet farm. 5 On Your Side has also learned more about a groomer at that facility who's accused of starving 32 of her own dogs.
When St. Charles County investigators inspected the facility last month they found dirty syringes, moldy food, exposed electrical wires and 170 dogs living in filth.
Dogs were also left unattended in cage dryers, which experts say can be deadly. It's all a far cry from the designer dog farm they claim to be on their website.
"It weighs on your heart. That you know this has been going on for so long," said Deborah Ryer.
Ryer worked at Love N Care Pet Farm several years ago.
"They were never let out. They were put in very small, wire cages. It was just deplorable," said Ryer.
Ryer has never forgotten what she said she saw there.
"I witnessed him, the owner [Robert Coylers], take a rose pruning sheer and just cut the little tales off. And this poor dog was just screaming in pain. Little puppy dog tails were just lying on the counter and I had to clean them up," said Ryer.
Amber Berger said she quit her job as a kennel tech last fall after seeing how roughly the puppies were handled.
"I actually have witnessed a dead puppy, one that passed away in front of me, and they just put it away like it was nothing," said Berger.
Ryer, who cleaned up dog cages as part of her job at Love N Care Pet Farm said she also saw dead puppies at the facility.
"I have heard about a puppy dying, I witnessed it. It was just….it was horrifying. I can still see it in my head," said Ryer.
Ultimately, she quit because she didn't want to be a part of selling sick dogs to the excited families that would visit the facility.
"I know they bread dogs that had heart murmurs. Like they knew some of the things that were wrong with the dogs," said Ryer.
A former vet tech at the farm named Heather said she saw many of the same things, and she's shocked it's continued for so long.
"Dogs in crates stacked on top of each other. Sometimes four stacks high. Dogs laying in own feces and urine. No water bowls, food that was old and disgusting. In some pens no bedding and them exposed to the weather being cold or hot. They over breed those dogs like you wouldn't believe. Yes, the groomer is very rough with the pups as well," said Heather.
The I-Team found at least one groomer working in at the farm is actively under investigation for possibly running a dog fighting ring.
Last fall, 32 starving, injured dogs were seized from the Lincoln County home of Michele Hogarth Dove.
She's facing eight counts of animal abuse and neglect. And more charges may be coming after health inspectors said they saw her abuse a puppy during their visit to the farm in December.
In their report, investigators note, "I observed the groomer, who identified herself as Shelly, aggressively grab a white dog .... out of its cage by its front leg. She proceeded to let the dog dangle for a few seconds."
The report goes on to indicate an officer planned to cite her for animal abuse.
Ryer is concerned that won't be enough to get the business permanently shut down.
"It's a money maker, and it's right in the middle of St. Charles County," said Ryer.
A woman who answered our call to owner Robert Coyler's home declined to comment.
The businesses voicemail says they will reopen in March. The St Charles Health dept tells me that could very well happen if they address all the violations they've received.
If you've witnessed abuse and neglect at Love N Care Pet Farm or any facility, you should contact the department of humane services at 636-949-7387.