View the world through the eyes of Hudson. His objective of this blog is to educate the public by trying to teach them not to buy a dog through a puppy mill. Don't buy a dog before you see where his parents live and how they are treated. Better yet ADOPT through a rescue or shelter and know you've done a good deed by saving a dog's life !!!
Puppy buyers seek to close Mount Clemens pet store
Warren Mayor Jim Fouts holds a rescue puppy at the new Greenwood Pets & Plants store. He later wrote on Facebook that he was tempted to buy the pooch. “It was really adorable,” he wrote. DAVE ANGELL -- FOR THE MACOMB DAILY
Jill Fritz, senior state director for the U.S. Humane Society, is flanked by Warren animal control officers Lisa Taylor and Nicole Fear at Saturday’s ceremony at Greenwood Pets & Plants. DAVE ANGELL -- FOR THE MACOMB DAILY
A law firm on Monday will seek a permanent injunction in Macomb County Circuit Court in an attempt to bar a Mount Clemens pet store from selling allegedly sick animals.
Jennifer Measel of Farmington Hills-based Haas & Goldstein, P.C. wants a judge to issue a cease-and-desist order to prevent the operators of Little Dogz from the further sale of any animals.
“We want to be sure they can no longer sell pets to the public,” Measel said.
Thirty-one plaintiffs are now included in the lawsuit that was filed in March seeking monetary damages for multiple violations of the Consumer Protection Act after purchasing puppies that were allegedly defective, suffering from infections or highly contagious diseases.
Little Dogz formerly operated as Pollywood Pets inside of the weekend market at Gibraltar Trade Center in Mount Clemens. It has since moved to a Gratiot Avenue storefront.
According to the lawsuit, numerous owners bought dogs at the store only to have them quickly demonstrate serious health problems. Three died from parvovirus.
The plaintiffs accuse David and Shelley Myers of fraud and seek unspecified monetary damages.
Jeffery VerBeck, the attorney for the pet shop operators, could not be reached for comment on Friday.
For more than a year, Pollywood Pets was the target of weekly protests by Puppy Mill Awareness of Southeast Michigan. After 24 years in business at the trade center, the pet shop’s lease was not renewed.
Gibraltar Trade Center recently announced a new “puppy friendly” policy that calls for allowing rescue organizations to sell puppies and kittens inside the facility in a move that complies with Humane Society of the United States practices.
The center will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday with Mayor Barb Dempsey, state Rep. Marilyn Lane (D-Fraser), Gibraltar president Robert Koester, Macomb County Animal Control Officer Jeff Randazzo and others in attendance. Gibraltar Trade Center is located at 237 N. River Road, Mount Clemens.
A similar ceremony was held this past Saturday at Greenwood Pets & Plants in Warren where rescue groups will be allowed to showcase pets for adoption.
Greenwood’s past owner was convicted on animal cruelty charges after a police raid uncovered dozens of pets being kept in unsanitary conditions.
The new owner, Fadi Quaish, has pledged not to take in any pets from puppy mills.
After attending the ceremony, Warren Mayor James Fouts praised the move on his Facebook page. He said he was tempted to buy a small rescue dog.
“The new Greenwood Pets & Plants store has pledged not sell puppies and cats from those so-called puppy mills,” Fouts wrote. “Instead, they will offer a chance for people to acquire a rescued animal....This is the route to go.”
Along a certain stretch of Highway 10 near Cushing, just past the railroad tracks, a large steel barn is barely visible through a line of trees. The building would be unremarkable in a county full of turkey and poultry farmers, if not for the faint sounds of many dogs barking, clearly audible from the road.
Clearwater Kennel Inc., in Cushing, has been cited for multiple USDA violations since 2010 and has been listed three times on the American Humane Society’s annual list of the nation’s worst puppy mills. The most recent available data counted 1,050 animals housed in the facility, pictured above.
This is Clearwater Kennel, Inc. Owned by Wanda Kretzman, the business was recently identified by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) as one of the worst puppy mills in the nation on the2015 Horrible 100 list.
Most recent available data listed 1,050 dogs on-site at the facility, which advertises itself on its website as “nestled in the beautiful open countryside of rural Minnesota,” accompanied by pictures of happy puppies and children frolicking in green fields.
What the images don’t include, however, is that the business was recently cited by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which inspects and licenses commercial breeders. After a series of inspections dating back to 2010, the USDA found multiple and repeated instances of Clearwater Kennel’s failure to comply with regulations to ensure the safety, health and well-being of the dogs.
The website also declares the facility has been “breeding top quality for more than 25 years” — 2015 marks Kretzman’s third time on the HSUS list of offenders, with additional listings in 2013 and 2012.
Kretzman’s legacy as a commercial dog breeder can be traced back as far as 2001 when she ran a business known as Happy Tails Kennel with then-husband Gary McDuffee.
