Orange County couple charged in illegal puppy mill raid, 20 dogs seized

Lillian Jennings, 63, and Francis Jennings, 68, of Sparrowbush were charged with dozens of animal cruelty and licensing violations after investigators said they were running an illegal puppy mill out of a filthy, unsafe home on Old Country Road in the Town of Deerpark.

Humane law enforcement officers with the Hudson Valley SPCA and Deerpark Police removed 23 Yorkshire terriers, including four puppies, and two macaws from the property on April 10. The Town of Deerpark Building Department later condemned the house. Investigators said the home was covered in garbage and filled with feces and urine, with ammonia levels so high it should have been abandoned.

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler’s office said the dogs were living in neglect, confined inside the house without food, water or fresh air and covered in their own waste. The SPCA said many of the rescued animals were being treated for infections affecting their ears, eyes and paws, a sign of how long the conditions may have persisted before the raid.

The case began after firefighters responded to a structure fire at the home on March 3 and noticed troubling conditions, according to police. Officers returned with a search warrant on March 10 and seized 19 Yorkshire terriers and two macaw birds. Later, 24 more Yorkshire terriers were surrendered in Wayne, New Jersey, on April 13, widening the case beyond Orange County and suggesting the operation stretched across state lines.

Police said the online breeding business was identified as Jennings Toy Box, and that puppies were allegedly sold for as much as $6,000 each without proper licensing. The allegations point to a commercial operation, not a backyard dispute, with a large enough animal inventory to raise questions about how long the breeding and sales network had been operating without stronger intervention.

The Jennings were charged with 45 counts related to failing to provide proper sustenance to animals, 35 counts of unlicensed dogs and one felony count each of endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person. They are due back in court next month.

The case also highlights how Orange County tracks cruelty cases after the fact. The county’s Animal Abuser Registry was created in 2015 under Rocky’s Law, and anyone convicted of animal cruelty who lives in Orange County must submit information to the sheriff’s office. The registry is not retroactive, but it reflects how the county has formalized penalties as humane officers and police confront larger, more organized breeding operations.