The Hunte Corp.
Pet Store Hall of Shame, part 1
Pet Store Hall of Shame, part 2
USDA Violations by Petland Breeders
USDA Records on Various Breeders
How to find out more
about your puppy's breeder
Do Petland puppies really come from LICENSED breeders?
Hunte Corp.
Puppy Mill Links
14-Day Heartache Guarantee
Protesting for Beginners
Find a group near you
Shelters
Adoption info and links to rescue groups
Poems, etc.
Former pet store employees speak out
Buying puppies online--buyer beware
Pet Stores and Puppy Mills in the News
Animal Sellers in Washington DC area
Pet supply stores that DON'T sell animals--the good guys:)
Puppy mill survivor stories
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Above: These photos of the Hunte truck were taken on Pickett Road in Fairfax City, Virginia, just after the truck delivered approximately 45 puppies to the Fairfax City Petland in 2005. The part that contains the puppies has no windows. The truck has Missouri license plates and delivers puppies weekly.
According to a 2007 "Tulsa World" news article, "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." www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=071022_1_A1_NoArt20728
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NARROW ESCAPE FOR 94 PUPPIES IN ANOTHER HUNTE TRUCK FIRE
On November 27, 2006, a Hunte Corporation truck delivering puppies to the Town & Country Petland in Columbus, Ohio, caught fire, endangering the lives of 94 puppies on board. According to the Whitehall Fire Department, this was an electrical fire, not due to human error.
A witness reports that the puppies were "screaming," but that Hunte and Petland employees managed to get some of the puppies out of the hot, smoke-filled truck before the fire department arrived to extinguish the fire and remove the remaining puppies.
This was the SECOND fire within 3 months for the Hunte Corporation, a puppy broker which delivers puppies to Petland and other pet stores around the country. In the previous fire, in August of 2006, which made national news, all 60 puppies aboard suffocated to death (see below). Hunte's website says its puppies are "transported in comfort" in "special climate-controlled, air-cushioned vehicles." These vehicles apparently do not all have functioning smoke detectors, however. The Whitehall Fire Department reported that on November 27, the "detector did not alert occupants."
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February 2007:
We are told that the Board of Directors of the German Shepherd Dog Club of America (GSDCA) recently voted (9 for, 8 against) to allow puppy mill broker, Andrew Hunte of the Hunte Corporation in as a member of the National Breed (Parent) club. This was after written objections from a good percentage of the membership.
We understand that Mr. Hunte was provided with copies of all the written objections and was then invited to present rebuttal to the Board which met in secret session behind closed doors. Mr. Hunte also brought gifts (handouts carrying the Hunte Corporation logo), for each of the Board Members. He then proceeded to speak about his new incinerator, apparently to be used to destroy the puppies that don't make it out of the Hunte facility. We are told that one of the Directors was so sickened by the incinerator dialog and the pride with which the announcement was made that he was unable to sit through Mr. Hunte's presentation.
Rhea Aker of Destiny's Rescue of GSDs encourages people to sign the Petition "Revoke Membership of International Puppy Mill Broker, Andrew Hunte, from the German Shepherd Dog Club of America":
http://www.Petition Online.com/ GSDCA07/petition .html
Andrew Hunte has made a new website, www.andrewhunte.com, to supposedly answer these complaints. It is basically an ad for Hunte Corporation. However, it does include a way to contact him, so if you purchased a sick puppy who was sent to your local pet store by Hunte, tell him about it. If USDA inspection records for your puppy's breeder are awful and your puppy's papers have "Hunte Corporation" on them, tell him about that, too. He says, "I do not know what a 'puppy miller' is, far less one 'of the worst kind.'" Explain it to him.
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60 PUPPIES DIE IN FIRE ON HUNTE CORP. TRUCK
On Monday, August 14, 2006, all 60 puppies inside a Hunte Corp. truck suffocated to death when the truck caught fire. The drivers were uninjured. Hunte Corp. is a major supplier of PUPPY MILL puppies to Petland and many other pet stores.
Hunte is attempting to spin the story as an advertisement, saying they are puppy lovers and that the puppies "were all beautiful, healthy purebreds that were on their way to quality retailers." The AP story that was widely distributed contained that quote without a rebuttal. CNN's piece mentioned that the puppies came from "commercial breeders" but did not explain that that means puppy mills. The Boston Globe had one of the better stories. See links below.
MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14360161/from/ET/
Boston Globe: Four_agencies_probe_truck_fire_that_killed_60_puppies/
Think this disaster was just a fluke? Read about a similar incident from 2003, "Over 100 puppies found in uncooled truck," about a truck on the way to a Just Puppies store in Maryland. The trucking company is not named. The story is on our "In the News" page.
Hunte Corp. makes a big deal about the fact that its trucks are air-conditioned. But remember, the part of the truck where the puppies are caged has NO WINDOWS. The puppies would die in a very short period of time on a hot summer day if there was no air conditioning. So Hunte is congratulating itself for providing the puppies with AIR. How generous of them.
The Hunte Corporation and the pet stores it sells to are COMPLETELY RESPONSIBLE for the horrible deaths of these baby animals. They should not have died because they should never have been born. While healthy, wonderful dogs are exterminated by the millions in shelters due to lack of homes, pet stores like Petland continue to sell puppies as fast as they possibly can, making weekly orders from the Hunte Corporation. Hunte puts these tiny, frightened, helpless, and fragile puppies in cramped cages on its trucks and takes them on the bumpy, unhealthy ride to pet stores up to 1,000 miles away. These puppies died quickly, but their parents endure a lifetime of suffering as they spin, chew, dig, bark, and finally give up all hope of escaping the misery of puppy mills.
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The Hunte Corporation is currently the largest puppy broker in the U.S. It is based in Goodman, Missouri. It buys puppies from puppy mills in several Midwestern states and then sells them to pet stores all over the country, including many Petlands. Breeders either drop the puppies off at the Hunte building or a Hunte truck goes out to pick them up. The puppies are checked over by Hunte employees. The breeders expect to receive a certain price from Hunte depending on the breed of dog, but if Hunte decides the puppies are not very healthy, they may offer the breeder less money. The breeders usually accept the lower price, as they have no use for the puppies. Hunte's "Grade A" puppies, the supposedly healthier ones, are sent to pet stores. The "Grade B" puppies, the sicklier ones, are sold in other ways. We understand that some are sold to people who sell dogs over the Internet or through newspaper ads. Others were formerly sold at Missouri flea markets and in Canada, but now they are apparently often ending up at the huge Canton Flea Market in Texas, which sells dogs, cats and other animals by the hundreds. The Canton Animal Shelter describes its situation as "urgent" (see www.petfinder.org/shelters/TX256.html.) Puppies that are rejected by pet stores and sent back to Hunte also fall into this "Grade B" category and are disposed of in the same way.
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However, as you can see in the following article from the Neosho Times, not all the puppies survive to be sold anywhere at all. One place their dead bodies were recently dumped was a sludge pond, amidst trash and sewage.
In 2003, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) found that the Hunte Corporation, puppy supplier for Petland and many other pet stores, was in violation of the Clean Water and Solid Waste Management Law. At a kennel owned by Hunte, dead puppies were being buried in trenches in a sludge pond too close to the edge of the property, near a leaking septic tank and a large pile of trash. While there was also a question of whether Hunte was exceeding the legal limit of 1,000 pounds of dead animals per acre per year, Hunte denied this, and a DNR inspector took their word for it. Hunte veterinarian Kenton Beard said they would be building a crematorium to dispose of the dead puppies, but we have heard that Beard has stopped working for Hunte and the crematorium has not been built. See full article below.
From the Neosho Daily News, 11/25/03.
Available from the newspaper's archives for a fee.
Hunte Violates DNR regulations
By Michelle Pippin: Daily News staff writer
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently concluded an investigation into property owned by the Hunte Corporation of Goodman.
Complaints were made to the DNR regarding animal graves and the possibility of contaminated ponds at Sunrise Puppies, a kennel facility for the Hunte Corporation located on Sorrel Road in Newton County.
The investigation revealed violations of the Missouri Clean Water and Solid Waste Management Law, according to Camille Dobler with the DNR. "The main complaint concerned disposal of dead animals," said Dobler. "Dead animals are currently buried in trenches on the south edge of the property. The trenches are constructed correctly but they need to be spread out across the property and the correct setbacks maintained."
The means of disposing of dead animals is regulated by Missouri law and guidelines are set by the Geological Survey and Resource Assessment Division. For the better part of southwest Missouri, the regulations limit the burial to no more than 1000 pounds per acre per year.
