[nifer]

GA: 'Puppy mills' produce for profit
By DEBBIE GILBERT
The Times

Is breeding dogs a business or a labor of love? And if it's being done strictly for money, is that necessarily wrong?

Rick Aiken, director of the Humane Society of Hall County, thinks so. He believes so-called "puppy mills," rampant in the Midwest, may be more common in Georgia than people suspect.

"A puppy mill is a place that has large numbers of dogs and they breed the females at every (heat) cycle," he said. "They don't care if the dogs have genetic defects. They breed them anyway."

Such operations are supposed to have a local business license and an animal dealer license from the Georgia Department of Agriculture. But Carolyn Danese, president of the Humane Association of Georgia, said even a large kennel may evade detection in rural areas.

"If you own 40 acres, you can do it without anyone noticing," she said.

In Georgia, anyone who sells more than one litter or more than 30 adult animals in a 12-month period is supposed to get a dealer license, which authorizes the state agriculture department to inspect the facility at any time.

But a kennel can have all the necessary paperwork and still be a puppy mill. Georgia's rules address issues such as sanitation, square footage and record keeping, leaving the actual practice of breeding to the owner's discretion.

"They're not doing anything illegal as long as they meet the agriculture department's regulations, which are minimal," Aiken said.

So how do consumers know whether a dog they're thinking of buying came from a puppy mill? A sure sign is when the breeder doesn't want the public to visit the kennel.

Puppy mills usually sell their dogs through pet shops, at flea markets or, increasingly, over the Internet.

"I've had lots of people call me and say they found a dog on the Internet," said Rick Phillips, supervisor of Hall County Animal Control. "The owner meets them in a Wal-Mart parking lot with a litter of puppies.

"It's a red flag if they don't allow you to come on their premises. You absolutely must go to the breeder's place, see the dam (mother dog), see how they were raised."

Another clue is if the owner sells many different varieties of dogs. Reputable breeders usually concentrate on just one breed, or two or three at most. Their goal is to produce a dog that matches its breed standard and is physically and mentally sound.

For puppy mills, the goal is to meet market demand.

"They produce mostly the small, cute breeds, because that's what sells," Danese said. "Or whatever is the 'dog du jour,' whatever is in the latest movie that's come out."

For the buyer, the experience can be like buying an attractive car on the spur of the moment and realizing later that it's going to cost a fortune in repair bills.

"Almost all the dogs for sale at flea markets are from puppy mills," said Joan Allen, a member of the Stephens County Humane Society in Toccoa.

"They're bathed and got bows in their hair and they look so cute, and you have no idea what genetic faults they have."

Her organization has rescued many animals from puppy mills, she said.

"We've spent thousands of dollars on veterinary bills, trying to correct defects in their eyes, hips, knees, before they can be adopted."

Allen's group took in some of the 54 adult dogs confiscated last December when the state agriculture department and local authorities raided a puppy mill off Prather Bridge Road near Toccoa.

"It was the worst hellhole I've ever seen," she said. "There were several different breeds, all small ones like toy poodles, Shih Tzus, Boston terriers. Five to 10 dogs were crammed in each little kennel. They were filthy and had all kinds of health problems."

According to Stephens County Animal Control, the kennel's 80-year-old owner, R.V. Martin, had hired Melissa Turpin, 38, to run the facility while he was hospitalized. Both Martin and Turpin were charged with felony animal cruelty. Their case has not been resolved.

But Allen said the kennel has been turned over to Martin's son, who corrected the violations cited by state inspectors.

"He cleaned it up somewhat, so they were allowed to reopen," she said. "They're still selling puppies."

Martin sold his dogs at the Anderson Jockey Lot, an enormous flea market just across the Georgia state line in Anderson, S.C.

Another popular outlet for Georgia animal dealers is the Pendergrass Flea Market in Jackson County. That's where East Hall resident George McCollum and his daughter, Erin McCollum, once sold puppies, kittens and birds.

But in July 2003, their home at 3038 Lotheridge Road was raided by Hall County Animal Control officers, who confiscated more than 150 animals. Officials said the animals were being kept in wretched conditions and several of them died.

The McCollums were charged with a total of 258 animal control and county code ordinance violations, including animal abuse. Their house was condemned, and the Humane Society of Hall County took charge of most of the animals.

As part of their plea settlement, the McCollums agreed to pay more than $22,000 in restitution to the humane society to cover boarding and veterinary expenses. They are also barred from owning, breeding or selling animals.

But such cases are extreme. Most puppy mills provide their dogs with the basics of food, water and shelter, enough so they can keep their license and stay in business.

Yet activists still oppose such places because they produce animals of inferior quality and aren't honest with the public.

"Besides the health problems, many of these dogs are going to have temperament issues because they were raised in cages and not socialized," Danese said.

"But the pet stores are counting on you to bond with the animal before it gets sick, so then you'll do anything to save it. That's their marketing plan."

The nation's two biggest pet supply retailers, PetSmart and PetCo, do not sell puppies and kittens. Ohio-based Petland, which has 10 stores in Georgia, does sell dogs and cats, but company officials won't disclose exactly where they come from.

However, the Humane Society of Hall County does adopt out dogs and cats through the PetSmart in Hall County for a small fee.

In Hall County, the only pet store that sells puppies is Village Pets on John Morrow Parkway. Owner Ken Neidenbach, who's been selling puppies for 36 years, said he buys them from area breeders he knows and trusts.

"They are private, licensed breeders who do just one breed or a few, and some only have one or two litters a year," he said. "We don't buy enough puppies to warrant needing a big supplier. A lot of ours are sold on consignment."

Neidenbach said he carries mostly small breeds such as Jack Russell terriers, dachshunds and Maltese.

"We also have hybrids like Labradoodles, which are popular and hard to find," he said.

He added that he sells his puppies with a written contract and health guarantee.

Though not all pet shops buy from puppy mills, Danese thinks the very nature of retail stores and flea markets makes it easy for the puppy mills to stay in business.

"Most people are spontaneous consumers. They see a dog and they want it right now," she said. "It's supply and demand. If people don't buy from these places, they'll dry up and go away."