The Washington County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man on a charge of cruelty to animals after finding dozens of dogs, some of them sick, at his business.
Gregory Lee Richardson was arrested and charged with one count of cruelty to animals, a WCSO spokesperson said.
Deputies said the case began after a woman who had purchased several German shepherds from Richardson accused him of providing the dogs in poor condition. That complaint prompted investigators to visit Richardson’s business, where they found dozens of dogs on the property.
Officials said most of the dogs found on site appeared healthy. However, about a half-dozen of the animals were sick and have since been placed under the care of a local veterinarian, who said they were on their way to recovery.
According to deputies, the charge against Richardson stemmed specifically from overcrowding conditions on the property. Authorities removed several of the dogs from the business and placed them in foster care while the investigation continues.
Richardson has since been released on bond. Deputies said he is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
Animal cruelty charges in Alabama can apply to cases involving neglect, overcrowding, or failure to provide adequate care for animals, even when there is no evidence of intentional abuse. Cases like this one often begin with a single complaint from a buyer or member of the public before expanding into a broader welfare check of an entire property.
The investigation remains ongoing, and it was not immediately clear whether additional charges could be filed.
Update: Additional details have emerged about the scope of the case. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office says it found approximately 50 German shepherds in overcrowded conditions at Gregory Richardson’s breeding operation, Von Richardson Elite German Shepherds, on Cooley Road in Deer Park. Richardson was charged with second-degree dog cruelty; Sheriff Richard Stringer said Richardson is no longer selling the dogs.
According to court documents, the dogs were kept in small cages with empty food bowls, no water buckets and only a pipe to lick, with no bedding or dry place to rest — only muddy ground mixed with urine and feces. Some dogs were underweight, and others showed signs of mange and worms. Nine dogs were receiving veterinary treatment at the time of the investigation.
The case began after Emily Richardson, founder of Above the Standard Dog Training in Northwest Florida, purchased a German shepherd from the breeder and said its condition alarmed her immediately. “When I picked up the dog, she was in really, really bad physical and mental, emotional state, very sick,” she said, describing a stark contrast with the dog’s full sister, which she already owned. She said she was told a foot condition on the dog “had just popped up overnight,” but didn’t believe that was true, and reported her concerns to law enforcement. “My gut just told me that the odds were pretty good that she was not the only dog in terrible shape,” she said.
With Sheriff Stringer’s assistance, nine dogs from the property are now in foster care at Emily Richardson’s facility. “They’ve all since been to my vet and have an assortment of physical issues going on, from skin and ear infections to horribly matted hair,” she said, adding that every dog has tested positive for giardia, hookworm or both. More than 30 dogs remain on Richardson’s property; Stringer said Richardson has bonded out of jail, is cooperating with investigators and is working with the sheriff’s office to place the remaining dogs in homes.