The St. Cloud Times reported in 2007 that multiple USDA violations were found at Happy Tails between 2004 and 2006.
The Record reported that McDuffee closed the business and cancelled his USDA in 2010, three years after obtaining a controversial conditional use permit (CUP) from the county.
Morrison County Planning and Zoning Administrator Amy Kowalzek said the CUP is connected to the property and so still applies and will apply indefinitely to Clearwater Kennel, located on the same property in Cushing as the former Happy Tails Kennel.
Kretzman’s CUP, established in when the business was still known as Happy Tails, allows for up to 800 adult animals. It does not specify the number of puppies.
The original application for the CUP states that the breeding facility will “raise, sell and broker puppies to pet stores nationwide.”
Kretzman’s breeding operation is still listed as Happy Tails through the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office, with records showing the business was originally registered in 1996.
Complaint filed with USDA
The USDA announced in a press release in July that a formal complaint against Kretzman had been filed in March for “willful violation of the animal rights act.”
Details from the inspection reports show more than a dozen violations of requirements in multiple categories such as sanitation, proper veterinary care and adequate housing facilities.
The inspection report from Jan. 11, 2011, found dogs with obvious medical issues, such as non-weight bearing legs or sore eyes that staff were unaware of.
The floor of one enclosure, containing 505 dogs, was found to be “almost entirely covered with feces, leaving little to no clean area for dogs to walk. Others reportedly had “a huge pile of feces” in the middle of the animals’ outdoor space.
During the same inspection, the facility was found to have a total of 1,391 dogs under the care of 10 employees which USDA inspector Melissa Radel wrote was an “insufficient” number of staff “given the degree of noncompliance present in this facility.”
An inspection from July of the same year again found at least one animal with untreated sores on its paws as well as accumulated feces and hair near enclosures, water buckets and food receptacles in multiple enclosures and “a layer of grime along the rusted surface” of a feeding trough.
The same report noted standing water, “mixed with urine and feces and algae” in the enclosures. The inspector observed “a strong smell coming from the standing water.” Broken wires and sharp edges were found along the edges of several enclosures.
These violations were corrected in a follow-up inspection conducted the following day and the operation listed as compliant.
While no problems were found by a veterinary medical officer in April 2012, the inspection report from October lists multiple violations, including veterinary and sanitation problems. Multiple dogs were found to have swollen and enlarged areas between their toes, some with “bloody discharge.” The inspector notes that staff seemed to be aware of the issues, but no written instructions were documented by the facility for addressing it.
The same inspection found inadequate ventilation, citing “a strong ammonia odor and the inspector could feel the ammonia burn the eyes.” Also noted were further instances of poor sanitization: the report details beetles found crawling in the food supply and “two to three tall mounds of feces in enclosures … (which) left limited areas for the dogs to walk or stand without coming into contact with the waste.”
A June 13, 2013, inspection again found standing water “stagnant and mixed with excreta” which left a black residue. “A strong, foul odor was present prominent in this area,” Radel wrote.
In February 2014, the inspector found rodent droppings near food supplies The report also details several rooms with a “strong ammonia odor present” noting that a “ slight burning sensation could be felt in the throats of the inspectors”
Again, lack of daily feces removal, “left limited area for dogs to walk or stand without coming into contact with the waste.”
The most recent available inspection report, from September 2014, found no violations or instances of noncompliance.
“Wanda is fully licensed, inspected and has met all the requirements,” Anderson said.
However, Anderson said the BAH is unable to provide details of the inspections, including the number of animals at the facility and the kennel’s records and documentation.
“It’s a data privacy issue,” Anderson said. “We’re not at liberty to share specific information.”
Requirements for commercial breeders also include other standards of care such as periodic exercise, daily enrichment and positive physical contact with humans at least twice daily.
“We talk to the breeders about that and ask if that’s what they do … we’ve not had any trouble with people agreeing they do handle their dogs in a positive way two times a day,” Anderson said.
When asked how inspectors can confirm that each animal is given daily care, Anderson said that it’s difficult to verify a facility’s daily operations through a single annual inspection.
“Part of that we have to take on their word,” Anderson said. “It’s pretty easy to tell if they’re telling the truth.”
He added the BAH will conduct reinspections if necessary to follow up on noncompliance issues or complaints about particular breeders.
Anderson said they’ve not yet had any problems with complaints or persistent noncompliance, although a few breeders have dropped out of the application process after learning the requirements, opting instead to remain under the minimum number of dogs and litters per year that qualify an operation as a commercial breeder.
For anything less than five dogs or five litters per year, the rules are not applied and inspection is not required.
Unlike USDA inspections, which are unannounced, the BAH must notify breeders in advance of upcoming inspections, Anderson said, according to state law.
