All Pets Club – Branford

All Pets Club
479 E Main St
Branford, CT 06405
(203) 483-7387

Date and time of CAPS investigation: 4/22/19; 19:26

Approximate number of puppies observed at time of investigation: 35

Puppies were kept in several rooms with solid clear walls on one side for customers to see them, with four to 10 puppies per room. 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 in two places, being identical to the list at all other All Pets Club stores and noted in its bottom left corner as “Updated 03/8/2019.”  Two signs offering information on breeders to customers upon request were evident near the puppy enclosures. Also, papers titled “Certificate or Origin” for each puppy had breeder information in folders on a wall near the puppy enclosures. I saw two of the certificates, with one containing a USDA license number (Judy Miller) and the other have the area for a USDA license number left blank (Randy and Sara Stewart).

An employee (Caucasian female, about 28 years old, 5’6″, 130 lbs., with long brown hair and glasses) told me all of the store’s breeders are USDA-inspected and visited personally by the store’s owner. I asked for specifics on conditions at the kennel, and the employee admitted not knowing about all of the breeders. The employee texted her boss to have some of my questions answered about conditions dogs are kept in at kennels. I asked if the store has used the same breeders for 10 years, as noted on their website, and she responded, “Yes.” Her boss eventually responded to her text, only saying, “Yes they have exercise plans and retirement plans. Even we as a pet store have an exercise plan as well.”

She took time to specifically mention the breeder Lorilee Thomas, saying, “Lorilee, she has a farm and she has them run around. Things like that. That’s a very popular and common breeder that we get them from. Others, it all depends on the place. They’re not like in cages like in puppy mills, where they’re like that. No. Very sanitized. Again, USDA inspected, so it’s top of the line.” I asked about a Cairn Terrier bred by Lorilee Thomas, and asked about Thomas, “Okay, so she just has dogs in a yard?” The employee answered, “Yeah yeah. Yeah, she has a farm-like kind of thing. She’s really really good. A lot of people have looked up on her as well.”

Evidence of false statements and misrepresentations of breeders by store:

The employee’s claim that Lorilee Thomas (48-B-0329) has a “farm-like kind of thing” and that breeders do not keep their dogs in cages is refuted by a 7/14/11 USDA inspection of Thomas’s facility, which noted “hair is trapped in wire mesh,” “broker wire with sharp points,” and “broken wire mesh with sharp points by dog feeder,” amongst numerous veterinary care violations. The report also shows numerous USDA photographs from the inspection, showing adult dogs in entirely indoor wire cages with wire floorings.

https://nopetstorepuppies.com/buy-a-puppy?keys=&title_1=48B0329&province=All&field_breed_tid=All 

In addition, a USDA inspection from 10/15/12 reveals photographs of John Blaes’ (48-A-2142) facility having dozens of dogs in entirely indoor wire cages with wire floorings. https://nopetstorepuppies.com/dog-breeder/blaes-john

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. 

Breeder info:

The following were obtained from cards posted on puppy enclosures:

1. Lorilee Thomas, 28859 W Rd, Whiting, KS
   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.
2. Megan Gurley, 2780 NW Hwy A, Lowry City, MO
3. Lacey Kauffman, 20091 U Rd, Smith Center, KS
4. Randy & Sara Stewart, 6137 State Hwy CC, Cassville, OK
   

The following were obtained from Certificates of Origin:

1. Judy Miller, 14501 Depot Dr, Neosho, MO, 64850, 43-A-5175
2. Randy & Sara Stewart, 6137 State Hwy CC, Cassville, OK 65625, (USDA # left blank)

The following was obtained from a USDA inspection report observed at the store upon request:

Lorilee Thomas (Puppies Extraordinaire), 28859 W Rd, Whiting, KS 66552, 48-B-0329
See above.

The following were obtained from a list of breeders posted near puppy enclosures:

1. J&B Premier Puppies, John Blaes, 522 North Maple, Cherryvale, KS 64335, 48-A-2142
2. Lindley Creek, Lacey Kauffman, 20092 300th Rd, Portis, KS 67474, 48-A-2189
3. Becky & David Flanders, PO Box 363, 705 Park St, South Coffeyville, OK 74072, 73-A-2556
4. JC Ranches, Jeanna & William Johnston, 37149 County Rd 1790, Coalgate, OK 74538, 73-A-2788
5. Vickie Duryea, 183 T Rd, Goff, KS 66428, 48-A-2118
6. Rocky Ridge Kennel, James & Kassie Stewart, 11632 N E Center Star Rd, Pittsburg, KS, 48-A-2109
7. Double D Kennels, Derek Doughtery, 1668 E 900 Rd, Agra, KS 67621, 48-A-2201
8. Everything Pets LLC, Dawn Bryant, 1303 195th St, Fort Scott, KS 66701, 48-B-0333
9. Gayle Baker, 2593 Rifle Rd, Minneapolis, KS 67467, 48-A-1989
10. Twins Country Pets, Pam & Nick Reynolds, 706 Linden St, Cuba, KS 66940, 18-B-0270
11. Ronnie & Lovina Graber, 6623 N 1025 E, Montgomery, IN 47558, 32-A-0564
12. Puppies Extraordinaire, Lorilee Thomas, 28859 W Road, Whiting, KS 66552, 48-B-0329
    See above.
13. Sugarfork Kennels LLC, Abby Anderson, Route B Box 2941, Goodman, MO 64843, 43-A-6038
14. Quality Paws, Ruthie & Virgil Snodgrass, 1248 SW 100th Rd, Asbury, MO 64832, 43-A-0799
15. Bloom Kennel, Lewis Bloom, 1901 Frontier Rd, Clay Center, KS 67432, 48-A-1316
16. Boggs Creek Kennel, Jason & Jean Wagler, 4525 N 1050 E, Loogootee, IN 47553, 32-A-0245 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.
17. Monark Puppies, Judy Miller, 14501 Depot Drive, Neosho, MO 64850, 43-A-5175
18. Caltams Puppy Love, Tammy Cantrell, 2756 Canning Factory Rd, Anderson, Mo 64831, 43-A-6352
19. Loe Kennels, Kathy Loe, 3812 N Road, Beloit, KS 67420, 48-B-0246
20. Forever Friends, Alice Shafer, 2398 25000 Road, McCune, KS 66753, 48-A-2177
21. Family Lane Pets, Angela L. Smith, 7 Family Lane, Elkland, MO 65644, 43-A-6114
22. Sally Suschnick Kennel, Sally Suschnick, 416 N Hwy 43, Liberal, MO 64762, 43-A-5987
23. SGS Fanci Pets, Sara & Randy Stewart, 6132 State Highway CC, Cassville, MO 65625, 43-A-5815
24. Homestead Kennel, Teresh Berthelson, 1890 E Navajo Dr, Lincoln, KS 67455, 48-A-2160