More Than 300 Dogs Rescued From Alleged Breeder Turned Puppy Hoarder

An ailing dog breeder turned over hundreds of Shar Peis and Chihuahuas to the Richland County Humane Society.

Humane society agents were working to find homes for 300 to 340 dogs found at the home of Perry and Edith Buchko, who previously were convicted of animal cruelty in New Jersey. The couple moved to Ohio after the conviction.

Perry Buchko recently passed away, and Edith Buchko is bedridden.

Richland County humane agents had previously visited the Plymouth home, where they found hundreds of dogs. Agents did not take action at the time because the dogs were not “needlessly suffering,” as Ohio law describes as animal cruelty, according to Missy Houghton of the Richland humane society.

The Buchko’s son contacted the Richland County Humane Society to assist in the removal of the animals after his father’s death.

Humane agents said that they believed the case was one of a breeder turned hoarder. Agents said that Buchko would not face charges.

“We are seeing a lot of chronic eye infections, ear infections, skin infections,” said Jennifer Kulina-Lanese of the Humane Society of the United States. “They are infested with fleas.”

Edith Buchko agreed to hand the dogs over to the Richland County Humane Society, which was facilitating finding the animals homes.

“The neglect went on for some time,” Houghton said. “There’s no way one person could care for this many dogs.”

Jim Jennings, a family friend, said that the apparent hoarding was not a deliberate situation.

“People in my view who become hoarders, possibly one of the strangest things is they don’t want anything to happen to their little dogs,” Jennings said. “All of these dogs will be OK. We’re hoping and praying.”

Some of the animals will be taken to the Capital Area Humane Society in Hilliard and others will go to humane societies in Toledo and Cleveland.

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