Knepp, Ivan from CAPS on Vimeo.
Breeder: Ivan Knepp
Address: 4193 County Rd 650 E
City, State, Zip: Montgomery, IN 47558
USDA License: none
Date and time of CAPS Investigation: 4/16/24; 1035
Weather at time of investigation: 78°F and overcast
Approximate number of dogs and puppies observed at time of investigation: 14 dogs
Breed: Miniature Poodles, Shelties
The kennel was a barn with seven indoor/outdoor dog runs on one side. The outdoor runs were each about seven feet long and three feet wide, with galvanized wire walls, concrete floorings, and metal doggiedoors to allow access to the indoor runs in the barn. About two dogs were visible in each run.
It is very likely that Knepp, who is unlicensed, has at least five breeding females. He is violating federal regulations by not having a USDA license in order to sell to pet shops.
2.1(a)(3) of the Animal Welfare Act regulations requires that a person who has at least five breeding female dogs or cats and makes at least $500 in gross income a year from the sale of these animals must have a USDA license. This regulation applies to breeders selling to brokers, pet shops and online customers.
Within about one foot of the run was a plastic five-gallon bucket, a stool, and a hand sprayer typically used for spraying insecticides or cleaning solutions.
A fenced, dirt yard was attached to the kennel area. It was about 20’ by 15’, and had no toys or enrichment inside of it. A grassy yard beyond had electric fencing for livestock but which would not contain dogs.
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 employee said that dogs have access to a “field” and “big open area,” and assured me the breeders are not puppy mills. However, Knepp’s mill being dogs in concrete runs with junk stored nearby and a small dirt yard that appears seldom used is the common conception of a puppy mill and not a kennel with dogs running in a field as the employee described.
