Breeder: Wayne and Karen Miller
Address: 1905 S 1100 W
City, State, Zip: Middlebury, IN 46540
USDA License: 32-A-0479
Date of CAPS Investigation: 7/3/18
Time of CAPS Investigation: 16:36
Weather at time of investigation: 88°F and sunny
Approximate number of dogs observed at time of investigation:
Breeds: Standard Poodles, Huskies, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Saint Bernard
The kennel was shaped like a “T,” with the top of the “T” facing to the east. While on satellite image it is apparent that kennel runs with indoor/outdoor portions surrounded the building, I only observed outdoor runs on the northern and eastern sides of the building. Outdoor pens were raised above the ground and made entirely of wire, including their floorings.
Dogs were in their outdoor enclosures intermittently, and only for a few minutes at a time. I observed two Standard Poodles, one white and one apricot, at the northernmost eastern enclosure. The dogs’ fur was heavily matted, with fur clumped in areas along their bodies and around their feet (Sec 2.40 Attending Veterinarian and Adequate Veterinary Care (a) Adequate veterinarian care).
The fur at the dogs’ feet was stained brown, and the white poodle had yellow stains on the torso. Within about 15’ of the enclosure was stacked firewood, metal beams, a pressure washer, and an overturned wheel barrel (3.1 Housing Faclities, General (a) Structure; construction).
Conditions contradicting pet store claims
I visited Puppy Experience in Aquebogue, NY on 5/19/18, and noted a cage card for a puppy bred by Wayne and Karen Miller, with USDA license # 32-A-0479. An employee at the store (Caucasian female, about 30 years old, 5’8”, 130 lbs with long brown hair in a thick braid) claimed the store’s breeders’ dogs are not in wire-bottomed cages and are all in runs. The employee showed me pictures of kennel in a folder, with dogs in clean in door runs and outdoor runs, and claims those were the conditions all breeders keep their dogs in. She also said the breeders’ dogs are shaved when necessary.
Wayne and Karen Miller’s dogs’ outdoor runs are wire-bottomed cages, contradicting the employee’s claim the dogs are not on wire-bottomed floorings. The matted Standard Poodles with brown and yellow-stained fur, in 88°F weather, contradicts the employee’s claim the dogs are shaved when necessary.
