Puppy store fined, third canine importation investigation

 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.”

Link to Animal Industry Act MCL 287.720 Sec 20 (1)(e) 

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