Puppy Mill Pups

[Sally, Ditzy Mitzi & Sgt. Pepper]

OMG! I just wrote the two worst words in canine history, Puppy Mill. Yet, we ended up with a
beautiful GD from a local pet shop, and guess where they got their pups from. We even asked to
be sure she was not a puppy mill pup and they assurred us she was not. Then we got her papers and researched the breeder on the internet.

Mitzi is now 18 months old and we have more gray hair then before she joined our family. Mitzi is a really beautiful, blonde with some apricot coloring. She weighs about 55 lbs. and is long like a retriever with a very poodley face. She is extremely loving and sweet natured and we are delighted she is with us. She is also in good health at this time.

Out of curiosity though, it would be interesting to see if any other DK members have "puppy mill" pups and even possibly if any are related to each other.

Mitzi's breeder was C. Wallace Havens in Sun Prairie, WI. .
Her Sire was Candyland Dreams, a Poodle; and Dam was Lisa E , Golden Retriever.



Thank you for any interest in this topic.

Sally

[Brenda Hetzel]

I honestly don't know if they screen or not because all I had to do was see the price tag and know I wasn't interested. But now that you mention it maybe I should have inquired further. It would be really unfortunate if these things were true because I really like this store and the people.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

This is part of the problem. I have been in the Puppy Palace in my town, and to the people who don't know any better, the lady who is selling puppies seems like the nicest person in the world. She is so concerned; she gives out information about proper care, she recommends the highest quality premium foods, (which she also sells), she gives advice...her children work there, too. She just loves those puppies. What a nice lady.
Many of these people never see where the puppies come from, and they don't want to know the truth themselves. The broker brings them in a truck, and the pet store owner maybe has a fantasy in her head about this farm where the dogs and puppies run and play, and the poor farmer just doesn't have the time & resources to sell them himself. I will give the store owners the benefit of the doubt. But when you talk to people who have worked for these places, you get a different picture.
The bottom line is, don't go there. There is nothing they sell that you can't get somewhere else. If there is, tell me what it is and I will find it for you. Do it for Jackdoodle, and for the three doodles that I personally know about that died in the past few months from genetic diseases, who were all purchased from pet stores.
I'm a little emotional tonight, so please, everyone, forgive me. Today I took JD in for a repeat of a biopsy on a growth we found recently...the first sample didn't have enough cells. I'm sure I'll be in a better mood after they tell me it's benign.

[Brenda Hetzel]

So sorry to hear about JD and you have every right to be emotional. I hope his biopsy is benign. I believe there is a member here who got her doodle from this family owned business. Maybe I can contact her and get more info about the breeder.

[Lee Seidman]

Lexi is a fantastic 11 month old Goldendoodle , a little Girl! Father: White English Golden Retreiver, Mother White Standard Poodle F-1. Rescued from puppy mill in Marathon, Florida. She was born after the mill was raided and was not abused, however she was seperated from her mother and siblings at 5 weeks age when she was returned to the Humane Society by her foster mom who could no longer care for the pups. We rescued her and took her home at 5 weeks.

Puppy Mill Story written by the Humane Society and the attorney representing the Humane Society

My trip to the “Sixth Day Ranch” and why you should never buy a puppy via the internet.

