Breeder: Rebecca Allen
Kennel name: Carl’s Puppy Place
Address: 8105 US-67
City, State, Zip: Simms, TX 75574
USDA License: 74-A-1144
Date and time of CAPS investigation: 06/14/22, 1625
Weather at time of investigation: 94°F and sunny
Approximate number of dogs and puppies observed at time of investigation: 12 dogs (not all dogs on the property were observed, as most were blocked from view)
Breeds: Yorkshire Terriers, Chihuahuas, Shih Tzus
There were three kennel structures at the south end of the property. One had elevated indoor/outdoor cages visible on its eastern side. The central kennel building had a roof covering elevated cages connected to wooden box-shaped dog houses in it, with cages facing each other in the building. Tarps covered the rest of the structure and the western kennel building so that I couldn’t see what was inside, but the sounds of small dogs barking came from all three structures.
On the easternmost structure, I could see about 15 raised, treated wire cages on the building’s east side. Each cage was about two feet wide and three feet tall and long. Doggie-doors allowed access to indoor portions of the enclosures. The cages were elevated on wooden stilts, and had metal bowls in them. Most of the bowls had dog kibble in small piles around them. I saw one to two dogs in each cage, being either Yorkies, Shih Tzus, or white-haired dogs that were either Poodles, Bichons, or Maltese with their hair cut short. One Yorkie continuously paced in circles, keeping her right rear paw up in the air as she did so (2.40 Adequate veterinary care (b)(2)). Manure stains and splatter spotted the wooden wall of the building underneath the enclosures. A plastic sheet was under them, angled downward and away from the wall of the building. The sheet was completely covered in fecal stains and bits of manure, with what appeared to be over 24 hours worth of feces built up on it (3.1 Housing facilities, general (3) Cleaning).
About four of the elevated wire cages on one side of the western building were visible to me. They appeared to be about twice as wide as the other cages I saw, with three Chihuahuas visible in one cage. Doggie-doors allowed access to indoor portions of the enclosures.
There was no exercise yard visible on the property. A wire fence surrounding it had gaps in the wire large enough for some of the small dogs I observed to fit through, making it clear the dogs are not released into the yard for exercise. The pacing Yorkie had behavior indicative of anxiety and boredom, likely due to being confined in a small enclosure with a lack of exercise (3.8 Exercise for dogs).