Also included on the BAH list of licensed commercial breeders for 2015 is Country Pride Kennel, out of Pine River, Minnesota.
The USDA license for Country Pride Kennel and owner Deborah Rowell was cancelled in 2014 after Rowell was charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty.
The Star Tribune reported in 2013 that more than 100 animals were seized from Country Pride as part of the investigation.
Rowell was convicted of only one charge, a misdemeanor violation of proper shelter size regulations, and so does not violate the BAH standard of denying licenses to breeders with previous convictions for animal cruelty.
It’s unclear whether Rowell’s business is the same Country Pride Kennel currently certified, as the BAH lists no identifying information of besides the name of licenses commercial breeding operations.
Anderson specified that the language of the Minnesota commercial breeder law does not address puppy mills.
Five Star Breeder with ACA
Kretzman also referred inquiries about Clearwater Kennel to the Star Breeder Program of the American Canine Association, out of Clemont, Fla., through which she is certified as a Five Star Breeder for 2015-16.
A representative from the ACA described the Star Breeder Program as “a service provided for our customers” and confirmed that Kretzman had submitted documentation and completed requirements to be a Five Star Breeder.
After numerous queries to the ACA about what information it could disclose about Kretzman, ACA President Bob Yarnall, Jr. contacted the Record.
Yarnall emphasized that information about the ACA’s Star Breeders is public and confirmed that Kretzman had completed the following requirements: having an attending veterinarian for the kennel, being inspected at least annually by the USDA or equivalent state organization, having an exercise and socialization program approved by the kennel’s veterinarian, attending at least six hours of educational courses sanctioned by the ACA and participating in at least two ACA-sanctioned dog shows per year.
In addition, all breeding dogs are required to have points toward champion or working dog titles and be certified free of at least one congenital defect by a licensed veterinarian, which Yarnall confirmed Kretzman had met by providing required documentation.
“If you were to say that we don’t disclose that information, that would be dishonest,” Yarnall said.
Complete documentation proving that Kretzman has met the requirements is kept on file by the ACA, Yarnall said.
When asked to provide the above documentation that Kretzman had met the requirements, Yarnall said he was unsure what the ACA’s policy was.
“I’ve never had anyone ask me that,” Yarnall said.
In a follow-up interview, Yarnall said that the ACA’s policy was not to provide that information without the written consent of the breeder. He added that he had since contacted Kretzman and she had requested that the ACA not release the documentation about her Star Breeder status or her business to the Record.
Yarnall said that when he contacted Kretzman about the Record’s request for information, Kretzman had expressed concerns that the information would be used in a biased manner.
Yarnall compared the ACA’s data privacy policies to HIPAA laws or those of universities regarding student transcripts.
Just as a university will verify that a student has graduated, but will not provide transcripts, Yarnall said the ACA will verify a breeder has met the listed criteria for a Five Star rating, but will not share the documents or information submitted by the breeder to confirm their eligibility.
Yarnall also said that the ACA had conducted two unannounced inspections of Clearwater Kennel, but that inspection reports were also protected by data privacy policies.
When asked to disclose ACA policies on releasing information, Yarnall responded by repeating the list of Star Breeder Program criteria and said medical transcripts of dogs could not be released without expressed written permission from the owner.
Yarnall said the ACA would not release additional details about Clearwater Kennel, such as the identity or contact information of the attending veterinarian, or the number of dogs Kretzman has registered.
It is unknown whether Kretzman currently sells her animals directly to the public or through animal brokers, as Kretzman refused to give any information about her customers, employees or business practices. The Clearwater Kennel website lists no puppies as currently available for purchase.
The USDA enforcement process against Kretzman and Clearwater Kennel Inc. is ongoing.
TOCCOA, Ga. -- The Atlanta Humane Society assisted in the rescue of an estimated 40 dogs from at a Stephens County puppy mill run from two locations, Friday.
As of 2 p.m., 35 dogs had been rescued, officials with the society said. Meanwhile, the group remains on-site at the second property.
The dogs were kept in what society members said were deplorable conditions and the dogs were repeatedly bred for profit.
Many of the dogs were found dehydrated and malnourished, officials said, and one had to been rushed to a veterinarian for emergency care due to severe anemia.
The animals reportedly also received little or no medical care over the years and many dogs had eye and ear infections as well as a myriad of skin conditions. Those were often topped with matted hair and fleas.
At least 25 made their way to the Atlanta Humane Society and the dogs arrived in Atlanta at the Howell Mill campus in Midtown Friday afternoon.
From there, staff will work with them and hope to have the dogs ready for adoption in the coming weeks.
Half will be available at Howell Mill while the rest will go to the Mansell campus in Aplpharetta.