I have a client, Stand Up For Animals, which contracts with Monroe County to provide animal control services in the Middle Keys. I met the Director, Linda Gottwald, several years ago when her organization took custody of a severely neglected McCaw, and petitioned the court for permanent custody. Much to her surprise, the previous owner of “Capper” hired an attorney to fight for the bird that, in spite of the fact that she was missing half her feathers, his client had never once even bothered to take to a vet. The group needed legal representation and the County Attorney’s office refused to back them up. Of course as a non profit they were not rolling in money, but I agreed to help, thinking one quick trip to the Keys and I’d be done. The attorney that represented Capper’s former owner did not ultimately succeed in getting the bird back for his client, but he sure did succeed in getting the case dragged out longer than I ever would have believed possible. Several false starts am]n trip from West Palm Beach to Key West later the Judge finally ruled in our favor- and Capper has grown her feathers back and now lives in a free flight sanctuary where she enjoys the company of other bird instead of in a filthy cage so small that she cannot flap her wings.
Stand Up For Animals has the luxury of being an almost no-kill shelter. They are fortunate not to be completely overwhelmed with unwanted animals like the Miami-Dade shelter, and other shelters in the more populated South Florida counties. And while it is far from luxurious, it is always spotless, and Linda and her staff work very hard to make the animals at the Stand Up For Animals shelter comfortable, healthy and happy.
Stand Up or Animals doesn’t get very many puppies, so Linda is sometimes able to take litters from more crowded shelters. This summer I drove down with a litter of puppies I had been fostering that were finally old enough to be spayed or neutered and adopted to good homes. I had a law student working with me from Portland, Oregon, and she had never been to the Keys. A friend of mine from high school was joining us, and we were planning on snorkeling and then an evening in Key West.
For me, it was not to be- the week of my trip I suffered an ulcerated cornea and was told by my eye doctor no swimming and certainly no snorkeling. I had planned to hangout at the shelter while Mary and Julie snorkeled, make myself useful or entertain myself by snuggling with some of the long time resident cats that are always grateful for a little extra attention. Linda asked if I would come with her to inspect “Sixth Day Ranch”, a commercial breeder down the street from the shelter, and I was happy to ride shot gun. Some neighbors had been concerned about what was going on in the warehouse where a family in the dog selling business had set up shop, and had called in a complaint.
In order to discourage irresponsible backyard breeders, Monroe County has an ordinance that requires breeders to register each litter and pay a $50 litter fee. Linda had spoken with the mom of the family the day before and told her she would be coming the next day to inspect the facility. Mr. Jones met us at the door and explained that his wife was upset about the inspection and threatening to go back to where they had recently moved from. He wanted to keep the family together. Linda told him we have a shelter full of dogs and don’t need someone deliberately creating more, but he explained that they sell their pups all over the country using the internet, some for thousands of dollars. They needed the money.
Sigh. As if that justifies intentionally adding more dogs to a world where we kill them by the millions for lack of homes. After much conversation and polite negotiation we are finally allowed inside, provided we wear paper booties to keep out germs Mrs. Jones is sure we are carrying from the animal shelter.
You would think with a 24 hour heads up about the inspection, the place would have been ship shape. Or at least clean. The stench of ammonia was apparent from when we walked in the door. Although there was an air conditioner, it was not keeping the place remotely cool. One door into a side room is opened for us- revealing four large goldendoodle puppies-at least 4 months old, and several adult dogs, on of which is very pregnant. There is a plastic swimming pool full of cedar chips. I am not sure if the dogs were supposed to sleep in it or use it as a bathroom. I don’t think the dogs were sure either. The room reeked.
Side door number 2 is opened to reveal six large adult dogs, three standard poodles and three golden retrievers in a room maybe 5 x6. There is urine on the floor, and the one window in the room is closed. There is one small water bowl for 6 large the dogs and it is empty. The room is hot and stuffy and the ammonia makes me gag. Side door number 3 , five or six more large adult dogs, in a similar sized room, no ventilation. Side door number 4, five or six more dogs in an even smaller room. An open door to a room the size of a closet reveals 14 more puppies behind a baby gate. There is one small water bowl for 14 puppies. And it is empty.


I must admit for the most part the dogs were well fed, and while there were certainly a few that need bathing or grooming, I have seen worse. The Joneses protest that the dogs just spilled their water, or maybe drank all their water, and that the puppies have no water because they splash around it in and spill it.
“Of course they do” I think-“they are puppies and they are hot”. Their tongues are all hanging to their knees as they pant in the hot humid stinky air. Surely someone who claims to be a professional breeder is smart enough to figure out how to secure a bucket of water so that it cannot be overturned?

