Beware of Wolves in Sheeps' Clothing!
 

I'm writing this because I have seen several people on this board (including myself, I'm guilty of it too) praising breeders who allow their prospective puppy parents into their homes to view the puppies and parents, etc. If their home is nice and clean and the puppies and parents seem healthy and happy and clean...surely they're not a puppy mill, right? Not necessarily.

Please be advised that this is definitely not the way to tell if the breeder you have chosen is an ethical, upstanding breeder. It is not a way to tell if they keep their dams and sires in clean, safe conditions either.

Amelia and Andrew Millis of Brunswick County, NC (puppy mill owners) were busted early August. After scanning loads of different sites I concluded that the number of dogs seized from their breeding facilities was over 150 small breed dogs, including but not limited to - Yorkies. She pled guilty to only 2 dozen counts of animal cruelty. The police who were there said it was the absolute best example of a puppy mill they'd ever seen and the worst case of neglect and cruelty.

Several people are coming forward now with bills of sale from these people. The parents of these puppies were allowed to visit them at their house and view the pups and the so-called parents.

The Millises would take the puppy and whatever other puppies looked similar out of their nasty puppy mill, bathe them, and call them siblings. They would then take a female of the breed and a male of the breed, and call them the parents. They'd move those dogs and pups from the puppy mill TO their house, bathe them - and then have the prospective parents come for viewing and the sale of the puppy. All the while the prospective buyers not having a clue what they were getting into. They only knew what they came to see, which was a healthy looking puppy, clean quarters and two sweet little elderly people who loved their little "poochies" and seemed VERY knowledgeable about the puppy and breed types.

Bottom line - don't let the puppy's environment fool you.

This whole story is just too sad for words :(

I also wanted to add that just because a breeder says they are AKC accredited ... that doesn't mean much these days either. There have been instances of puppy mills being busted - and they *did* have full AKC accreditation.

http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/...c_breeders.pdf

Thank you for that information. I am glad that those scammers were busted!

I'm very glad they were busted also!!

I wanted to clarify though, that this certainly does NOT mean that every breeder who has a nice home and nice pups/parents is a puppy mill (I would think that would be obvious to most readers of this thread, but I felt I should clarify anyway).

There are many many many reputable, ethical breeders out there with wonderful environments for their sires, dams and pups. I just wanted to make people aware that Puppy Mills "store fronts" across the world can and do...often appear the same.

Wow, I'm so glad that they were caught!

So true, I've seen pictures of beautiful nurseries that look like the dogs were bred by a caring breeder, but in truth, the dog lived in kennels in back of the house with no heat or AC. I hope this doesn't stop anyone from visiting the homes, it's still the safest way there is. Talking to a breeder isn't enough, most breeders especially those that are "salesman" have learned to say what the public wants to hear.

So true! I think even that guy in TX (you know the one...he sold yorkies for 5-10k over the net) made things look good in person. He was so horrible. :(

Did you know they are still in business? I think he's one of the first ones who used the rescue ploy so that he could sell sickly dogs with no repercussions.

Nnnnnnnnnnnoooooooooooooooooooooo! Seriously? Noooooooooooo! :mad::thumbdown:mad::thumbdown

I thought he went out of biz and/or then his kid took over, and then he went out? Do I have that all wrong? Dang it. I really truly despise that man and what he does in this world. I remember when he started having "rescue" dogs on his site, and it just blew me away. :(

I thought so too, but their website is up and running. I'd mention his name, but I hear he's sue happy.

Yup, I remember him threatening to sue all the time, whenever his name was mentioned. Those poor fur kiddos :(. I can't help but think of the ones who are so sickly soon after birth, bc you know his "mill" is full of disease and decay.

Could you pleassssssseeeeeeee pm me his name????????/
:D

I am not afraid, I was born to do this....(Joan of Arc).....

Jeff dane and his brother steve dane both have kennels

My sister & I ran into one of these years ago. Nice home, nice guy, only had a couple of breeding females, etc., and we each bought a red poodle puppy from the (supposed) same litter - though the dogs weren't even similar in any way from looks, coat, temperament, conformation, etc. Later we found out the big barn on the next property a small way from his home was crammed with dogs of every small breed. But you never heard a peep from that barn when you drove up, got out, sat in his home or left it! Not a sound. I don't know how he kept people in the area from hearing what we later found out were at least a hundred dogs in there! Can one soundproof a barn kind of building? It had a flat roof - wasn't like a farm barn with that second story, tall roof but wow, to think he had so many little babies in that dark, closed up hole and we never heard as much as a single bark!!!