A team of five from the Atlanta Humane Society assisted the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Toccoa-Stephens County Humane Shelter in the rescue.
SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. (WSVN) -- Miami-Dade Animal Services have temporarily revoked the license of a South Florida pet store Tuesday.
The Cute Puppies store currently has a sign outside the front door that reads "Closed to public." According to Animal Services, the store is being shut down due to over 50 violations.
Officials said the crates the puppies were being kept in do not comply with proper standards. Miami-Dade Animal Services recently changed their regulations at the beginning of the year. They said they have been visiting stores like Cute Puppies for months. They have been to this particular store over 10 times, but they said, that new regulations are not the issue.
Animal Services came to the store after eight months to verify that the puppies were crated properly and had the right documentation. The store did not have the documentation, so the license was revoked, and the store has since been closed.
The owner and her boyfriend are both upset with the actions taken against them, but Animal Services said that this is about keeping the puppies safe and protected. "It's unlawful for pet stores in Miami-Dade County to offer puppies or kittens for sale that were not obtained from an animal rescue organization, a hobby breeder, an animal shelter or an out-of-state breeder that complies with Miami-Dade County's local standards for housing of animals," said Kathleen Labrada of Miami-Dade Animal Services.
"Today, we received a whole bunch of fines," said the owner's boyfriend, Lenny Rivas. "Fifty-seven fines of having failure of meeting the enclosure. It actually says, 'Failure to meet enclosure standards.' It's incredible."
The owner committed 25 violations for proper documentation and 53 of those puppies were in crates that were too heavy and were not properly absorbent. Animal Services brought in 30 crates so those animals would be better taken care of. The license, however, has been revoked, and the owner has already appealed it, but has seven days to find a home for all the puppies she was harboring, and at least $26,500 in fines and compile all the feline documentation before reopening her pet store.
Mon, 24 Aug 2015 22:15:13 GMT — Last March, Horry County police seized more than 100 puppies from a home near Conway.
Police say it was a puppy mill, with dogs being bred under inhumane conditions.
Now, county leaders are crafting a law that would place new limits on commercial dog and cat breeders.
"To protect the animals, to make sure they're getting the proper care, making sure that we protect the public, making sure that the animals have the appropriate rabies inoculations as well," said Horry County public information officer Lisa Bourcier.
The proposed ordinance would establish minimum sizes for cages, and prohibit stacked cages or those with wire floors.
The law would require yearly inspections by animal control officers and written proof of vaccinations by veterinarians.
Animals that come out of puppy or kitten mills often end up at animal hospitals, suffering a variety of different ailments that come from being raised in that kind of environment.
"Puppy mills, I think in a lot of them, parvo (virus) runs rampant through them, kennel cough runs rampant through them, so that's an issue, and you can see feline lukemia, feline AIDS and things in kitten mills," said Dr. Kathryn McCutcheon of VCA Palmetto Animal Hospital in Carolina Forest.
McCutcheon said if it was up to her, puppy mills wouldn't just be regulated. They'd be shut down.
"There's plenty of shelter animals for everyone to get one and there's tons of shelter animals that get destroyed every year, just because nobody is adopting them," she said.
McCutcheon said a new law may help open people's eyes about what goes on at puppy mills.
Bourcier said the proposed ordinance is being tweaked to better define the difference between commercial breeders and private individuals.
It will be brought before the county council's public safety committee next month.
What Is A Puppy Mill? By Shirley Patterson Secretary of the YTCA
A puppy mill is a mass dog breeding establishment that produces puppies for profit by selling them wholesale to the pet industry. Many puppy mills are characterized by overcrowding,filth,inadequate shelter, and insufficient food, water, and veterinary care. Most puppy mill owners sell their dogs wholesale to brokers, who in turn, sell them primarily to pet stores. Because profit, not quality dogs, is the ultimate goal of the puppy mill owner, breeding practices are often shoddy, and the breeding dogs are kept under the most inexpensive possible conditions that will keep them alive and producing.In contrast, there are hundreds of responsible and reputable kennels and breeding establishments throughout the country whose owners make a profit, but not at the expense of their dogs. Whether these breeders are full-time professionals making an entire living from a kennel, or hobby breeders with 5 or 10 animals, the responsible breeder is as concerned with improving the quality of the breed, by showing or belonging to a breed club, than he or she is at making money. Customers wishing to buy puppies from these breeders are welcome to inspect the premises and in most cases, to meet the puppies parents. In between the puppy mill operators and the responsible kennel owners are the so-called " backyard breeders" whose newspaper ads dot Sunday papers each week. These are people who own one or two purebred dogs and produce a litter of puppies once a year or so for extra money or " because I want my dog to have the experience of being a mother before I get her spayed or Aunt Tillie would like to have a puppy just like my mine." Like puppy mill puppies these animals are often haphazardly bred with no regard to the consequences and their offspring will most often suffer the same consequences. As secretary for the YTCA I answer an enormous amount of calls each day. I spend at least half the day conversing with many first time pet buyers who seek to have guidance in finding a healthy pet and also the best breed for their individual life style. I also talk to many individuals who have already purchased a pet and are now experiencing problems be it minor ( Why are my Yorkies ears not standing up?) to more serious health problems and what to do about them since now there is no one interested or concerned enough about the puppy to answer these questions. A Responsible breeder will give each puppy the socialization that it needs and this requires a great deal of devotion and patience . They are responsible for each puppy that they have bred. (The puppies new owner will reap these benefits.) Their dogs are their number one concern as they are completely dependent on them for their care, training and medical attention. Their dogs are "special " to them . My own personal feeling is "If you are making money in dogs, you are either overbreeding or your dogs are not receiving the proper medical attention that they so deserve.
