Pete's transport certificate was included in the 2018 state investigation. He was diagnosed with Giardia shortly after being purchased from The Barking Boutique.
GRANDVILLE, MI - On March 1, 2019, a controversial puppy
store located in Grandville Michigan was fined after the state completed a
third canine importation investigation. One of the sixteen puppies included in the investigation was diagnosed with Giardia shortly after being
purchased. The puppy owner joined a pending
multi-plaintiff lawsuit.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural
Development (MDARD) issued a Notice of Violation and fined The Barking
Boutique $150 for importing dogs
between May and July 2018 without official Interstate Certificates of
Veterinary Inspection reports (ICVI) certifying that the puppies were properly
vaccinated. The notification letter stated there was sufficient information to
believe the store violated the Animal Industry Act. Such violations may impose
an administrative fine up to $1,000 for each violation.
Public Act 287 states that, “Dogs and cats cannot be
imported to a pet shop unless they are accompanied with an interstate
certificate of veterinary inspection (ICVI) signed by an accredited
veterinarian. Documentation of the animal’s medications and vaccinations are to
appear on all copies of the certificate.”
Importing dogs without documentation of required
vaccinations is a misdemeanor and is punishable by a fine not less than $300 or
imprisonment of not less than 30 days.
The pet store provided medical records generated by the store's PetKey system indicating the puppies received the required vaccinations.
The state is expecting the store to refuse to purchase
animals that do not have the required information on the transport certificates.
Prior Importation Investigations
The investigation began in September 2018, less than a year
after the department issued a
Warning Letter.
Pam Sordyl, founder of Puppy Mill Awareness of SE Michigan,
has been tracking the store’s ICVI records via public record requests. “This
appears to be a chronic problem the owner is trying to distance himself from. After the 2017 warning letter was
issued, 46 puppies additional puppies arrived at the store without the required vaccinations listed on the transport certificates through June 2018.”
2018 Canine Importation Investigation
Sixteen puppies were identified in the most recent
investigation. These puppies were shipped from eight different breeders across three
Midwest states: Iowa, Missouri and Indiana. Two puppies were purchased through
a broker named
Levi Graber and transported by a carrier listed as Shadow’s LLC.
A Cavachon was imported from Elmer Bontrager, Missouri via a “truck”.
According to the investor report, a manager at the store
stated “she is responsible for traveling out of state to pick up the animals
they import. She decides at the time of pick-up whether to accept animals from
the breeders/brokers based on conditions and documentation”.
“Even though The Barking Boutique utilizes a sophisticated supply chain network that includes brokers, transporters, convenient pickup locations and well-established delivery routes to source its puppies, the store still claims that their puppies are personally picked up from the breeders in distant states,” Sordyl.
Who is responsible?
While breeders are primarily responsible for ensuring
animals are properly vaccinated prior to shipment, certified veterinarians must
sign-off on the transport certificates.
“It appears the
breeder’s veterinarians are not administering the vaccinations and therefore
not including them on the transport certificates. Veterinarians are often seen
as accomplices in puppy mill investigations because they are neglecting their
due diligence to vaccinate these animals yet they are signing off on their
health,” Sordyl.
“If the breeders are administering their own vaccinations,
it is unclear if they are following the American Animal Hospital Association
Guidelines or any guidelines for timing, dosage, or storage. Without the
oversight of a veterinarian, the puppies could be over medicated, vaccinated too
early or if not stored properly, the vaccination could be ineffective.”
“Veterinarians have an obligation to promote the health and
well-being of the animals under their care, unfortunately, some choose to turn a blind eye to the conditions faced by puppy mill puppies.”
Sordyl added, “The state has limited jurisdiction over
out-of-state breeders, brokers and veterinarians; therefore, they are clearly holding the pet store accountable.”
Pending Civil Lawsuit
In February, four families who purchased companion animals
from The Barking Boutique
filed a lawsuit seeking monetary damages for fraud,
breach of contract and multiple violations of the Consumer Protection Act.
Two of those puppies diagnosed with Giardia shortly after
purchase had ICVIs rejected by the state. One puppy's certificate was included in the 2018 investigation.
Giardia is a single-celled parasite that lives in a dog’s
intestine. Dogs become infected when they swallow Giardia that may be present
in water or other substances that have been soiled with feces. A Giardia
infection usually results in diarrhea.
One of the purchased puppies had a note written on the vaccination
section of the certificate “See attachment”. During the MDARD investigation an emailed was sent to the Missouri veterinarian who responded stating they do not have vaccine records on file and that the vaccines given by breeder. The breeder was listed as Ura Troyer, Country Side Kennel (Bethany, MO).
“If state
inspections continue to turn up cases of veterinary neglect, veterinarians will
be held just as accountable as pet stores, breeders, and brokers in the economy
of neglect that results from puppy mills,” Sordyl
Learn more about
Puppy Mill Awareness.
For more information, or to arrange an interview with a Puppy Mill Awareness member, please contact Pam Sordyl at 734-718-7100 or pamsordyl@gmail.com
