Oklahoma Puppy Mills Part 2

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Mon, 22 Oct 2007 12:57:06 -0700Mary O'Connor-Shaver mshaver_0462 Oklahoma Puppy Mill Series - Part 2 Dear Companion Pet Lovers ~ Part 2 on the series about OK puppy mills...Mary O'Connor-ShaverPet Consultant #462Cell: 614-271-8248Columbus Top Dogs (Shure Pets)http://www.columbustopdogs.comhttp://www.BanOhioDogAuctions.comThere are 45 cats and dogs for every person born. Only 1 out of 10 dogs born ever get a home. Only 1 out of 12 cats born ever find a home. 800 dogs & cats are KILLED each HOUR in the U.S, because there are not enough homes for them. Opt to adopt. Don't buy from a pet store!I donate ALL profits from the sale of our premium products and accessories to local animal protection groups!P.S. You or someone you know has requested you be added to the Columbus Top Dogs email list. If you do not want to receive emails from columbustopdogs.com, please reply and put "remove from list" in subject. Thank you! -------Oklahoma Puppy Mill Series - part 2Mon, October 22, 2007 12:48 pm Web Purchase Turns Costly Nevada buyer is left without much recourse when her Rottweiler’s health problems bring a $10,000 bill for vet and legal expenses. http://tinyurl.com/2rwaes By Omer Gillhm, Tulsa World Staff Writer October 22, 2007 Jaime Winchell learned a hard lesson about buying a puppy on the Internet. What started out as a $500 purchase turned into a $10,000 heartache. ‘‘I would never, ever buy a puppy online again and I would never recommend it to anyone else,’’ Winchell said. ‘‘This has really burdened the family to save the dog’s life.’’ Winchell owns a fitness center in Carson City, Nev. She said she wanted to own a registered Rottweiler because of their features and temperament. When she started pricing Rottweilers, she ended up with an Oklahoma breeder because the

prices seemed better. On a Web site known as www.nextdaypets.com, Winchell said she was introduced to Bill ‘‘Rick’’ Bartmann of Mounds. (He is not the Bill Bartmann who was president of Commercial Financial Services.) ‘‘He said the puppy’s parents were show-dog quality and he said the dog was a German Rottweiler with great features,’’ she said. Winchell purchased the animal and sent $200 for an airplane ticket to have him shipped to Nevada. The total purchase was $700, including $500 for the dog, which she named Haus. The puppy was delivered Oct. 28, 2006. ‘‘When I picked up Haus at the airport, he seemed fine,’’ Winchell said. ‘‘Two days later, he became violently ill so I took him to the vet because he was vomiting and had diarrhea.’’ An examination revealed the dog’s intestines were filled with worms. The infestation was so severe that it required opening up the animal’s stomach to work on the dog’s intestines, Winchell said. The dog eventually lost 11 inches of his intestines to remain healthy, Winchell said. ‘‘The vet said Haus was suffering from worm overload,’’ Winchell

said. Winchell said she spent about $10,000 on veterinarian bills and legal advice. She said her legal action was hindered by the fact she lives in Nevada. ‘‘I know that most people would say ‘put the dog to sleep,’ but it was so terrible to learn how he was treated as a puppy,’’ Winchell said. ‘‘The dog did not have much hope the way he was raised, so I just wanted to try to save him.’’ Since Oklahoma does not have a puppy lemon law, Winchell was left with few options to pursue, she said. Winchell said calls to Bartmann asking him to address the animal’s health and condition were problematic. ‘‘He was rude and defensive,’’ Winchell said. ‘‘He told me to send the dog back, but Haus was almost dead when I took him to the vet. He could not have survived the plane ride.’’ Additionally, Winchell did not receive the dog’s pedigree papers, she said. Bartmann said he sent Winchell a healthy puppy complete with shots and vaccinations. He said he handles customer complaints by refunding a person’s money or by paying for veterinary bills. Bartmann said Winchell did not seek payment for her veterinary bills. When asked if he refunded the cost of the puppy, he said: ‘‘I don’t remember, but if she said I didn’t, I would be glad to make the refund.’’ Bartmann, who now lives near Okmulgee, said he no longer breeds dogs and is moving to Texas. He was an unlicensed breeder who did not appear to qualify as a hobby breeder. He had nine breeding dogs, which is six above the limit for hobby breeders. Bartmann appears to have used different veterinarians to satisfy a regulation that required him to verify an animal’s health before shipping it to a customer. Dr. Patrick Edmonds in Morris said he stopped doing business with Bartmann because of complaints from Bartmann’s customers. ‘‘We got calls about the quality and health of his animals,’’ Edmonds said. ‘‘We determined it was impossible to provide a beneficial service for both him and his customer.’’ The Internet has become a key source for people looking for selection and better prices on

pedigreed dogs. While there are many reputable dealers online, there are also unprofessional breeders and brokers, a World investigation shows. There are ‘‘scammers’’ who advertise healthy puppies while shipping dogs of inferior quality to the buyer, industry officials said. Others take a buyer’s money or deposit without shipping an animal at all. ‘‘There are so many scammers, and convincing people that we are not scammers is the hardest thing for me to do,’’ said Rosemary Mounce, an established breeder in Locust

