Breeder: Shannon Johnson
Business Name: Frenchies-R-Us-In-TX
Address: 1390 CR 1187
City, State, Zip: Sulphur Springs, TX 75482
USDA License: none
State License: none (formerly had TX license #163, expired 9/24/21) (though lacking a state license, conditions at the facility that violate Texas licensed breeder regulations are noted)
Date and Time of CAPS Investigation: 1/15/23, 1513
Weather at Time of Investigation: 78°F and sunny
Approximate number of dogs and puppies observed at time of investigation: eight dogs
Breeds: French Bulldogs
Dogs were kept in raised cages, held up on metal stilts, on the property near the residence. This differs from photographs of dogs on the breeder’s website, which mostly show dogs standing in grassy yards. There were about 12 raised cages total, arranged in the shape of a “L.” In eight of them, I could see a single adult French Bulldog. Cages had wire walls, wooden floorings, metal roofs, and plastic igloo-style doghouses in them. The doghouses’ outer surfaces were stained various shades of brown (91.100(3)(C) Cleaning). Chicken coups nearby had the same type of igloo-style houses in them, and their outer surfaces were bright white in contrast to the dirty doghouses.
Dog cages also had metal and plastic water dishes in them. A black plastic dish in one cage had a brown stain around the top of it, as did a black plastic dish sitting on the roof of another cage. Wooden framing on the floorings of most enclosures were painted white on the outside, though the paint was 25-50% worn off of them, and one enclosure had green mold growing on one of the painted boards (91.100(3)(B) Maintenance and replacement of surfaces). A small wire cage was on the ground near one dog cage, a folding ladder stood near another, a metal water dish was upside-down on the ground near another cage, and a step ladder was about 20’ from a cage resting against the house (91.100(2) Condition and site).
The breeder sells puppies on her website https://www.frenchies-r-us-in-tx.com/ and through her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/frenchiesrusintx. She told a CAPS employee that this person could buy a puppy from her, fly into the Dallas/Ft. Worth airport and pick up the puppy from her in Rockwall, Texas. This is the sale of a puppy sight unseen, which requires a USDA license.
The Animal Welfare Act sets general standards for humane care and treatment of animals who are sold sight unseen (internet sales). Breeders – those with at least five breeding females – who are selling online must have a federal license (2.1 (a) Requirements and application).
