Convicted animal abuser speaks out

Less than a week after being convicted of both animal neglect and cruelty, we get to see some of the hundreds of dogs a judge has allowed Junior Horton to keep at his kennel operation.
After his appeal was denied last week, Horton told us he had no plans of giving up his business.
Mollie Halpern asks, “Do you plan to raise dogs in the future? Horton answers, “Probably, hope so, we’ll never quit, never.“
Horton spoke one-on-one with Ten On Your Side’s Investigative Reporter Mollie Halpern about his business, his take on the case, and his future plans.

Junior Horton’s puppy mill, “Horton’s Pups”, grabbed national attention after it was raided in what was considered the biggest rescue operation in the United States.
The convicted animal abuser says there should be no concerns for the health of the hundreds of dogs he continues breeding and selling.
Horton invited WSLS 10 On Your Side to his puppy mill.
He didn’t let us in all of the kennels—- saying we’d disturb the dogs.
But, did allow us to see the puppies on sale.
Junior Horton, convicted animal abuser, says “They got fresh water and we feed them twice a day.“
Horton says he’s an animal lover—not an animal abuser.
“This ain’t right what they’re charging me with it’s not right, it got a raw deal on all this,“ says Horton.
Horton had more than one-thousand dogs at his business—but had a license for only 500.
He admits he’s guilty of having too many dogs—not for abusing them.
He says the reason he let his business get out of control because… “I feel sorry for the dogs and take them in that’s a lot of it i’m always getting calls people wanting to know if i need dogs or want dogs, I should’ve just turned them down but I didn’t.“
Mollie: “You learned a lesson?“
Horton: “Yea, I learned a lesson on that, I’m not going to get to that level, no.“
That lesson came too late…
A judge ruled there was enough evidence to convict Horton on 25 counts of animal neglect and 14 counts of cruelty.
Mollie asks, “When you looked at the faces of those dogs, did it break your heart that you knew that one of them died and the others were sick?“
Horton replies, “It did.“
Athough the judge is allowing Horton have 250 dogs…Horton can’t run his business in Virginia for much longer.
A new law will take effect in January that prohibits anyone convicted of abuse to operate a business like Horton’s.
Horton says the new law won’t stop him. 
He’s considering taking his business elsewhere.
Horton says, “if they want to be a communism state, they got other states you know, that you got rights in, you can do what you want to do.“
Horton is considering filing a second appeal.
A judge ordered hin to pay nearly 4-thousand dollars in fines for the charges—but he will not serve jail time.
Animal rights advocates say jail time should not have been suspended and that Horton should have served time for the abuse.