June 09, 2011

Carlsbad! Do you really want this store to stay open?

Joe Shamore, owner of California Pets in Escondido and Carlsbad, states on the store's website they use "reputable USDA breeders not puppy mills." In an email to the Animal Defense Team, he stated "Yes we do our homework on breeders. We do have access to most breeder reports." What does that mean? We're finding out and we're sharing the information with you. Cross posting is encouraged. Joe also pledged to send the SD Animal Defense Team a list of breeders where he gets his pet store puppies. Did he do it? NO. What is Joe hiding? And while we are at it, who the heck is Joe Shamore? He's listed all over business papers as the owner or the President or the General Manger of California Pets. Yet the Carlsbad City Council has never heard of him.

Just two years ago ,the Animal Defense Team cooperated with the USDA to investigate some of the breeders used by California Pets.  Here are the breeder records, directly from USDA records, their names, towns, USDA numbers and violations.  If available, we are also including the number of breeding dogs found during inspections. And yes, we are now investigating his current breeding kennels.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? ARE THESE "REPUTABLE BREEDERS"? Share your thoughts with California Pets owner --maybe--Joe Shamore at joesreal7@aol.com

Puppies From These Breeders Have Been Sold by California Pets:

Michele Sonnenberg
Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
41-A-0021
USDA Violations!
+ Expired medications in refrigerator and cabinet (Banamine and Oxytoxin)
+ Inadequate veterinary care. Dogs had excessive matting of the hair coat.
+ Dirty and unsanitary food bowls
+Wood walls and cement floor in kennels soaked with urine
+No windbreaks to protect from weather extremes
+Sharp metal points protruding into enclosures, causing injury hazard
+Primary space requirements for dogs and weaned puppies not provided. All were in too small enclosures.
+Primary enclosures in the barn missing doors
+Ventilation fans not working. Insufficient ventilation
+Adult female husky with puppies in enclosure without 6" clearance for her head which restricted her movement.
+Cleaning, sanitation, housekeeping and pest control not adequate. Premises had accumulation of trash, junk, waste products and /or discarded matter. Whelping barn, nebulizing crate, and "the big dog barn" had a large number of primary enclosures with an accumulation of hair, dust and debris.
+ Number of adult breeding dogs at last inspection: 431

Puppy Mill or Reputable Breeder?

Angie Thompson
Cainsville, Missouri
43-A-4237
USDA Violations!
+ "One Maltese female breeder 3 days after whelping needing to be seen treated and evaluated by kennel vet. All pups dead on delivery, mother with  no milk, rear quarters and lower half of bitch is wet with hair loss."
+Incomplete records of dogs on premises.
+Round plastic barrels used for housing without flat floors.
+Outdoor housing without shelter from elements.Cages not large enough for dogs to "sit, stand or lie in a normal manner." Metal barrels, cars, refrigerators or freezers must not be used as shelter structures.
+ Number of adult breeding dogs at last inspection: 111

Puppy Mill or Reputable Breeder?

Butch Olseth
Walthill, Nebraska
47-A-0533
USDA Violations!
+Inadequate vet care with excessively matted dogs
+Dog enclosures not structurally sound, surfaces soiled, rusted, unsanitary, excreta and food waste accumulations
+Dogs soiled
+"From the south on the east side of the whelping house pens 2,3,5&7 and the west side from the south pens 1,2.3.6&7, all housing 22 dogs, have excessive fecal matter or excretia in the runs."
+ Unknown number of dogs

Puppy Mill or Reputable Breeder?

Jay Blackburn and Julie Snidow
Galt, Missouri
43-A-3124
USDA Violations!
+"Exploding rat infestation. Saw evidence of many active rat runs under outdoor edges of buildings and pens. Also saw where rats are entering building through the drain system."
+ "Found 100+ dogs below the minimum space required."
+"Two outdoor runs with nursing mothers where fecal deposits were greater than 6" in height in the deposit area. Need for general removal of fecal and collected urine in wash downs and collected fecal from under the wire tuns and slat enclosures."
+"Drainage coming from the whelping house and the solids are being left next to the building foundation on the west with the liquids spilling out and around. Also found 2 plastic barrel/tubs under the drains of the next house to the southeast, these tubs were full and in need of being removed from as far as possible."
+Unknown number of dogs

Puppy Mill or Reputable Breeder?

Shannon Plymell
Pattonsburg, Missouri
43-A-4928
USDA Violations!
+Male Coton de Tulear, excessive matting with generalized hair loss. Violation of Adequate Veterinary Care (AVC).
+Male Welsh Corgi, very thin. Violation of AVC.
+ Female Welsh Corgi, very thin. Violation of AVC.
+Male Sheltie, very thin with ribs prominent and palpable hipbones and vertebrae. Violation of AVC.
+Japanese Chin, raw and inflamed areas of skin around and in between both eyes. Violation of AVC.
+5 Shitzus plus 1 Cairn Terrier, excessive matting of hair coat. Violation of AVC.
+Puppies in whelping facility without required legal identification
+Outdoor housing structure damaged, potential injury to dogs, does not contain dogs securely
+REPEAT VIOLATIONS: Outdoor facilities without shelter from elements. No windbreaks or rainbreaks.
+REPEAT VIOLATIONS: Shelters not large enough for dogs to "sit, stand, lie down or turn around freely."
+Dogs not provided with bedding in outdoor housing as required in temperatures under 20 degrees.
+Expired Medicines: Amoxicillin, Oxycotin, Procaine Penicillin. Violation of Adequate Veterinary Care.
+Oxycotin is currently used by the licensed breeder. However, Oxycotin is indicated for use in horses, cows, sows and ewes, not labeled for use in dogs. Violation of Adequate Vertinary Care.
+Containers of bleach, Lysol and Totalcide stored in whelping pen. Toxic hazard.
+Outdoor runs have an excessive accumulation of animal waste.
+Enclosures housing the Sheltie and Papillon mixes and Coton de Tulear is constructed from a small gauge wire panel. Physical hazard. Not stable.
+Enclosure in center aisle of whelping building at least four square fee smaller than required for number of dogs.
+Number of breeding dogs at last inspection: 123

Puppy Mill or Reputable Breeder?

 

June 07, 2011

LA City Council Moves to Ban Puppy Stores

June 7, 2010:
Hooray! The Los Angeles City Council has instructed Animal Services to draft an ordinance preventing  pet stores from selling dogs, cats, rabbits and chickens that are bred for profit by animal mills!


The proposed ordinance would establish a way for shelter animals to be adopted through pet stores as well as ban factory farmed animals from being sold.

“We’re not only protecting the animals. We’re protecting the people … who don’t know that when they go into a pet store, they are going to pay hundreds if not thousands of dollars for an animal that is likely to be sick , have genetic defects and may not even live two or three weeks when they get it home,” said Brenda Barnette, general manager of Animal Services.

The motion, introduced by Councilman Paul Koretz and seconded by Councilman Tony Cardenas, was unanimously approved by the Los Angeles City Council.

“We’re talking about lives here. We’re not just talking about somebody selling widgets. We’re not talking about somebody owning a little candy store. We’re talking about lives. We’re talking about mammals. We’re talking about beings,” Cardenas said.