John Cupps, animal health officer with the Missouri Department of Agriculture, the office charged with monitoring the safety of animals throughout the state, has conducted regular inspections of the Sunrise Puppies property for the past 5 1/2 years, including one in October following the complaints reported to the DNR.
"I checked their (Hunte Corporation's) records to see if they had exceeded the amount (of deceased dogs) buried on one acre," said Cupps in his report. "They hadn't exceeded the legal amount so they're in compliance with state law."
An earlier inspection of the property, conducted by Cupps on July 8, 2003, also indicated no violations to the dead animal burial guidelines. Cupps explained that the Sunrise Puppies property had been unused by the Hunte Corporation for 1 1/2 years up until this past summer. He said there were three dog breeders in Southwest Missouri who lost their kennels in the May 4 tornados, and Andrew Hunte, owner of the Hunte Corporation, agreed to house the animals at the Sorrel Road kennels. Hunte contacted Cupps, as required by law, to inspect the property before the company began using the facility again for animals, and in that July 8, on-site inspection, no non-compliance items were identified."
Dr. Kenton Beard, DVM with the Hunte Corporation, said although the company is within the guidelines of animals (sic) burial, the Hunte Corporation has been working toward changing is (sic) animal disposal from burial to cremation.
"Whether it's a facility for people or animals, where there is health, there's sickness. Anywhere there's life, there's death and we do lose dogs sometimes; it does happen," said Dr. Beard, "but we are well within the guidelines set by the state. Nevertheless, we've been working to change to cremation and the equipment should be delivered and set up for use by the beginning of next month."
Of concern to the DNR are two other areas of violations found at the Sunrise Puppies property, a leaking septic line and a solid waste dump. "The most severe problem observed at the time of the investigation was the discharge of wastewater from the septic tank tile lines," said the DNR's Camille Dobler. "There was a break in the sewer line above the septic tank and wastewater was also surfacing from the lateral lines below the septic tanks. These discharges will drain into a tributary of Sugar Fork Creek."
"There was a large pile of household, demolition and trade waste, as well as some appliances in an area near the animal burial site," she continued. Specifically, the DNR investigation report indicated the dump site, approximately 30 feet by 8 feet, and 4 feet high, contains household waste, demolition waste, appliances including washer, dryer and water heater, empty drums and PVC piping.
Dr. Beard, with Hunte Corporation, said the solid waste dump site was derived by some construction workers in the area utilizing the space as a dump site, without the knowledge of the Hunte Corporation, and that it is being cleaned up. As for the broken septic line, he said it was recently and accidentally run over by a truck and incidentally broken. The company is working to fix that problem immediately as well.
The DNR told the Hunte Corporation it had 30 days to remove the solid waste items from the property and have them disposed of elsewhere as regulated by the Solid Waste Management Laws, and 45 days to submit a plan for correcting the wastewater runoff. Coupled with the corporation's pre-established intention to change its practices of deceased animal disposal to a method more environmentally friendly, Dr. Beard said all of the DNR's issues will be addressed and corrected before the deadlines.
[End of article]
Note: We understand that Dr. Beard no longer works for Hunte and that a crematorium has not been built.
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Many stores under fire for selling sick puppies obtain the puppies from the Hunte Corporation. Here is a recent article from Channel 4 News in Reno, Nevada.
RENO More complaints about sick animals coming from Reno puppy store Jul 7, 2005, 12:23 PM
As soon as News 4 ran a story on sick animals being sold at a Reno pet store phones in the newsroom started ringing.
More people coming forward, claiming they were sold unhealthy dogs from the Reno Puppy Patch.
Since our first story aired, eight more people have come forward voicing complaints about the quality of the animals being sold at the store at Fourth Street and Keystone Avenue.
Tyler Copeland was one of those customers. He says something needs to be done in order to keep more people from suffering like he has.
"I want to see the store shut down, I don't want to see them sell sick dogs to people. I don't want to see people have the same problem I had, it's not something fun to go through."
Customers say their dogs needed expensive vet treatments and their registrations were suspicious. But, it may not have anything to do with how the dogs are being treated at the pet store.
Washoe County Regional Animal Services has been called out to the Puppy Patch three times since January, and every time they found nothing wrong. They say all the animals there were properly fed watered and sheltered, and that's the only things they check for.
But breeder Karen Stark says that doesn't mean something isn't wrong with the dogs that the Puppy Patch sells.
"The Hunte Corporation has been associated with lots of problems, just ask almost any breeder who actually is ethical, and they'll tell you they have a lot of problems."