Linda and I are in semi shock. So many dogs shut in so many tiny rooms. We confer. As the animal control agent for Monroe County she has two options. She can seize the dogs and petition the court for permanent custody, or leave them with the Joneses and make them subject to an “order to provide care.” I am fairly certain that if we go to court we will win, but it is a serious thing to take someone’s animals- not something to be done lightly, and where the hell will we put all those dogs? On the other hand, even I f we order them to provide better accommodations for the dogs, they obviously do not have the space to house them properly. Outside in the back yard of the warehouse someone has erected a couple small chain link runs with two plastic dog houses. It is too small for so many dogs, and on the pavement in the South Florida’s hot July sun. Totally unsuitable.
We conclude there is simply no option other than to remove the adult dogs to the shelter where they will at least be inside the air conditioned shelter or outside in large shady fenced play yards. The puppies we will make subject to an order to provide care: constant access to water, urine and poop must not be allowed to accumulate, proper ventilation must be provided.
Linda goes to get a citation book so all of this is done properly. I stay and spend what seems like an eternity awkwardly avoiding eye contact with the Jones family. I don’t doubt that they felt some affection for the dogs, but it was hard to reconcile that with the reality of the dogs’ circumstance. How could they have possibly felt that it was ok to keep 22 adult dogs shut in tiny rooms in a small stuffy warehouse? That a water bowl that holds two cups was adequate for five or six big dogs? Did they not notice the ammonia that was making me literally wretch?
Linda returns and writes a citation for a manner of keep in violation-other staff arrive and we start taking the dogs out and loading them in the trucks. Some are very shy, but most just seem happy for an outing. The dog in the picture below was the worst. His mats were soaked with urine and he smelled horribly. As I walk by with him to load him in the truck, Mrs. Jones tells me she was waiting for him to put on weight before she groomed him. I am dumbfounded.


I am also dumbfounded by what I find when I get back to the shelter and google “sixth day ranch”. This is one of their ads:
“We offer quality canine companions to those special people who will love and care for their new pet as much as we do. Each of our dogs are an integral part of our family life and live in our home and on our ranch. Our puppies are raised in our home and with TOO much love and attention from our children (well and us grown up kids as well). We believe in 100% nurture and raise each of our puppies as if they were going to spend their lifetime with us. We practice the "Golden Rule" and all of our puppies are guaranteed healthy and sold with health certificates. We have many references available. Our number one goal is that we can provide others with that same touch of gold in their life as we have enjoyed for years with an emphasis on health and temperament. Check out our web site for in depth information and photos of our dogs and puppies.”

Here is another:
“Sixth Day Ranch offers exquisite English, English/American, and American GoldenDoodle puppies as companions to approved homes only. We also offer a few English Golden Retriever and English/American Retriever litters per year. Our dogs enjoy life on the ranch with a spring fed lake to dip in and woods to romp through. Our mama doggies all deliver their puppies in our home where they are raised until they are delivered to their new families. Our dogs and puppies are part of our family and are lovingly raised and enjoyed each minute we have them. We offer a health guarantee, Florida state health certificate, full vet exam, and age appropriate vaccinations.”

Much to my relief the next day Mr. Jones tells Linda he will sign over all the adult dogs and the puppies if we let him keep the one puppy that already has a buyer, and if he can avoid going to court. No matter how strong your case is walking into court is always a crap shoot. Linda hates to let the one puppy go to an undetermined fate, but having lost many animal cases I should have won I convince her that if someone is paying top dollar for the puppy surely they will be able to take care of it. She reluctantly agrees and I draft a quick release. When I go over to the warehouse with Linda to get the release signed and pick up the puppies, Mr. Jones tells me, in a tone strangely flat and absent of malice, that we have ruined their lives, but that they are going to donate all of their equipment to the shelter. I honestly don’t know whether to say sorry or thank you. By the next day they the Joneses have packed up and left town.
When we seized the adult dogs the day before, the daughter asked if they could keep the one female that was ready to whelp, and Linda agreed. When we picked up the puppies the next day the momma had indeed given birth, six teeny tiny babies and their momma come to the shelter with the other 18 puppies ranging from 3-4 months. Mr. Jones says we ruined his family’s life, but I think we did them a huge favor. If they had 18 puppies older than the 8 weeks at which puppies can legally be sold, and only one buyer, business was obviously slow, and there were several more litters on the way. Puppies are not like canned goods that can sit on the shelf until a buyer comes along.
Linda miraculously arranged managed to accommodate all those dogs and puppies. The momma with newborns was quickly whisked off to a quiet foster home, adult goldens and puppies enjoyed the freedom to romp in a big play yard and take a dip in their new kiddie pools, filled with water instead of cedar shavings. The poodles were wolfing down food and lounging happily in the AC.
Once news got out, there were plenty of adopters who were happy to rescue a purebred golden or standard poodle or an adorable puppy. And once the news got out, we heard from people that had purchased puppies from the Joneses in the past. Some that had been happy with their pups were shocked to learn about the kind of outfit their pup had really come from. Now it made sense why the Joneses wanted to deliver the puppy to them, or meet them somewhere other than at the “Sixth Day Ranch.” Others that contacted us had been very unhappy because their puppies had genetic problems that needed thousands of dollars of orthopedic surgery. People were angry that the Joneses would not reimburse their vet bills or otherwise honor the warranty they had given.
The circumstances at the “Sixth Day Ranch” are certainly not unusual for commercial breeders, and in fact the dogs, even crammed into over crowed small rooms were better off than the breeding stock larger commercial puppy farms, where a dog may spend her entire life in a cage the size of a dishwasher. As far as internet sales go, anyone can take some pictures of a dog or some puppies in a clean, pretty place and post it on the internet-that does not mean that the dogs are well cared for, only that they were clean long enough for a picture to be taken. If you are not encouraged to stop by and see the puppy and meet the parents- to see for yourself how many dogs are there and how well they are cared for, you are not just supporting an inherently cruel industry, you could be making a costly error by “ordering” a puppy that will require extensive veterinary care. And when your puppy arrives, sick or with a debilitating genetic problem like bi-lateral hip dysplasia, as the Joneses disappointed customers learned, you will have a very hard time getting a single penny from an out of state breeder that sells online

