All Pets Club
1167 N Colony Rd
Wallingford, CT 06492
(203) 265-1899
Date and time of CAPS investigation: 4/23/19; 11:49
Approximate number of puppies observed at time of investigation: 25
Puppies were kept in rooms with solid clear walls on one side for customers to see them. Solid floorings were partially covered in shredded paper. Each puppy had a card on their enclosure with information about the puppy, as well as their breeder’s name, street address, city and state. However, no USDA license number was noted for the puppies’ breeders on the cards. A list of breeders was posted near the puppy enclosures, being identical to the list at all other All Pets Club stores. I was shown USDA inspection reports for a breeder (Lorilee Thomas) when I asked for them. Papers called “Certificates of Origin” were in folders near puppy enclosures, with information on the puppies and their breeders, including USDA license numbers.
I spoke to an employee (Caucasian female, about 50 years old, 5’7″, 145 lbs, with short purple hair and brown teeth, the front bottom teeth being heavily eroded) who had the name “Laurel” on her nametag about breeders who sell puppies to the store. She told me the store has work with their breeders for 10 years or longer, and that the store has their own transport used to pick puppies up from breeders. She admitted she couldn’t confirm conditions of all breeders, but had another employee she referred to as Andrew (Caucasian male, about 40 years old, 5’9″, 200 lbs, with short curly brown hair and a very short moustache and bit of hair of his chin below his lip) show me photographs of breeders from a folder, that showed dogs in indoor and outdoor runs, and he said puppies are mostly kept in whelping boxes or cages for their safety.
I asked how long dogs are bred for, and Laurel said, “A lot of them, like Judy Miller, I believe she breeds her females once a year and after the second or third litter she stops.” Andrew added, “Yeah, they have retirement programs. Most of our breeders have retirement programs.” Laurel then said, “But now with Judy, a lot of times when she takes her dogs that have been retired from breeding she donates them to soldiers that have PTSD.” She then claimed Judy Miller used to take puppies to nursing homes, and that all of the stores’ breeders have to have their dogs checked for brucellosis.
I then asked, “Would you say all or most of your breeders treat ’em like pets as opposed to like…” and Andrew said, “Yeah, most of ’em. They breed them in the house. You can tell when you get some of these people puppies, you know, they’re spoiled rotten.”
Laurel mentioned that the breeders most commonly used by the store are Lorilee Thomas and John Blaes.
Evidence of false statements and misrepresentations of breeders by store:
The store’s website’s claim that “All Pets Club collaborates with a select handful of breeders, and we’ve worked with these same breeders for over 10 years” is false. The store’s 24 known breeders, one of whom (John Blaes, 48-A-2142) is verified by their own records as having a USDA license for less than eight years, does not match their claim.
Employee Laurel’s claim that all of the store’s breeders have to have their dogs checked for brucellosis is false. All Pets Club has no such policy noted on their website, and the USDA has no such policy for their licensed breeders.
Employee Andrew’s claim that most of the store’s breeders breed their dogs in their houses is false. Of the thousands of puppy mills CAPS has seen, only once were some puppies observed being whelped in a breeder’s house. However, even in this instance (Wanda Johnson, 47-A-0568, investigation done 7/11/18), one of the puppies was dying while being nursed on a Chihuahua mother who was missing her lower jaw.
Breeder info:
The following were obtained from certificates of origin at puppy enclosures:
- Lacey Kauffman, 20092 300th St, Portis, KS 48-A-2189
- Lorilee Thomas, 28859 W Rd, Whiting KS 66552 (USDA # left blank), cell # (785) 250-7469
Thomas’ 2015 USDA violations included the following: broken floor supports; gap between wall and floor; worn plastic coating on cage wires revealing rusted metal; deteriorated and rough surfaces from rust; broken or corroded wires in enclosures; sharp, bent metal protruding into enclosures; sharp point, due to chewing, near food trough; grease or mineral build-up on enclosures; food receptales with rough, dirty surfaces.
The following were obtained from puppy cards on enclosures:
1.Lorilee Thomas, 28859 W Road, Whiting, KS
See above.
- Derek Dougherty, 1668 E 900 Rd, Agra, IS
- Jean/Jason Wagler, 4525 N 1050 E, Loogootee, IN
The Wagler’s 2015 USDA violations included six litters of puppies with improper identification, no record for privately sold dog, build-up of graim and dirt in and around feeders and on walls of whelping pens.