How can you help Stop a Puppymill
Depending on where you live (or on where the puppymill is located), there are several things you can do. First, though, you need to know that you can't stop a puppymill on your own but its very helpful to have as much information as possible. Have you been to this puppymill? Or has someone told you about it? Do you have any idea about the number of animals there? First hand experience is usually most credible but any reliable tip should be appreciated by the authorities. If you can get photo's of the puppymill, without getting caught taking them, that would help too. Commercial breeders must have licenses, generally State, County (or City) and USDA. These "businesses" are subject to inspections. Back yard breeders (BYB's) and illegal mass breeders usually don't have licenses but they are still subject to the laws pertaining to animal breeding. Most also need "Business" licenses. If you report an operation that isn't licensed, generally the authorities can move pretty quickly. Oddly enough, dog and cat breeding is monitored through the US Dept of Agriculture and the animal welfare laws. Its considered the same as breeding, raising, selling cows, pigs, sheep, etc. I think most State agencies also regulate animal breeding through their agriculture department while most cities and counties do it under animal control. The USDA monitors animal breeders for complaince to animal welfare laws. http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/ This page details the regulations for animal breeding facilities: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/pubs/inspect.html At the bottom of this web page is contact information. You can call, write or email them and request copies of previous inspections done at the location you know about and report your puppymill complaint to them. You can also locate the nearest USDA office through this web page if you prefer to talk to someone closer to where you are: http://offices.usda.gov/scripts/ndISAPI.dll/oip_public/USA_map The USDA has been very severely criticized in recent years for not being aggressive enough in pursuing animal abuse and neglect in puppymills. They are supposedly much better now because of all the negative publicity (and millions of letters from pet lovers). Your State should also have an agency/department that also licenses/monitors breeders. Generally you can get this information in the "state" government section of your phone book or the local library should be able to help. Contact them too. Also, the county/city where the puppymill is located probably also has regulations regarding animal breeding. They are also businesses and licenses needed for that as well. [Sometimes puppymills are closed just by the county requiring a business license and closing them down for lack of one.] You should also contact the nearest Humane Society and/or ASPCA and talk to someone in authority there ~ not just the person who answers the phone, ask for the director or assistant director. Sometimes it helps to call, ask the name of the director and assistant director, then say thanks and hang up. A little while later, call back and ask for the director by name, if not available ask about the assistant director. Often this gets you through to the right person instead of being just another "pink phone message" along with many others. Each one of these groups has the authority to investigate and stop puppymills (bust them) but all are busy, underfunded, etc. It would probably be helpful to mention to each agency that you talk to that you'll also "be contacting the USDA, the State dept of .... the County animal control, etc." even if you've already contacted some of them, just say you "will be" contacting them... if you say you already have talked to them, the person you're talking to might think, "Oh if she's talked to so and so, I don't have to do anything right now." Whereas if you say, I'll also be contacting, so and so and such and such, you may bring out a competitive response (or an "I want to check this out before they do!" type of thing). It isn't easy stopping puppymillers and it can be very frustrating. But more and more government agencies are doing better at shutting them down. The Humane Society and ASPCA aren't government agencies and rely on donations and volunteers but they are concerned, very proactive and usually work with the government groups in busts and rescuing the animals. You have to be persistent, calling everyone and telling them as much as you can. Assuming you get the right person on each call, you'll be making at least 4 phone calls, each long enough to tell your entire story... but realistically it'll more be likely double or triple the number of calls before you reach the right people. Remember that it helps to be as nice as you can to whomever you talk to... You may feel angry and frustrated by what you know, but these are the people who can stop it and they need people like you to tell them about abusers. Your call will be one of countless other calls they each will take that day. Appreciating the fact that they are very busy and overworked will go a long way in their willingness to talk to you and hear what you have to say. Also, remember that it can take a while to get an investigation going so you have to try to be patient too. Sometimes the authorities can move very quickly but generally it takes time to build their cases, get the evidence and the warrants needed. Many puppymillers are very clever in hiding what they do, often having the majority of the animals hidden away in remote areas of rural properties ~ so goverment inspectors see only a tiny portion of the operation when they inspect... a nice barn near the street, all looking good, meanwhile, hundreds of animals live in hell a few miles back in the woods. These are first steps you can take to stop puppymills. Often they are all that are needed, that and you're being persistent. Calling the various agencies, telling them as much as you can. Wait a day or too and call back, ask if there is any progress. Then wait a week or two and call again. Don't be a pest, just persistent. If you've tried all these and still need help, please email us and we'll try to help you more. You can contact us at: alert@puppymills.com Also, please let us know if you've successfully stopped a puppymill or if your work is making progress. All to often, all we hear is the "bad news." Puppymills are a blight and cause immeasurable hurt to people who only want a pet they can love forever. Loving pet owners are cheated out of years of love and the poor little pets die miserable, unnecessary deaths. Its so important that anyone wanting a pet research the pet, the breed and the breeder. So many pet lovers grieve and so many pets have died because of unethical breeders and the breeders quest for more dollars. It isn't fair. It isn't just. And breeders who do that need to be stopped. And if they've abuse or neglected animals, they need to be prosecuted under Animal Welfare laws.