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

Oh this Sixth Day story is so sickening. Just goes to show you that you should really visit your breeder or have someone do it for you if you can, It also makes me respect breeders who only "pre-sell" a litter. (No leftovers for lack of a better term) The dogs are all spoken for even before the breeding happens...I like that.

I also think that rather than telling people not to buy pet store puppies, pet stores should not be allowed to sell puppies. If you stop the pet stores from selling puppies (which none do here) you would be halfway to a solution.

As far as the puppies who are already there in the store no fault of their own, of course they deserve to be saved and loved and bought. But after that shut it down! No selling of puppies in stores.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

These three puppies are homeless, and in a shelter in Oklahoma.Do they deserve to be saved and loved? Of course they do. These were dumped by a BYB who couldn't sell them. A lot of times, rescues and shelters take unwanted dogs and puppies from the mills.
In WI last year, the Wisconsin Humane society shut down a huge puppy mill, Puppy Haven, which I believe was connected to Mr. havens who bred Sally's pup. The Humane Society took 1300 dogs from there.
1300 dogs like the ones above had to be euthanized to make room for them in the shelters.
Pet store puppies are the most likely to end up in shelters, like my Jack did, because the purchaser has no breeder to return them to.
You are right; if there was a law that stores could not sell dogs, it would solve a huge percentage of the problem. But that will take a lot of legislation, and years of struggles. And in the meantime, the public need to be educated about pet store puppies. When you buy one, you fund the cruelty in the puppy mills, and another doodle is ordered to fill that empty cage. The cycle has to stop somewhere. If no one buys them from the stores, the store will not order more.
All dogs deserve to have homes...the ones in the pet stores, the ones in the shelters, the ones with breeders. It is not any of their faults that they are in the situation they are in. Jackdoodle was originally purchased in a pet store. I love Jackdoodle more than I can say; I have never loved a dog as much as I love this one. I think he is the sweetest, kindest, most wonderful dog on the face of the planet. I love him like a child, and I care for him like I cared for my children. I run to the vet for every single little thing. I have rearranged my home, my schedule, and my life for him. I have spent two years worth of my retirement funds trying to treat his disease, and I would be absolutely devastated if something happened to him. But I will tell you this with an open heart: As much as I love him, I believe with all of my being that he should never have been born.

[Adina P]

I remember the Sixth Day Ranch website before the raid went down. It looked LOVELY. The website was very professional and someone who didn't know what questions to ask would have been EASILY fooled. I can't recall what turned me off about it then but I think perhaps the parents weren't tested or the health guarantee wasn't that good...so I never believed they were a "good" breeder and assumed backyard breeder with great computer skills!

But I certainly never assumed it was a mill -- you CAN tell if a 'breeder' isn't following the highest standards of breeding EASILY--that's why I push and send my "What to Look for In a Breeder" article to every new member looking for a doodle. That alone would screen out a TON of less reputable breeders. Plus there is no way a puppy mill will pass the test...ever...if the right questions are asked.

But going by the 'niceness' of a website alone...that is useless.

