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Dogs From Missouri Breeder To Get Homes In Tampa Area

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The Associated Press

Published: March 4, 2009

TAMPA - An unlicensed breeder in southwest Missouri agreed last month to surrender about 200 purebred dogs after setting fire to his property, distraught over his wife's leaving, financial problems and the prospect of losing his animals, according to an affidavit.

Now, 12 to 15 of those dogs will head to the Tampa Bay area, said Susan Zuker, local coordinator for English Springer Rescue of America.

The dogs will be sent to foster homes in the Bay area, said Zuker, who is heading to Missouri on Thursday.

Authorities said Michael Vanderwall, whose breeding facility has been under state scrutiny at least since September, became angry when a Missouri Department of Agriculture inspector arrived at his property and, seeing that conditions had not improved, tried to persuade him to surrender the animals.

The roughly 200 English springer spaniels and German shorthaired pointers had been roaming in groups on pasture with access to a kennel, barn and house, said Matt Rold, who heads the state's inspection program. Vanderwall was living in an adjoining camper.

Rold said Vanderwall allegedly set his barn, kennel, house and camper on fire after the inspector left.

"I just went a little nuts," Michael Vanderwall told the Ozark County sheriff, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The affidavit says Vanderwall was armed and initially wouldn't permit emergency personnel onto his property.

He later relented, was arrested and told authorities his wife had left him, turned off his utilities, and informed the state he had abused his dogs. He said his property was under foreclosure and wasn't insured, the affidavit said.

The dogs and puppies, some of them burned, were taken from Vanderwall's River Valley Puppies Kennels, near Tecumseh, Mo.

Reporter Josh Poltilove and researcher Stephanie Pincus contributed to this report. Information from the Kansas City Star was used in this report.

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