Humane Society Traces Expensive Pups to Pet Mills By REBECCA CATHCART LOS ANGELES - A pet store in the Bel-Air neighborhood deceived customers, including Hollywood celebrities, about the origin of their puppies, many of which come from unlicensed pet mills, according to a Humane Society of the United States investigation released Tuesday.
The investigation looked at dog breeders, pet auctions and pet stores that form a chain of supply for the expensive dogs that can be found along the streets of Beverly Hills, often in sweaters and rhinestone collars.
These so-called puppy mills are large-scale breeding operations that have a reputation for abuse, inbreeding and filthy conditions.
"These puppy mills apply an agricultural mind-set to the breeding of dogs," said Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States. "Often, they're run by farmers who raise soybeans and corn, and this becomes another, more lucrative cash crop for them. It often becomes a dominant source of income because no money is spent on the care of these dogs."
The tiny toy breeds that sit in wooden baby cribs at the Bel-Air store, Pets of Bel Air, sell for upward of $1,000 and are popular among the young Hollywood set.
"We're not singling out Pets of Bel Air as the sole operation at fault," Mr. Pacelle said. "But they are representative."
In a videotape made in the store by the Humane Society of the United States, Paris Hilton drifts by at one point, staring at the upper shelves. Her Chihuahua's limbs dangle over her arm and its little head scans the room. The video, taken using a hidden camera, also shows a manager telling an employee not to let customers know the extent of one puppy's health problems.
Store employees did not return telephone calls seeking comment. In the tape, the store visuals are spliced in with clips from breeding operations in Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma. The images show hundreds of dogs jumping frantically in small, outdoor cages.
Video of one breeding operation describes "over about 100 breeding dogs" that are "confined in small cages" at Carole's Puppy Palace in Pocola, Okla. The narrator calls the operation, run by Carole Glenn, unlicensed.
But on Tuesday, Ms. Glenn said: "I have six puppies here from three litters. I've seen puppy mills, believe me. They are dirty, filthy places."
"That's not what I do," added Ms. Glenn, who is listed as a licensed breeder on a United States Department of Agriculture Web site.
Mr. Pacelle said that information gathered this year indicated that Ms. Glenn was not licensed to breed dogs. That information may be out of date, he said.
Read more at http://www.dogheirs.com/tamara/posts/6907-beverly-hills-bans-pet-stores-from-selling-dogs-unless-they-are-from-rescues-or-shelters#vZ3zJgYlPKZARzG3.99
In a move to shut down puppy mill pets from being sold in stores, Beverly Hills City Council unanimously passed an ordinance that prohibits pet stores from selling animals unless they are from animal shelters.
Pet stores in the Beverly Hills may now only sell adoptable dogs, cats and other animals coming from rescue groups and animal shelters.
"I am the biggest animal lover and feel strongly about giving them a voice of safety and love," Lili Bosse, Beverly Hills council member, told The Huffington Post. "As they give us."
The ordinance will go into effect in September 2015. Beverly Hills joins more than 80 other jurisdictions around the USA and Canada that have similar laws in place.
Unfortunately, the ordinance doesn't ban Internet sales, one of the primary outlets for puppy mill sales.
However, hopes are that such a high profile city as Beverly Hills adopting the measure will raise awareness not only in the States but globally. It would be wonderful if the move also helps influence more cities to follow suit.
