Breeder: Jerry Lambright
Address: 6250 W 050 S
City, State, Zip: LaGrange, IN 46761
USDA License: none
Date and time of CAPS Investigation: 4/18/24; 1432
Weather at time of investigation: 60°F and overcast
Approximate number of dogs and puppies observed at time of investigation: eight dogs and 13 puppies
Breeds: Huskies, Standard Poodles, Goldendoodles
The kennel was a series of indoor/outdoor runs on one side of a building. There were about eight runs in total. They had galvanized wire walls and the flooring consisted of dirt and crushed rock. Runs were about 15’ long and 5’ wide, allowing dogs enough space to walk a few seconds lengthwise and about two steps widthwise. There were one to two dogs per run, though some runs had no dogs visible in them.
Near doggie doors that allowed access into the barn, there were metal grates that partially covered holes in the ground. One pen had a small rubber mat and wooden beam set over its grate as well. Two large dirt-covered bones were in one pen that had a dog and around nine puppies. The other pen had a dog and four puppies. The outer wall of the barn, in which the doggie doors were set, was covered in grey and brown stains.
It is very likely that Lambright, 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
The kennel, which was partially blocked from view by a privacy fence, had a wire fence on another side to enclose it’s outdoor area. There was a small grassy yard, just slightly larger than the area of the outdoor runs, that was inside the fencing. However, weeds filled one side, and it had manure shovels, a wheelbarrow, and assorted junk piled up against the fence, indicating it did not see use as an exercise yard.
The breeder is connected to the following store:
The Barking Boutique, Comstock Park, MI – location closed (CVI 2023)
The Barking Boutique is owned by David Boelkes, with a location still open in Grand Rapids. On 5/9/24, I called the Grand Rapids store and an employee confirmed for me that David owed the Comstock Park location. At the Grand Rapids store, one of David Boelkes’ employees told me that the store doesn’t use puppy mills, and that breeding dogs are in a “very open space” with “fields.” The dirt runs and seemingly unused grass yard, with junk and weeds in it, is not what most people think of as an “open space” or “field” for dogs to run in. Instead, Lambright’s facility, with dogs running back and forth with limited space, is a commercial puppy mill.