Grove. ‘‘I tell my customers to call my vet or I invite them to look at my kennels if they want to travel here to see the place.’’ The American Kennel Club recently inspected Mounce’s kennel, examining the facility for cleanliness, kennel upkeep and proper records. Mounce, who raises AKC English bulldogs and other breeds, passed the inspection with ease. Mounce allowed the Tulsa World to enter her kennel and observe the inspection. Meanwhile, Buffie Bayer recalled her Internet experience with an Oklahoma breeder selling pedigreed puppies online. She purchased a Yorkshire terrier for $1,500. The cost included the ticket to have the dog flown to Bayer’s home in Folsom, Calif. The puppy arrived April 14. The moment she picked up ‘‘Roxy’’ at the airport, Bayer said she knew something was wrong. ‘‘She had this crazy cough, so I took her to the veterinarian and she was diagnosed with a collapsing trachea,’’ Bayer said. ‘‘It is serious and life-threatening.’’ Veterinary records provided by Bayer show the puppy was diagnosed with a collapsing trachea and possible pneumonia. The diagnosis requires the animal to have heightened veterinarian attention during flare-ups of the condition. ‘‘I was in tears thinking about how she must suffer and that we could lose her,’’ Bayer said. Roxy was purchased through Rhonda Alexander through www.puppyfind.com, Bayer said. Alexander represents several Oklahoma breeders from her home in Antlers. Alexander said she is a stay-at-home mom, trying to earn a living for her family. She has a virtual webstore that features dozens of small breed animals. ‘‘There are scammers on the Internet, but we are not one of them. We work hard at providing healthy animals to our customers.’’ Bayer’s dog is a teacup Yorkie raised by Carl Cannon, a commercial breeder in Centrahoma. As a USDA breeder, Cannon’s record is virtually spotless. When asked if he is continuing to breed the parents who produced Bayer’s affected Yorkie, Cannon said: ‘‘Nowhere in her lineage has there ever been an issue of this nature. I raised her parents and they never had a

tracheal problem. The litter mates did not have a problem.’’ Cannon speculated that the Yorkie developed the respiratory problem after leaving his kennel. ‘‘These small dogs are sensitive to diseases and to travel,’’ he said. ‘‘I see it as asymptomatic, and something must have happened in transit. If there was any proof that this was genetic, I would not breed them.’’ Alexander said Bayer was a difficult customer to deal with. She said she responded to Bayer’s concerns by allowing her to keep the first Yorkie and sending her a second dog for free. ‘‘We would normally have the buyer return the first animal before we replace it, but we let her keep it and we provided a second dog for free and paid the shipping costs, but nothing we did pleased her,’’ Alexander said. Bayer said both animals were

inferior in quality considering the amount of money being paid for a registered Yorkie. ‘‘The second dog they sent was sick, too, with green mucous in the nose and a sickly cough,’’ Bayer said. ‘‘It was not the quality of dog you would expect for the amount of money that was being paid for a registered puppy.’’ Alexander said: ‘‘You have to understand that some of these small breeds do not always travel well but that does not mean they are defective or poor quality.’’ ~~~~~ Puppy Profits: Purebred Pedigrees Can Boost Profits By Omer Gillham, Tulsa World Staff Writer http://tinyurl.com/244dqx October 22, 2007 (Photo) Sam Cowles, a driver for Pet Stop

