ELBERTA, Ala. — An Elberta woman has been arrested for operating a puppy mill.

According to the Baldwin County Humane Society, Elberta Police arrested Beverly Baker on Tuesday on charges of misdemeanor animal cruelty, operating a business without a license and administering the rabies vaccine without a license.

Those charges stem from a joint operation between Baldwin County Humane Society (BARC) and Furrever Homes last week, in which 51 dogs were rescued from Baker’s property.

“There was only one bin of food in one area, but it was moldy and had maggots,” BARC Dog Coordinator Deneen Balistere said in a phone interview. “That water looked like it had not even been changed in well over a week to 10 days.”

She added that the dogs, the majority of which weighed less than 6 pounds each, were living in unacceptable conditions.

“The floor was lined with lime,” Balistere said, explaining that the chemical is poisonous to animals. “They were being forced to ingest it.”

According to Balistere, Baker’s reason for the lime was that she believed it controlled fleas. However, evidence proved otherwise.

“The dogs were loaded with fleas,” she said.

So much so, that it affected several of the dogs’ health.

“One had to have a transfusion,” Balistere said.

Another dog’s fleabites were so bad, she said, that rescue workers thought it was blind.

However, since that time, the dogs have shown improvement.

“Right now, they’re being taken care of at four different veterinarians’ offices,” Balistere said. “One in Elberta and three in Foley.”

That care has included vaccinations, de-worming and de-fleaing.

“And we’re getting them all spayed and neutered,” Balistere said, “and giving them ear cleanings.”

BARC learned of the puppy mill last week by two people who came forward with evidence.

“There was a couple that answered an ad on Craig’s List,” Balistere said.

Upon being hired, they noticed the dogs’ living conditions.

“They called the (Baldwin County) Sheriff’s Department, who told them to call Elberta Police, who told them to call the Baldwin County Humane Society,” Balistere said.

The couple then went to the BARC office in Fairhope, taking with them video footage and pictures they shot detailing the situation. BARC then contacted Elberta Police Chief Stanley DeVane, who visited the property and verified the unacceptable conditions last week.

“We rounded up two vets, Dr. Amy Paszkowski of Elberta Animal Hospital and Dr. Julie Cleverdon of Advanced Animal Clinic in Foley,” Balistere said, explaining that the veterinarians provided the necessary professional determination that the dogs were living in unacceptable conditions.

She explained that BARC representatives first visisted the property on April 25, then went back the next day.

“She (Baker) had a choice,” Balistere said, explaining that Baker could voluntarily surrender the dogs or the police would be involved. “That Wednesday that we were on that property, we took 17 dogs.”

However, once Elberta Police went forward with proceedings, the remaining dogs were rescued Thursday of last week and Baker was taken into custody Tuesday.

This is actually a repeat offense for Baker. Records indicate that in the last six years, she has been arrested on similar charges in Florida before moving her operation to Elberta.

According to Balistere, Baker’s purpose of the mill was to breed miniature dogs.

“Her website, which is adorablepuppies.net, says they’re ‘unusually blended one-of-a-kind puppies,’” she said.

The nature of that operation had a wide range of ages of dogs being rescued.

“We have everything from 2 to 3 weeks and 4 to 5 days to 4 to 5 years,” Ballistere said.

As for those rescued dogs, efforts are under way to adopt them out to good homes. According to Balistere, they will be available at a pet-adoption event that was already planned for Friday and Saturday at PetSmart at the Eastern Shores Shopping Center in Daphne.

“BARC will be there from 10 (a.m.) to 3 (p.m.) both days,” she said, “and Furrever Homes will be there 10 (a.m.) to 4 (p.m.) both days.”

Efforts to reach DeVane, Pascalski and Cleverdon for comment were unsuccessful.