Wagler, Ivan and Barb from CAPS on Vimeo.
Breeder: Ivan and Barb Wagler
Address: 7131 N 1200 E
City, State, Zip: Loogootee, IN 47553
USDA License: 32-A-0497
Date and time of CAPS Investigation: 4/16/24; 1647
Weather at time of investigation: 86°F and partly cloudy
Approximate number of dogs and puppies observed at time of investigation: 40 dogs
Breeds: Miniature Pinschers, Japanese Chins, Boston Terriers, Cocker Spaniels
Wagler’s kennel is located at the west end of the property and consists of three areas for dogs, all close to each other. One was a series of outdoor pens, another a row of indoor/outdoor pens on the ground, and the third a barn with a raised indoor/outdoor cages on two sides.
The outdoor pens consisted of three fenced areas, each about 100’ long and 15’ wide, with crushed rock and grass floorings. Dog houses and short roofs for partial shade were inside, with one to three dogs visible in each pen. Nearby was a metal barn, with about a dozen concrete dog runs visible to me on its east side. The runs were each about eight feet long and 2.5 feet wide, with metal bars and wire for walls, and indoor portions accessible through doggie doors. Nearby was a grassy, enclosed yard, with a doghouse in it, that appeared to be an exercise yard not in use at the time I saw it. The concrete runs appeared to each hold about three dogs in them, though it was difficult to see into all of them. The ones I did see clearly contained Miniature Pinschers.
Close to the other two kennel areas was metal barn that had raised dog cages on its south and north sides. A trampoline with tarp walls around it was set up against the barn, blocking my view to the northern cages. There were 10 raised cages on the south side, each about six feet long, 1.5 feet wide, and two feet tall. They had metal doors with small holes punched in their surfaces, and the numbers one through 10 engraved into them. It was impossibile to see into the cages where the doors were closed, but one was open for me to see through cage wire. Inside, two Japanese Chin dogs circled, and one jumped up and pawed at in the air. The design of the cages made it difficult not only to see dogs inside the enclosures but for the dogs inside to see out.
The USDA license is under James, Ivan and Barbara Wagler. They had 59 adults and 49 puppies at their 8/23/22 USDA inspection.
The breeder is connected to the following store:
The Barking Boutique, Grand Rapids, MI (CVI 2023)
I investigated The Barking Boutique on 3/21/24. An mployee told me that dogs are in a “very open space” with “fields” to play in. This is misleading, since the vast majority of the dogs at Waglers’ kennel are in thin concrete runs or wire cages.