Transport, waits with puppies he brought to Tulsa International Airport for shipment throughout the United States. Breeding purebred animals for a nationwide market is big business in Oklahoma. Oklahoma has a bustling business industry that places it among a handful of states supplying the nation with purebred puppies. While there are scant economic figures on the size of the industry, the profit margin is clear at the kennel level: One purebred puppy such as a Yorkshire terrier can bring $1,000 to $1,500. A litter of Yorkies can bring up to $6,000 for a breeder. Puppy sales are seasonal with prices soaring during Christmas and decreasing

during the summer months. But a litter of registered Yorkies born in August can still bring $1,500 to $2,500 if marketed properly, breeders said. ‘‘There is an incredible amount of money to be made if you do it right,’’ said Gary Phillips, president of the Northeast Chapter of Oklahoma Pet Professionals. “But it takes money to do it right. You have to have the proper food, facilities and affordable veterinarian care to raise quality animals that you can stand behind.’’ Phillips raises Cavalier King Charles spaniels, papillons, poodles and other breeds at G & M Kennels in Adair. His animals are registered with the American Kennel Club, the nation’s premier pedigree organization. Oklahoma has 702 commercial breeders and brokers registered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to information obtained by the Freedom of Information Act. Oklahoma breeders are located throughout the state, but there is a significant concentration of kennels in eastern and southeastern Oklahoma. The number of registered breeders in Oklahoma has doubled in the past 10 years, which coincides with a radical change in how Oklahoma puppies are marketed across the nation, industry officials said. Internet sales are fueling the industry, but there are regular dog auctions and dog sales that contribute. Oklahoma breeders are providing expensive pedigree dogs to markets from New York to California. In addition to Yorkies, popular breeds include Maltese, shih tzus, teacup Chihuahuas, English bulldogs, French bulldogs, Cavalier King Charles

spaniels and Rottweilers, to mention a few popular breeds. Additionally, since the industry is Internet-driven, some breeders are selling directly to the public and avoiding federal regulations that dictate humane treatment of animals. A few unscrupulous breeders are tricking consumers into buying animals that are not purebred. Jaime Winchell, of Carson City, Nev., said she paid $500 for a registered Rottweiler. She purchased

the dog from an unlicensed breeder in Mounds, south of Tulsa. What she received was a ‘‘lovable’’ mutt and veterinary bills to address a life-threatening case of intestinal worms, she said. ‘‘I was supposed to get a pure-bred puppy with registered papers but I never got the papers,’’ Winchell said. ‘‘The breeder lied. The dog I saw on the Internet was not the dog I received.’’ USDA regulations require registered breeders to meet federal standards of

treatment and care for commercially bred animals. However, there are unregistered breeders selling puppies over the Internet, through newspaper classified ads and on street corners, industry officials said. Many of these individuals run secretive or hidden operations that house up to 100 dogs or more. They are known as backyard breeders or puppy millers. An Oklahoma puppy mill typically involves small breeds kept in substandard conditions. The small dogs require less space and resources while producing puppies that bring thousands of dollars in profit. In the worst cases, cramped conditions and inbreeding can create diseases, weakened immune systems and animal defects. ‘‘Some breeders sell sick or defective dogs and I have

weeded them out,’’ said Deborah Byrd, who sells puppies for 75 breeders in eastern Oklahoma. ‘‘It is very unethical to do this. It is my reputation on the line when I sell for a breeder.’’ Meanwhile, the proliferation of breeders and Internet sales appear to have crowded out pet stores in the Tulsa area. There are few pet stores and even fewer offering puppies for sale. Phillips, 53,

said he switched from selling cattle to selling puppies professionally about six years ago. With 100 breeding dogs, Phillips’ operation would be considered a medium size kennel by Oklahoma standards. The size of a breeding kennel in Oklahoma varies from 30 dogs for a smaller operation to more than 600 dogs for a large kennel. While Oklahoma is the second-largest dog-breeding state in the nation, there are no economic impact figures available from the state Department of Commerce or Department of Agriculture. The American Pet Product Manufacturers Association estimates the public and industry will spend $1 billion buying dogs in 2007, said Bob Vetere, president of the association. In 2006, three out of 10 dogs were obtained from breeders, he said. ‘‘Most breeders are conscientious, but it only takes a few bad ones to give a poor image to the industry,’’ Vetere said. Vetere said the demand for puppies is expected to continue. An association survey of 580 people shows that 63 percent of those surveyed own at least one dog. Pet transporter Tracy Wiedemann said Oklahoma is the market sought by consumers wanting an affordable, purebred dog. ‘‘I talk to people all over the country and I asked why they buy dogs over the Internet,’’ Wiedemann said. ‘‘They say because it is hard to find puppies and the prices are better here.’’ Wiedemann, of Stigler, owns Pet Stop Transport, which she began in November 2005. She hauls puppies to the airport for Oklahoma

breeders selling animals to individuals in other states. The animals are flown out of Tulsa International Airport, which breeders say is a major shipping hub for puppies from Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Wiedemann said she tried her hand at commercial breeding