Read more at http://www.dogheirs.com/tamara/posts/6907-beverly-hills-bans-pet-stores-from-selling-dogs-unless-they-are-from-rescues-or-shelters#vZ3zJgYlPKZARzG3.99
Need volunteers to help at Arnold Days Event Sept 18-20. We have secured a free booth from the City. Our objective is to host a bake sale to fund spays and neuters for barn cats brought into Shelter Connections of Jefferson County A.C. facilities. We are also petitioning Arnold residents to support TNR in their community.
We need volunteers to work the booth
We need people to donate baked goods.
Please contact Barb at 314-494-7826 if you can help.
Posted: Jan 31, 2014 9:48 PM CSTUpdated: Feb 10, 2014 10:32 PM CST
Investigators say they're hoping to bring more awareness to America's puppy mills and pet outlets.
The Humane Society of the United States recently released the findings of an undercover investigation performed last year in Texas. Over a five month investigation in 2013, they visited 16 pet stores and three flea markets across the state of Texas. They say, by far, the most troubling conditions were seen at what they call "Dog Alley" in Canton, Texas. "Dog Alley" sits on the grounds of Curry Trade Grounds and RV Park. HSUS investigators call "Dog Alley" a mecca for questionable and often unlicensed puppy sellers.
"What we found at the Canton Flea Market were dogs who were left out in the sweltering heat, many without water, clearly in distress. and one of the things we know from the course of the investigation is that these dogs are primarily being bred in puppy mills from outside the state of Texas and then trekked in and kept in this horrible environment, " said Melanie Kahn, with the Humane Society of the United States.
Investigators say hidden camera video shows hundreds of cages and rows of puppies in bad conditions. They say many people don't know that they're buying dogs from puppy mills.
"There were dogs that were covered in fleas. There were dogs that were coughing. There were dogs that clearly had skin conditions that weren't being treated. Eye conditions and it ran the gamut. It really is common in puppy mill dogs," said Kahn.
However, a lawyer for Curry Trade Grounds and RV Park says the allegations simply aren't true. Attorney, Morgan Elliott, released this statement to KTBS 3 News:
"Curry Trade Grounds does not condone any form of animal cruelty or neglect. In addition to enforcing the rules of our state and local governments, Curry Trade Grounds has implemented its' own rules and regulations as an attempt to manage the safety and welfare of animals while they are located on our property. With the help of our staff, Canton Animal Control and the Texas Animal Health Commission, we make every effort to ensure that our vendors follow these rules and regulations. If it is brought to our attention that any vendor has been found guilty of keeping their animals in an unsanitary condition, we do not allow those vendors to continue to sell their puppies on our property."
HSUS investigators say that wasn't the case when they went in with their hidden cameras. They say they witnessed sick looking puppies and even puppies in cages with other animals such as piglets. They hope their investigation will bring awareness to the problem.
"The goal of the investigation is to pull back the curtain on the puppy mill industry, so consumers can see what really goes on," said Kahn.
For more details on the HSUS investigation and tips on how to buy a healthy pet follow the link listed below.
Join us for Freddy's Fundraiser Night on Tuesday, August 18 from 3pm to 10pm. Present the flyer in person or on your phone, or mention that you're here to support Shelter Friends, and we will receive a portion of the proceeds.
Note:The Gabels use The Hunte Corp, 43-B-0123, as their broker.
The weather at the time of investigation: 95 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny.
Breeds: Yorkshire Terriers, Shih Tzus, Golden Retrievers, Shiba Inus, Old English Bulldogs, Maltese, Huskies, Poodles, Mini Australian Shepherds, and designer (mixed) breeds.
There were more than 250 dogs on the premises at the time of investigation.
Building 1 When I arrived at the kennel, I spoke with the owner, Barb Gabel, about a male adult Standard Poodle. After I asked her about other dogs, she and her husband led me to their whelping building. On the way, we passed an enclosure that had a rectangular receptacle of very green algae water (Sec 3.10 Watering).
The whelping room, where there were three rows of stacked mesh cages, had a strong urine and feces odor. There were active flies and gnats (Sec 3.11 Cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping, and pest control (f) Pest control). The accumulation of fecal matter signaled it had not been cleaned up in days (Sec 3.11 Cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping, and pest control (a) Cleaning of primary enclosures). The second row of cages had a mixture of hair and fecal matter matted to the mesh bottom of the cages (Sec 3.11 Cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping, and pest Control (a) Cleaning of primary enclosures). There was a significant amount of fecal matter on the wall below the second row of cages (Sec 3.11 Cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping, and pest control (a) Cleaning of primary enclosures). One cage had a large screwdriver jammed into the bottom to keep it from falling out (Sec 3.6 Primary Enclosures (a)(x) Flooring).