[Sally, Ditzy Mitzi & Sgt. Pepper]

Honestly I wasn't trying to upset anyone with this topic. As Adrianne said, we also felt we were "rescuing" a pup from a place it did not belong. It is not the dog's fault that it ended up in a pet shop. We did not go there with the intention of purchasing a puppy. It was a neighborhood store that we were just looking in. Having two wonderful four legged friends at home there was no desire to add another member to our family.

Our other pets were breeder raised. They did not dodge the health bullet. It did not matter that they were well bred, they still ended up with problems. Perhaps it was the food, or the breeding, we are much more careful now with food.

We knew our pup was going to end up at the pound soon. The stories the personnel gave did not ring true as to what would happen to a 6 month old dog that was not purchased.

She was shrieking when we walked away from her crate, which she could barely stand up in. She was the only large pup in the store. Her cry was enough to tear your heart out. We could not sleep that night and the next day went back for her.

Yes, it is not good to get pets from pet shops, but what happens to them if no one wants them, either.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Sally, that's the question that so many people ask, but what happens to all the dogs sitting in rescues and shelters, too? The more people buy from the pet stores, the more the mills will produce puppies. That's my point.
If you don't go into the pet stores, you won't see them, feel sorry for them, and buy them. Just don't go there.
My point is not to make anyone feel bad for buying a dog from a pet store. What's done is done, and your dog is a wonderful dog who is loved and well-cared for. But I would hope that you wouldn't buy from a pet store again, and that you would advise other people not to do it. Calling it "rescue" only perpetuates the problem.
No, just buying a dog from a breeder doesn't guarantee a healthy dog; as Adina is always pointing out, you need health clearances on the parents. All breeders are not equal. But there are also issues of socialization and behavior that are problematic when a dog has spent it's early weeks in cages instead of with it's mother and littermates.
If no one buys the dogs who are currently sitting in the pet stores, the puppy mills will go out of business. It is just that simple. When you bought your puppy, you left a lot of them behind in the store. What about them? No one can save them all. If people can turn their backs on the parents of those puppies who are spending their lives in cages in the mills, and on all the puppies in cages in shelters, why is everyone so worried about the ones in the pet stores?

[Adrianne Matzkin]

Hi Karen,
I only use the word 'rescue' now because it is a way that I can feel less guilty finding Samantha at a pet store. I was ignorant to the puppy mill business. My other 2 furloves of my life came from breeders and theydidn't dodge the health bullet either. Our GR, Jasmine, (who we got in 1979) who was such a love but not the brightest crayon in the box, passed way too early from kidney disease and my Bearded Collie, Maggie, (who we got in 1989) was one of the smartest dog I ever met, surpassed the predictions of a life span with Addisons Disease. Both we fantastic dogs!! I had no education in breeders and the testing that should be done. I don't even know if that even done all those years ago? I did research breeds but not the breeders. My girlfriend got Maggie's full sister, 1 litter removed, that had major allergies just like JackDoodle. Their breeder was an AKC judge which I hope used good judgement with his breeding practices - but who knows??
Until I found DK I was just plain ignorant. I didn't watch Animal Cops - which now I do where you see all the disgusting things we humans do to our 'beloved pets'. I would have bought Samantha her food off the Shop Rite shelf. Know that I have the education I feed Samantha like the princess she is - DH does complain that she gets fed better than him! When Obama was debating between the 2 breeds, everyone who asked if 'that's the one' he wants, I told them that I hoped he went with the PWD - didn't need anymore Doodles in puppymills. I educated them to the plight of puppymill puppies. It is all in the education.
So.... it is our job and responsbility as loving Doodle parents to educate - spread the word - about breeders, puppymills, diet, health, training. That is the best we can do. Be diligent about educating those around us.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I know, Adie, and thank you. Samantha reallllly got lucky to have you as a mom.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

No, I am the lucky one in the equation!! I believe she has saved me from getting complacent, old, and crotchety! I can't believe just how lucky I am to have her in my life and to have found DK! Instead of being a couch potato watching TV, I am a couch potato on my netbook with DK. I look forward to each day with her and this weekend - 3 days at the beach with other Doodles and their families! To be around others who know just how nuts we are about our pups and can tell stories and share pictures without someone thinking - ph, not another one!!!! ROFLMAO!!