but decided to get out of the business. ‘‘Breeding dogs is hard work and the work seems never-ending,’’ Wiedemann said. ‘‘You can cross the line very easily into neglecting the animals if you are not careful. I made a decision to get out of the business.’’ ‘‘I think this is how puppy mills happen,’’ she said. ‘‘I don’t think people start out to neglect the animals, but it becomes too much for them and they cross the line.’’ As a pet transporter, Wiedemann is licensed by the USDA. She also had to undergo a background check to haul animals to the airport cargo area. Wiedemann transports puppies for 40 breeders in the eastern Oklahoma counties of LeFlore, Sequoyah and Haskell. Her late-model van can haul 36 animals at a

time. On delivery days, Wiedemann leaves home at 1 a.m. to arrive at Tulsa airport at 4 a.m. to check in the animals. ‘‘The USDA and the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) are strict,’’ Wiedemann said. ‘‘The animals must have the approved crate, and all the paperwork must be in exact order or they will reject the animals.’’ The paperwork includes a veterinarian health check, vaccination records and food and- water

records. During a given week, Wiedemann said she will transport up to 50 puppies to the Tulsa airport to be shipped to customers. ‘‘I have a competitor who hauls twice that many puppies to the airport each week,’’ Wiedemann said. In addition to the Tulsa airport, breeders in southeast Oklahoma ship thousands of puppies through the Dallas- Fort Worth area. Southeast Oklahoma is the state’s most concentrated area of commercial breeders. USDA regulations require that an animal be at least eight weeks old before it is taken from its mother. The effect of an airplane flight on an 8-week-old

puppy can be problematic even though the plane’s shipping compartment is climate controlled, said Dr. Melissa Montgomery, a veterinarian for the Tulsa Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Many fragile puppies arrive at their destination with diarrhea, serious coughs or other ailments, Montgomery said. The stress of the flight affects their immune system, she said. ‘‘Think about it. If a plane has a barf bag for humans, what do you think

it does to a small animal?’’ Montgomery said. ‘‘If a breeder is really concerned about puppy health, they don’t ship by plane because of the stress it places on the animal.’’ Wiedemann said she won’t transport animals that are not healthy enough for a flight. ‘‘The puppies have to be a certain weight and age before we will transport them,’’ Wiedemann said. ‘‘I have a standard that I ask the breeders to meet and they know what to expect. We don’t do

business with puppy mills.’’ In most cases, the puppies must weigh at least two pounds and be eight weeks old before Wiedemann will transport the animal for shipment, she said. Other shipping routes for Oklahoma puppies include a land route through Goodman, Mo., just across the Oklahoma border in southwest Missouri.

Goodman is the home of the Hunte Corp., a giant clearinghouse for puppies being shipped to pet stores across the nation. Hunte Corp. has a fleet of brightly colored semi-trucks used to haul the puppies. The megabroker buys and sells animals from thousands of breeders in the surrounding states. In 2005, Hunte bought and sold 88,235 animals, according to USDA records. The company ships an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 puppies in an average week. Hunte President Steve Rook did not return numerous calls made by the Tulsa World. In addition to the Internet, thousands of puppies and breeder dogs are sold each year at dog auctions. Regular dog auctions are held across Oklahoma and typically prohibit cameras to keep out animal rights

activists who use such pictures on their Web sites. Lester and Edith Miller own the Chouteau Auction Co., an auction house that features as many as 150 dogs every two weeks. Lester Miller said the animals are treated in a humane manner and that his auction is regulated by the USDA. As a licensed broker, he has had no USDA violations in the past three years, records show.

Miller defended his decision to prohibit cameras at the auction. ‘‘We run a clean and honest operation, but we got hurt pretty badly when a news station shot some pictures that placed us in a bad light (by association),’’ Miller said. ‘‘We don’t support bad breeders, and we don’t sell their animals at our auction.’’ Most of the animals auctioned in Chouteau are the top breeds, including Yorkies, English bulldogs, Maltese and

French bulldogs. The animals receive a veterinarian check before the auction begins. Dog breeders and brokers attend the auctions looking for breeding stock and good deals on puppies. Auctions are also a place for selling former breeding dogs, industry officials said. Many breeding dogs are depleted after five years to seven years of continuous breeding, showing problems with reproductive organs among other ailments, Montgomery

said. A number of the dogs have infections, bad teeth and mammary tumors to name a few problems, Montgomery said. After a life of producing thousands of dollars in puppies, an old breeder often sells for $1 at auction. ‘‘There is some hope for these animals,’’ Montgomery said. ‘‘But it takes a loving owner who puts in the effort. You will really make a difference with these animals if you do.’’