Breeder: Billie Alford
Address: 6152 Cedar Tree Spur Dr
City, State, Zip: Atoka OK 74525
USDA License: none found
OK State License: none found
Date and time of CAPS Investigation: 7/21/20 – 1145; 7/25/20 – 1514
Weather at time of investigation: 84°F and sunny; 91°F and sunny
Approximate number of dogs observed at time of investigation: about 35 dogs, and 10 puppies
Breeds: Chihuahuas, Shih Tzu, Miniature Schnauzers, Maltese, Poodles, Pomeranians, Great Pyrenees
7/21/20
The kennel consisted of several structures placed in seemingly random order throughout the property. I was not able to observe every kennel structure. Most kennel structures were just south and east of the house, with several others scattered throughout the property. I could not see structures east of the house, though I heard dogs barking from that area.
About six Great Pyrenees were near the west end of the house, most with dirty mats in their fur around their faces and hindquarters. At the southeast corner of the house, amidst various empty cages, plastic bins, and assorted debris, was a row of about two elevated wire cages, each about two feet tall and wide, and four feet long. I saw a single Shih Tzu in the one closest to the house. Most of the Shih Tzu’s cage was obscured by a partially shredded canvas tarp that laid over the tops of the cages, held in place with a tire, metal bucket, and rope (3.1 Housing facilities, general (b) Condition and site). A water bucket was visible in the cage, and what appeared to be several days’ worth of feces was under the cage (3.1 Housing facilities, general (3) Cleaning).
In the yard south of the house, I heard dogs barking from barns that I didn’t enter, amidst a trailer and debris. Amongst it, I saw a pen about six feet long and three feet wide with a wooden flooring and galvanized wire walls reinforced in areas with metal sheets and wooden boards, in the area. Three Miniature Schnauzers and what appeared to be a Maltese were in the pen. The flooring was covered in fecal stains and several days of manure (3.1 Housing facilities, general (3) Cleaning). A single plastic igloo-style doghouse with no windbreak was inside (3.4. Outdoor housing facilities (b) Shelter from the elements (3)).
A metal bucket was attacked to a wire wall, with yellow-brown water inside, dirty enough I couldn’t see the bottom of it (3.10 Watering). A metal feed bowl, containing pellet-style feed, was under the water bucket. A metal wall, about two feet tall and with a jagged edge and sharp points where it was unevenly cut, was placed inside the northern wire wall (3.1 Housing facilities, general (a) Structure; construction). Grass about a foot tall grew against the outside of the pen (3.1 Housing facilities, general (b) Condition and site).
Just south of the house were about six outdoor dog pens. Some were of similar size to the one I observed further south, with others slightly smaller with shorter walls and chicken wire roofs over them. The pens had dirt floorings, partially covered with wooden shavings. Pens had a combination of chicken wire and galvanized wire walls, with metal sheets placed in seemingly random places along pen walls. The metal walls had sharp edges at their tops, which the dogs could touch with their paws when they stood up (3.1 Housing facilities, general (a) Structure; construction). Wooden dog houses, with their wood worn and chewed in various places (3.1 Housing facilities, general (a) Structure; construction), were at the back of each pen, with some having doggie-doors and others have most or all of the area used to enter the doghouse being completely open.
Entrances to doghouses were with partially covered by shredded tarps or completely open and not covered at all (3.4. Outdoor housing facilities (b) Shelter from the elements (3)). About a week of feces was scattered in pen floorings (3.1 Housing facilities, general (3) Cleaning), with three to five dogs in each pen of various small breeds, including Chihuahuas, Shih Tzu, Pomeranians, and Miniature Schnauzers. Most of the dogs had mats throughout their fur. I saw a white dog that appeared to be a Miniature Schnauzer with brown stains and small mats covering the dog’s legs, tail and hindquarters, and mucous covering the fur around the dog’s eyes (2.40 Adequate veterinary care (b)(2)), indicating eye infections.
In the westernmost pen in the row, containing six Chihuahuas, one Chihuahua had wet fur surrounding the dog’s eyes, and another Chihuahua’s eyes were squinting constantly, indicating the dog also had eye infections (2.40 Adequate veterinary care (b)(2)).