The Hunte Corporation is listed as the point of origin for most of the puppies brought to our attention [emphasis ours]. Papers shown to us by Puppy Patch customers list the Hunte Corporation's address in Missouri.
Stark says the business has a poor reputation well beyond the Show Me State's borders. "They're known to take puppies from puppy mills and sell them through pet shops."
Neither Washoe County Animal Services, nor the Nevada Humane Society, which have received at least eight complaints on the Puppy Patch, can prevent the sale of dogs suspected of coming from puppy mills.
The Hunte Corporation would not return News 4's phone calls and representatives of the Puppy Patch refused our requests for interviews.
Agnes Benis is the president of the Reno chapter of the American Kennel Club she says that the responsibility falls on the consumer. "Defiantly (sic) buyer beware, if you are sold a puppy and they have registered papers please look at those papers, make sure they have the AKC seal on those papers. Often people get excited and they get home and realize they aren't AKC registered."
In fact the dogs sold to many of the Puppy Patch customers we talked with are registered through organizations such as Panabar, or The American Pet Registry, neither of which, have as stringent regulations of the AKC.
And breeder Elizabeth Wise says even AKC pedigrees may not be what they seem. "Pedigrees can be manufactured and so if you ask a pet shop for a pedigree it may or may not be the legitimate pedigree."
But for customers like Copeland, pedigreed or not, he just wants someone to be accountable. That's why he showed up at The Puppy Patch to pick up a check to help pay for half of his vet bills, $208 he feels he received for ulterior motives.
"The only reason he's probably doing this is he thought you guys were coming and he thought it would make him look better, even though he was trying to fight me two hours ago."
Breeders offer this tip to prospective puppy purchasers. "First of all I would recommend that the people not buy from the puppy shops, from the pet shops or from the newspaper. Legitimate breeders do not use those venues to sell their puppies."
If you want to know where to go to buy a dog you can log onto the AKC website, there you will find a list of certified breeders.
[End of article]
Note: The AKC makes millions of dollars a year by registering dogs, including many from puppy mills. It takes the breeders' word for it that the information they provide is correct, and many times this information is false. In its 2000 investigation, Dateline NBC easily obtained AKC dog registration papers for deceased animals and cats.
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Other information about Hunte:
In the 1990s, an employee of the breeder Do-Bo-Tri, which sold puppies to Hunte, was convicted of animal cruelty after an incident in Pennsylvania WHILE EN ROUTE TO A PETLAND STORE (see article below: "Purdy, Mo., Animals Dealers Face USDA Animal Welfare Charges"). In the year 2000, Do-Bo-Tri was transporting 147 dogs and got into an accident (see second article below: "Kennel, Owner fined $17,500 over puppies left in hot truck"). The driver went to the hospital and left the puppies unattended in the truck. The coolers in the truck went off, and four puppies died. The local humane society was called and saved the remainder of dogs. Rather than distancing itself from Do-Bo-Tri, Hunte Corp. bought it. At a USDA hearing, Do-Bo-Tri kennel owner Doug Hughes (the "Do" of Do-Bo-Tri), was prohibited from working for a dog dealer in a supervisory position because of this incident. However, he was soon hired by Hunte as a Director of Breeder Support, a supervisory position. At a September 3, 2003, meeting, the Hunte Corp. announced that Doug Hughes had been promoted to the position of Vice President of Breeder Support. The USDA took no action against him.
Articles from www.puppymillfighters.com.
PURDY, MO., ANIMAL DEALERS FACE USDA ANIMAL WELFARE CHARGES
Cynthia A. Eck (301) 734-5931
Ed Curlett (301) 734-3256
RIVERDALE, Md., July 17, 1995--
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently charged animal dealers Jim and Sue Hughes, doing business as Do-Bo-Tri Kennels of Purdy, Mo., with violations of the Animal Welfare Act.
The USDA complaint was issued June 6. Dale F. Schwindaman, deputy administrator for regulatory enforcement and animal care in USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said the charges against the Hughes and Do-Bo-Tri Kennels are based on APHIS inspections.
