Pikeville Puppymill

Dear Judge Mullins,

We are writing this letter to draw your attention to the animal abuse that occurred at the hands of Mr. Randall Good, resident of Phyllis, Kentucky. This extreme incident of neglect and cruelty occurred in Pike County.

Mr. Randall Good forced over 120 dogs to live, sleep, eat, and breed in overcrowded, filthy conditions to selfishly profit from the sale of their malnourished and ailing puppies. After years of abusing these animals, Mr. Randall Good was served a legally-obtained Pike County search and seizure warrant on June 30, 2004. The 46 sick and injured animals removed from Mr. Goods possession were taken for urgent, immediate veterinary care. Dogs were found with open wounds, no hair, no teeth, broken bones, and other severe ailments. Eye-witness accounts of Mr. Goods commercial breeding facility depict a horrific and cruel scene of torment and torture, with the bones of dead dogs lining the property. Thank you for refusing Mr. Goods request to return the confiscated animals to him.

It is impracticable to believe that Mr. Randall Good, a former deputy Pike County judge-executive, was unaware of Pike County regulations regarding the humane treatment of animals. Mr. Goods complete disregard for these regulations despite his former affiliation with the Pike County government is a clear indicator that Mr. Good is a danger to all animals. We are gravely concerned that lack of fervent reaction from the Pike County Court will contribute to public ignorance regarding responsible pet ownership.

The reasons we seek your help are threefold. One, we wish to protect these dogs from the abuse that Mr. Randall Good inflicted upon them daily. The animals that remain on his property are most-assuredly dying and must be confiscated immediately. Second, we hope to educate the citizens of Pike County regarding the consequences of abusing and neglecting animals. Specifically, if an individual mistreats an animal in any way, all animals in their possession will be permanently confiscated and the offender will receive the maximum sentence allowable by law. Third, we seek to alert potential dog owners to the atrocities that occur within the confines of commercial dog breeding facilities (ie. Puppymills). Puppymills, such as the one operated by Mr. Randall Good, are a severe drain on legitimate animal rescue resources and mislead unsuspecting consumers into purchasing their ailing, tortured animals.

Animal lovers throughout the U.S. are outraged at Mr. Goods behavior. As animal advocates, we are highly sensitive to the issues surrounding Kentucky state ordinances regarding animal abuse. We are also well aware of the Pike County Humane Societys obligation to educate the public on the compassionate manner in which animals must be treated. Since Mr. Randall Good was released on a $500.00 bond, we are desperately concerned that the animals still encaged on his property will be killed in retaliation by Mr. Good and his family. Rescuers are providing veterinary and foster care for the animals confiscated from Mr. Goods property and are prepared to do the same for the additional dogs that are still hoped be rescued.

As you have the authority to compassionately address this matter, we urge you to make note of the way in which these animals lives were taken and exploited. No living being should be treated with such disregard and inhumanity. We are extremely saddened by the unimaginable anguish and despair these animals experienced. Please assist in sending a strong message that violence against any creature human or not is unacceptable. You can help the Pike County community in their effort to prevent this cruelty from occurring at the hands of Mr. Good again.

This case has been made nationally known by the publics willingness to take Mr. Randall Goods cruel actions very seriously. Again, thank you for awarding custody of Mr. Goods animals to the Pike County Humane Society. Still, you can prevent Mr. Good from inflicting his pain onto other animals. We implore you to find Mr. Randall Good guilty of the class II misdemeanor of animal cruelty. Please impose on Mr. Good the maximum sentence possible of one year in jail, a $500.00 fine, and prohibit him from possessing any animals in the future. This sentence should be accompanied by court mandated psychological counseling.

Thank you for your swift attention to this matter.


Jocelyn Nickerson
VP Canine Alliance

cc: Frank Justice
Mayor of Pikeville
118 College Street
Pikeville, KY 41501-1786