The very young puppies were soaking wet from an earlier spray-cleaning of the kennels. Barb had to wipe them down with a towel. (Sec 3.11 Cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping, and pest control (a) Cleaning of primary enclosures). In the last cage on the bottom row there was an English Bulldog puppy that was coughing (Sec 2.4 Attending Veterinarian and Adequate Veterinarian Care (b)(2) Veterinarian care).
Building 2 Barb then led me to a group of 10 outside kennel runs. One kennel had four adult dogs housed in a cage that did not provide minimum space requirements (Sec 3.6 Primary enclosures (c)(i) Space requirements):
(Length of dog in inches + 6) x (length of dog in inches + 6) = required floor space
in square inches.
Required floor space in inches/144 = required floor space in square feet.
Another cage had a metal fencing “patch” held in place with a zip tie. The wires on this patch were poking inward toward the dogs (Sec 3.1 Housing facilities, General (c)(ii) Surfaces).
Building 3 Barb and her husband then led me to additional outdoor kennels. To show me a miniature Aussie, Barb grabbed the dog by the back of the neck and lifted it with this grip (Sec 2.131 Handling of animals (b) (1) Handling).
At the time, there were three dogs in a large run to the side of these outdoor kennels. The only water available to them was a kiddie pool holding only a small amount of brown dirty water (Sec 3.10 Watering).
A kennel holding two Huskies did not have a wind or rain break; while there was a small roof to the right of the kennel, there were no sides to the kennel (Sec 3.4 Outdoor Housing (b)(2) Shelter from the elements).
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Help CAPS protect companion animals from abuse in pet shops and puppy mills!
Investigating Pet Shops and Puppy Mills since 1992
The goal of the report is to inform consumers about widespread problems with puppy mills before they make an uninformed purchase that could potentially support animal cruelty. The report includes puppy mills from 22 states, but because most of the dealers sell online or to pet stores, their puppies could be available to unwary consumers in all 50 states and beyond.
The breeders and sellers on this list represent common issues with puppy mills and puppy mill brokers. This report is not a complete list of all puppy mills, nor a list of all problematic facilities. For more information on the methodology used in preparing this report, please see the Methodology section on page 29.
Comments
Breeder Index (See Full-Text Document for Additional Information)
ARKANSAS
Edward and Wanda Barker, Drycreek Kennel, Maynard, AR
Desiree and Lee Bogan, Bogan Ranch & Kennels, New Hope, AR
Carolyn and Philip Hadley, G R R Acres, Springdale, AR
Barbara and Sonny Hearne, Back Forty Kennels, Sulphur Springs, AR
Bill Nored, Dryfork Kennel, Prim, AR
Leon Walthall and Peggy Van Huss, Wagging Tails Kennel, Siloam Springs, AR
CALIFORNIA
Janet Barreto, Current Address Unknown
Ginger Turk (alias Ginger Hunter), La Chic Puppy, aka Teacup Puppy Couture, El Dorado Hills, CA
COLORADO
Barbara Bowman, Delta, CO
Momma’s Minis, Holly, CO
GEORGIA
Navata Brink, Brinks Puppy Pagoda, Buena Vista, GA
Low Country Kennel, Statesboro, GA
ILLINOIS
Melton Christiansen, Christiansen Kennels, Poplar Grove, IL
Kim Lettier, Lettier Kennel, Caledonia, IL
INDIANA
Amos Beiler, Williamsburg, IN
Jonas Fisher, Playful Paws Kennel and Country Boy Pets LLC, Williamsburg, IN
IOWA
Carolyn and Julie Arends, Julie’s Jewels, Jewell, IA
Karen Baker, Kute Kozy K, Redding, IA
Fedler Ag Inc., Pee Vine Kennels, West Point, IA
Rodnie Kelley, Kelley’s Kennel, Kellerton, IA
Platinum Puppies, West Point, IA
Connie and Edwin Townsend, Faithful Friends Kennel, Bedford, IA
KANSAS
Dorothy Brecheisen, Dot’s Little Doggies, Inc. Lyndon, KS
Mary Carpenter, Blue Moon Kennels, Melvern, KS
Roxanne Castens, Ludell, KS
Pat Crabtree, Crabtree Kennel, St. Francis, KS
Shauna Engelken, Grandview Kennel, Seneca, KS
Irene Finley, Herington, KS
Shelli Kershner, Walnut Creek Kennel, Rush Center, KS
Michelle Miller, Plum Crazy Kennel, Elk City, KS
Peggy Pierce, Pierce’s Kennels, Narka, KS
Wayne and Yvonne Sellin, Sellin Kennel, Chapman, KS
Marilyn Soukup, Wilson, KS
Shayne Turner, aka David or Michael, Rock Creek Kennel, DBA Clover Acres Farm, Kansas City, KS
Darryl and Larry Wilson, D & L Kennels, El Dorado, KS