APHIS inspectors found that on or about Feb. 5, 1992, the Hughes transported live animals (66 dogs, 4 chinchillas, 11 rabbits, 44 hamsters and 8 guinea pigs) to Petland Pet Shop [emphasis ours], Pittsburgh, Pa., and willfully violated the Act by failing to:
--provide records that demonstrate adequate veterinary care for animals and establish and maintain a program of adequate veterinary care for animals;
--identify animals as required;
--ship animals with the required records to accompany the shipment;
--transport dogs with health certificates;
--provide dogs transported in primary enclosures with enough space to allow the animals to stand and sit erect;
--transport dogs of comparable size in the same primary enclosure;
--properly attach required shipment documents to the primary dog enclosures;
--transport dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, and chinchillas in an animal cargo space of a primary conveyance that was maintained in a manner that at all times protected the health and well-being of the animals transported in them and ensured their safety and comfort;
--offer food and potable water to puppies as required;
--give guinea pigs access to clean water as required;
--ensure that the operator of the vehicle or the person accompanying the operator observed the animals at least once every four hours to determine whether the animals were in physical distress;
--ensure that the operator of the vehicle or the person accompanying the operator obtained veterinary care for animals in need; and
--avoid transporting dogs that were obviously ill or in physical distress.
APHIS inspectors conduct inspections of animal dealers to ensure compliance with the Act. Any violations that inspectors find can lead to suspension and/or civil penalties. The AWA requires that regulated individuals and businesses provide animals with care and treatment according to standards established by APHIS. The standards include requirements for recordkeeping, adequate housing, sanitation, food, water, transportation, exercise for dogs, veterinary care, and shelter. The law regulates the care of animals that are sold as pets at the wholesale level, transported in commerce, used for biomedical research, and used for exhibition purposes.
Kennel, Owner fined $17,500 over puppies left in hot truck
By WARREN DUZAK Staff Writer
Thursday, 01/17/02
A Missouri kennel that left 147 puppies in a sweltering truck trailer here two years ago, prompting an outpouring of anger and concern in the Midstate, has been fined $7,500 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The kennel's owner, Douglas Alan Hughes, was also fined $10,000, and had his federal animal welfare license revoked for five years, USDA documents show.
Do Bo Tri Kennels of Purdy, Mo., was cited for more than 30 violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act in caring for the dogs, which were being transported to pet stores in several states. A woman at the Do Bo Tri Kennel said yesterday that she would tell the kennel owner about a request for an interview, but Hughes did not return the call.
Metro Animal Services Director Judy Ladebauche said she considered the fine ''minimal'' and had hoped for a stiffer penalty against the owner. The puppies were in the truck without air conditioning while it awaited repairs in a local repair shop on a summer day.
Workers at the shop reported the conditions to Metro officials, who removed the animals and were later given custody in an out-of-court settlement with Do Bo Tri. ''I would like to have seen a permanent revocation of his license,'' Ladebauche said.
Kennel officials said at the time that the puppies, a variety of breeds, were well cared for and that the truck's air conditioning had been shut off accidentally.
The Agriculture Department painted a different picture of the puppies' overall treatment, USDA documents from last year show. The 32 violations included failure to provide the animals with adequate space, food and water, and veterinary care, besides keeping the animals in the over-heated truck.
Four of the animals had died from either heat or disease by the time the others were placed for adoption. Hundreds of people lined up seeking to adopt the puppies from Metro, and only one was ever returned, Ladebauche said. ''The rest of them are doing well.''
Warren Duzak is a reporter for The Tennessean. He can be reached at 726-5939 or wduzak@tennessean.com.
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Here are some USDA inspection reports for the Hunte Corporation, 121 N. Royhill Blvd., Goodman, MO 63843 USDA license number 43-B-0123
Feb. 12, 2004: "There are cages in the main holding area and the older hold over area where the puppies do not have the minimum floor space as required by this section [3.6 (c) (1) (i), which requires that a dog have 6 INCHES in front of his nose if his rear end is touching the back of a square cage].
The animals measured were:
Akita puppy E033058 measuring 25" long and was in a cage that was 24" x 30". This animal requires 6.67 square feet and has only 5 square feet.
GSD puppies E033103, E033105, E033107 were 18" long, 21" long, and 23" long. They require 14.9 square feet and were in a cage measuring 8 square feet.
Golden retriever puppy E033092 was 21" long. This dog requires 5.06 square feet and was in a cage that measured 4 square feet.
Great Dane puppy E032846 was 20" long. This dog requires 4.69 square feet and was in a cage that measured 4 square feet.
GSD puppy E033106 was 21" long. This dog requires 5.06 square feet and was in a cage that measured 4 square feet.