- Lacey Kauffman, 20091 U Road, Smith Center, KS
- James Stewart, 11632 N E Center Star Road, Pittsburg, KS
The following were obtained from a list of breeders posted near puppy enclosures:
- J&B Premier Puppies, John Blaes, 522 North Maple, Cherryvale, KS 64335, 48-A-2142
- Lindley Creek, Lacey Kauffman, 20092 300th Rd, Portis, KS 67474, 48-A-2189
- Becky & David Flanders, PO Box 363, 705 Park St, South Coffeyville, OK 74072, 73-A-2556
- JC Ranches, Jeanna & William Johnston, 37149 County Rd 1790, Coalgate, OK 74538, 73-A-2788
- 66428, 48-A-2118
- Rocky Ridge Kennel, James & Kassie Stewart, 11632 N E Center Star Rd, Pittsburg, KS, 48-A-2109
- Double D Kennels, Derek Doughtery, 1668 E 900 Rd, Agra, KS 67621, 48-A-2201
- Everything Pets LLC, Dawn Bryant, 1303 195th St, Fort Scott, KS 66701, 48-B-0333
- Gayle Baker, 2593 Rifle Rd, Minneapolis, KS 67467, 48-A-1989
- Twins Country Pets, Pam & Nick Reynolds, 706 Linden St, Cuba, KS 66940, 18-B-0270
- Ronnie & Lovina Graber, 6623 N 1025 E, Montgomery, IN 47558, 32-A-0564
- Puppies Extraordinaire, Lorilee Thomas, 28859 W Road, Whiting, KS 66552, 48-B-0329
See above.
- Sugarfork Kennels LLC, Abby Anderson, Route B Box 2941, Goodman, MO 64843, 43-A-6038
- Quality Paws, Ruthie & Virgil Snodgrass, 1248 SW 100th Rd, Asbury, MO 64832, 43-A-0799
- Bloom Kennel, Lewis Bloom, 1901 Frontier Rd, Clay Center, KS 67432, 48-A-1316
- Boggs Creek Kennel, Jason & Jean Wagler, 4525 N 1050 E, Loogootee, IN 47553, 32-A-0245
- Monark Puppies, Judy Miller, 14501 Depot Drive, Neosho, MO 64850, 43-A-5175
- Caltams Puppy Love, Tammy Cantrell, 2756 Canning Factory Rd, Anderson, MO 64831, 43-A-6352
- Loe Kennels, Kathy Loe, 3812 N Road, Beloit, KS 67420, 48-B-0246
- Forever Friends, Alice Shafer, 2398 25000 Road, McCune, KS 66753, 48-A-2177
- Family Lane Pets, Angela L. Smith, 7 Family Lane, Elkland, MO 65644, 43-A-6114
Smith has a long history of serious USDA violations. Her February 2016 inspection report cited her for three repeat violations: an open wound on neck* and not following vet instructions for medication for the wound; improper recordkeeping; exposed food in containers; and sharp points protruding into enclosure. November 2015 violations included thick, yellow matter in eye (repeat), long nail (repeat), no identification for some puppies, open containers of food, and sharp points protrucing into enclosure. January 2015 violations included the following: open wound on neck*; loose stool under enclosure of mother dog with four puppies; vomiting mother dog during inspection who had delivered four puppies two weeks earlier; jagged, sharp plastic strips on doorways to outdoor enclosures.
- Sally Suschnick Kennel, Sally Suschnick, 416 N Hwy 43, Liberal, MO 64762, 43-A-5987
- SGS Fanci Pets, Sara & Randy Stewart, 6132 State Highway CC, Cassville, MO 65625, 43-A-5815
- Homestead Kennel, Teresh Berthelson, 1890 E Navajo Dr, Lincoln, KS 67455, 48-A-2160
*Open wounds on neck are usually from dog fights. Our undercover investigations, including an employment-based one at Minnestoa-based Pick of the Litter, and review of thousands of USDA inspection reports show a high incidence of dog fights at puppy mills, most likely due to stressful confinement in dirty, tight quarters and lack of socialization and exercise. Pick of the Litter owner Kathy Bauck was a notorious dog broker and breeder with 900 adults dogs and 400 puppies during our six-week undercover employment in 2008. With our evidence, she was convicted of animal cruelty in 2009 and subsequently lost her USDA license (without a license, she continued to sell to New York pet shops, which we investigated and turned over to USDA). She sold to Connecticut pet shops.