Grass about a foot tall grew outside the pens’ walls. Then pens had metal water buckets attached to their walls, some with clear water and others with brown water I could not see through (3.10 Watering), and metal food dishes. Dog houses were partially covered in brown stains (3.1 Housing facilities, general (c) Surfaces (1) General requirements).
A pen of similar size, made with rusting galvanized wire walls was set about 10’ from the pens to the east, and contained two Pomeranians and a Miniature Schnauzer. Grass about a foot tall grew on most of the ground inside the pen (3.1 Housing facilities, general (b) Condition and site). A wooden board, about three feet tall and wide, was on the ground of the pen (3.1 Housing facilities, general (b) Condition and site) next to a doghouse with no windbreak on its entrance (3.4 Outdoor housing facilities (b) Shelter from the elements (3). Further east I saw dogs what appeared to be elevated dog pens covered in black tarp, with wooden legs raised up to a covered rectangular structure.
I spoke to a man (Caucasian male, about 5’6″, 165 lbs., with short brown hair and a short grey goatee, missing a front right tooth) and a boy (Caucasian male, about 9 years old, 3.5′ tall, 80 lbs., with short red hair) who told me that Billie Alford is a professional breeder who runs the kennel. The boy took me to the east end of the house, after I knocked at western end of the house and nobody answered. A woman (Caucasian female, about 5’8”, 100 lbs., with curly grey hair, glasses, who told me she is 82 years old), spoke to me inside her house, where I briefly saw another Caucasian woman of about 60 years of age, with a similar build with glasses but with long brown hair. Inside the kitchen, about seven puppies of various breeds but primarily Miniature Poodles and Pomeranians, were running lose. Three Pomeranian puppies were in a wire crate in the kitchen nursing on an adult Pomeranian. The house smelled of urine and feces. Fecal stains, as well as a pile of feces on the southern end of the kitchen, were evident on the kitchen floor.
Mrs. Alford told me that she has bred dogs for 20 years, and while she does sell out the door to people, she only sells puppies to people that aren’t promised to her broker, which is Select Puppies. She told me history of Select Puppies, explaining it was formerly Hunte, which broke off into Choice and Select, and said that she sold to Hunte when it existed. She said that she used to milk goats, but no longer does that and focuses instead on breeding dogs. She mentioned that she breeds her Great Pyrenees, but gives the puppies away for free, and told me to call (580) 513-0981 if I’m interested in having one.
7/25/20
I went to the property at 1514. Conditions noted yesterday persisted, though I did not observe enclosures further south of the house than the rows of pens in the yard. I spoke to the man I saw on 7/21/20 at the front of the property, who was welding a car near two other older Caucasian males. When I approached the house, I saw that the tarp on top of the cages on the west side of the house was pulled back, with an additional Shih Tzu in the northern cage, and two Chihuahuas in the southern cage. I also saw that a pen, about 15’ wide and 25’ long attached to the south side of the house, had four Schnauzers in it with mats covering their fur and faces. One had thick mats covering about 20 percent of the dog’s body, with about 60 percent of the dog’s body having grey, scaly skin indicative of demodex mange (2.40 Adequate veterinary care (b)(2)).
In a treated wire cage on the eastern porch, I saw a white Schnauzer nursing three puppies that were young enough they couldn’t stand or open their eyes, and their legs passed through the wire flooring. There was no food or water in the cage.
Ms. Alford spoke to me at her eastern doorway. I confirmed with her again that she sells her puppies to Select Puppies, and she added that she promises puppies to Select Puppies once the puppies are four weeks old. She said that before that time, she will sell some puppies to individuals. I asked if my friends could buy her puppies and raise them to breed for Select Puppies, or if they’d have to be licensed to do so. She responded, “No. I’m not licensed.” I then said, “You’re not licensed. Okay, anyone can sell to them?” She responded, “Yeah. You sell as a hobby breeder when you do that. And it kind of limits the number of females you can have. Of course, I have these. I don’t count those because I sell them to individuals and give them away.” She pointed to a couple Great Pyrenees near us when she said “these.” I then pointed south and asked, “That’s all your females out there?” She answered, “Uh huh. Plus, what I got in the house.” I asked, “How many have you got?” She said, “I think I got about twelve.” (2.1 Requirements and application (a)(1)).
Breeder is connected to the following broker:
- Select Puppies (Certificates of Veterinary Inspection 2020)