Golden retriever puppy E002289 was 20" long. This dog requires 4.69 square feet and was in a cage that measured 4 square feet.
Lab puppy E033096 was 20" long. This dog requires 4.69 square feet and was in a cage that measured 4 square feet. The attending vet opened the adjacent pen during the inspection and allowed this puppy and Lab puppy E002297 access to the cages now measuring 8 square feet. Both dogs were of similar size and based on both animals being of similar size they require no less than 9.38 square feet.
Keeshond puppies E033096 and E033097 were each measured at 15". They require a cage with 6.12 square feet and were in [a] cage that measured 4 square feet.
Ridgeback puppy D092426 measured at least 26" long (squirming). The dog requires 6.67 square feet and was in a cage that measures 5.42 square feet.
All animals must be in enclosures that meet at least the minimum cage size as required by this section. NONE OF THESE MEASUREMENTS TAKE INTO ACCOUNT EXERCISE REQUIREMENTS (emphasis ours--petstorecruelty.org). The licensee must evaluate cage sizes throughout the facility to ensure that they meet the minimum as required. The licensee must evaluate cage sizes in regard to exercise requirements as wel-l-especially for those animals over twelve weeks of age and in cages meeting minimum or less floor space. This affects at least 12 animals measured.
There was one chow puppy 447916 in the holdover area that had less than six inches of headroom in the primary enclosure. The head of the dog was two inches from the top of the cage. All animals in all enclosures must have no less than 6" of headroom in the primary enclosures at all times when in its normal standing position."
May 6, 2003: inspection of "primary enclosures used to transport live dogs and cats":
"Two pet taxis contained two german shepherd puppies each were observed during the inspection. These pet taxis did not provide adequate room for the puppies to stand in a natural position. The puppies were observed as having difficulty lying in a natural position without laying across one another. All puppies transported should be provided enclosures that are large enough to allow the puppies to make normal postural adjustments freely (sit, stand, turn, and lie down). Large breed puppies should be provided with larger pet taxis.
The pet taxis contained within the transport van did not have any means of securing the taxis to prevent shifting or movement of the enclosures while in transit. At least three taxis were stacked on top of the other taxis with the balance distributed across the floor of the van. All taxis should have a reasonable means of securing the taxi to prevent movement during transportation. This is necessary to help prevent injury to the animals in the instance of a sudden change of direction by the vehicle as can be expected in panic stops, bumps, or impacts with other objects. Affects all puppies and kittens."
April 10, 2003: "There were locations throughout the facility that had cages for puppies that did not meet the minimum floor space required:
-In the main puppy room there were four cages with two akita puppies each. The cages measured four square feet each. The akitas in one cage required 4.69 square feet for one and 5.06 feet for the other. The total required by these two puppies is 9.75 square feet minimum. The four foot square cage does not meet the requirements of this section. The other akita puppies were all approximately the same size as the first two and were all in cages that were four square feet.
-In the main puppy room there were three walker puppies in a four foot square cage. The puppies when measured required 10.08 square feet for the three total. This cage does not meet the requirements of this section.
-In the main puppy room there were two rottweiler puppies in a 5.3 square foot cage. Both were approximately the same size. The one puppy was measured at 24" in length. The two puppies together would require a cage with no less than 12.5 square feet.
-In the "cough" sick room, there was a sheepdog puppy in a cage that was four square feet. The puppy measured 24 inches long and requires a cage with no less than 6.25 square feet. This does not take into account exercise requirements. There were also three other larger puppies in four square foot cages--two golden retrievers and a great dane that require larger cages as well.
-Throughout the facility, cage sizes must be evaluated to ensure that the animals in the cages have the minimum required floor space as set out in this section.
-There was one nursing mother dog in a separate section of the facility. She was in a cage that measured 10 square feet. The dog measured 32" long and required 10 square feet of floor space (by herself and discounting exercise requirements). There were 6 puppies in the cage with her that were up and moving around. This cage for the mother and nursing puppies required 3 additional square feet. This mother and puppies must be moved into a housing area that meets the requirements of this section.
-There were small crawling bugs on the floor of the "coughing" sick room. These bugs were not on the cages or washdowns but were by the far left hand wall (entering the room) and floor by the center of the room. There needs to be a safe and effective method of pest control in this area to eradicate the present infestation and to prevent any further infestation which could contribute to the potential spread of disease and contamination."
April 25, 2002: animals in facility: "56 Adult, 35 young felines, 567 young canines, 658 total."