Breeder: Mohrfeld, Brian
Business name: Mohrfeld Farms
Address: 2233 Hwy 16
City, State Zip: West Point, IA 52656
Year: 2007
USDA License: 42-B-0233
Date of CAPS Investigation: 2007-02-24
On the premises at the time of investigation: approximately 40 dogs and 50 puppies.
Breeds: Cairn Terriers, West Highland Terriers, Boston Terriers, Miniature Poodles, Standard Poodles, English Bulldogs, English Mastiffs, Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Shih Tzus, Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Pugs, Cocker Spaniels, Bichon Frises, Silky Terriers, and mixed breeds
Mohrfeld had two kennel buildings: one housing breeders and older puppies and one holding puppies at eight weeks of age. There was also an outdoor pen connected to an indoor kennel via a doggie-door.
Breeder/older puppy building
The breeder building was an indoor facility with three rows of cages raised on stilts, made with wooden frames and wire walls and floorings. Each cage was about four feet wide, four feet long, and four feet high, and there were about a dozen cages per row. Automatic water spigots and plastic self-feeders were attached to each cage.
These cages housed dogs and puppies of a variety of breeds. In the first row of cages, each cage contained up to five small dogs per cage, with each dog being up to 18 inches long from the tip of its nose to the base of its tail (3.6(c)(1)(i)-Primary enclosures).
Inside the building was a very strong ammonia odor (3.2(b)-Ventilation).
All of the cages had residue of feces and fur on the cage frame and surfaces (3.1(c)(3)-Surfaces).
One cage, housing four dogs of various breeds, had a white Poodle with thick mats covering its fur (2.40-Vet care). Another cage housed four white Poodles with thick mats throughout their fur (2.40-Vet care). One Pekingese in a cage of four had blue and red ulcer veins visible on both of its eyes (2.40-Vet care).
In another row of cages there were several overcrowded pens each housing up to five dogs that were 1.5 feet long (3.6(c)(1)(i)-Primary enclosures). Another cage housed two Mastiff puppies, each about three feet long from the tip of its nose to the base of its tail (3.6(c)(1)(i)-Primary enclosures). Yet another cage housed a three-foot-long Cocker Spaniel; two more cages each housed Bull Mastiffs that were about 3.5 feet long and tall and lacking six inches of space from the tops of their heads to the top of their cage. Yet another housed a three-foot-long Corgi (3.6(c)(1)(i)-Primary enclosures). Without walking down the third row of cages, it was possible to see one cage in that row housed a Mastiff puppy about three feet long (3.6(c)(1)(i)-Primary enclosures).
Young puppy building
The other kennel building had a single room with three rows of four wire cages. Each cage was about 2.5 feet wide, 2.5 feet long, and two feet high. About nine of the cages housed eight-week old puppies of various breeds.
There were three to five puppies per cage, with each puppy being up to ten inches long from the tip of its nose to the base of its tail (3.6(c)(1)(i)-Primary enclosures).
Another cage housed four Shih Tzus each about ten inches long; these dogs didn’t have room to lie down without being in contact with each other (3.6(c)(1)(i)-Primary enclosures). Another held three Boston Terriers of about the same size (3.6(c)(1)(i)-Primary enclosures).
Outdoor pen
The outdoor pen with wire walls and dirt flooring was about 60 feet long and 60 feet wide. This pen had access to the inside of a metal barn and contained a Standard Poodle and three English Bulldog/Bull Mastiff-mix dogs. The Poodle’s fur had yellow-brown stains and was covered in mats (2.40-Vet care).
