Date and Time of CAPS Investigation: 7/9/18; 16:21
Weather at time of investigation: 88°F and mostly sunny
Approximate number of dogs observed at time of investigation: about 12 dogs
Breeds: Bichon Frises, Poodles, unknown breeds
This was my second investigation of the Albrecht facility, which I previously visited in 2015. There were outdoor kennel runs that had wire walls, concrete floorings and metal roofs covering the outside runs. Doggie-doors allowed access to indoor runs of enclosed buildings. I could see eight runs at the north end of the property. There appeared to be about six runs on the south end of the property. The runs lacked a unity of design. I couldn’t see all of them to determine their exact number and placement, though most appeared to be about ten feet long and five feet wide.
Small dog runs
Two dog runs on the southern side of the property had brown stains on metal walls of a building connected to the outdoor runs. In one run, I saw four dogs: three seemed to be Miniature Poodles of about 20 pounds in weight each; the fourth was a long-haired black and white dog of about 20 pounds in weight; in the other pen there was a single Bichon of about 20 pounds in weight. I saw numerous dogs in other runs but not closely enough to identify their number or breeds when they were outside.
The Poodle-like dogs had long fur, two being white and one being apricot colored. The white dogs had brown, grey, and yellow stains covering their fur. The black and white dog of an unknown breed had a brown and yellow stain covering the inside of the dog’s right rear leg (Sec 3.11 Cleaning, Sanitization, Housekeeping, and Pest Control (a) Cleaning of primary enclosures). The lone Bichon paced for several minutes back and forth in her run, occasionally laying down or sniffing at the three dogs in the adjacent enclosure. She would then lie down before resuming pacing and eventually walked into the building connected to her pen.
In some northern runs, that were partially blocked from my view, I saw what appeared to be three Bichons and a short-hair brown dog, about the size of a Bichon, moving in and out of their outdoor enclosures. One enclosure appeared to be two outdoor runs that were connected with doggie-doors to a small metal building with semi-circular roofs.
Additional enclosures
There were also five elevated wire cages on the property, standing outside and covered with metal sheeting. They were connected and arranged in a row, each about two feet wide and tall and about four feet long. They had what appeared to be igloo-shaped plastic hutches that were about a foot in diameter. I saw no movement or animals inside the enclosures while I observed the property.
Conditions contradicting pet store claims
I visited Teacup Pups in Brooklyn, NY on 5/11/18. The store owner, Pete (Caucasian male, about 6’00”, 180 lbs, with sparse, balding white hair, a short white goatee, and glasses), told me that his breeders’ dogs have space to run in open kennels instead of cages, and usually only have one breed. Albrecht’s multiple breeds contradicts this claim. In addition, dogs having enough space to pace back and forth for ten feet does not seem to constitute “space to run.”
Prior investigations:
CAPS investigated the Albrecht facility in 2014 and 2016, both times finding many serious violations. We turned over our evidence to USDA, which took no action.
2014 and 2015 investigations
