Petland of Wichita West
3520 N Maize Rd
Wichita, KS 67205
(316) 252-8565
Date and time of CAPS investigation: 08/13/21; 1407
Approximate number of puppies observed at time of investigation: about 40 puppies
The store had 20 puppy enclosures, containing one to three puppies each, made with solid walls, treated wire floorings, and wire doors at the backs for workers to access puppies. Enclosures had water bottles, food dishes, and blankets that covered small portions of floorings. No breeder information was in public view. A video was playing on a screen in the store, showing dogs running and playing in open yards. Folders of information about Petland puppies and breeders were in play areas in the store. Documents in these folders noted that breeders are USDA inspected, and showed pictures of people and dogs in yards.
I asked an employee (Caucasian female, about 22 years old, 5’6″, 100 lbs., with long blond hair, who identified herself as Maliya) about a Pom/Yorkie, and she showed me the puppy and explained that Poms and Yorkies all have a certain personality. She showed me info on the puppy, including the breeder noted only as Jorge Lopez in Oklahoma, with no additional information on the breeder provided. She showed me info for a Shih Tzu, noting the breeder only as Keith Rozin in Lebanon, MO. The Shih Tzu’s information had pictures of the kennel, which was simply English Bulldogs and German Shepherds in grassy yards and a house. I asked, “So they’re not a puppy mill or anything like that?” She responded, “No. We make sure that they’re not.”
I asked if the pictures of Rozin kennel represent all breeders, and she gave a vague response that didn’t answer my question. She acted similarly when I asked about specific breeding conditions, neither admitting she didn’t know nor answering my question.
The employee told me that I could put a non-refundable $500 deposit on a puppy to hold the puppy for a period, which I could transfer to another puppy if I’d like.
Evidence of false statements and misrepresentations of breeders by store
The employee’s claim that the store doesn’t use puppy mills, coupled with pictures of dogs playing in grassy yards, is deceptive. Commercial breeders keep dogs in cages and dog runs, rarely allowing access to play yards and never allowing unfettered access to it, as the pictures imply.
The employee was either hiding her lack of knowledge about breeders or not admitting to knowledge about actual breeding conditions. She did not, however, explain the actual breeding conditions for which I asked.
As evidenced by the breeder information below, it is clear that the store obtains puppies from mills, most of them USDA-licensed. Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (CVIs) indicate that unlicensed breeders are also selling directly to the store. Per Animal Welfare Act regulations, unlicensed breeders cannot sell directly to pet shops; they must sell through brokers. Breeders who have at least five breeding females and engage in resale or sell over the internet must have a USDA license
Breeder information obtained while visiting the store
Keith Rozin, Rozin Kennel, Lebanon, MO, 43-A-6673, 74 dogs and 34 puppies at 5/5/22 USDA inspection
Jorge Lopez, Oklahoma, No USDA license, Unlicensed per Oklahoma Department of Agriculture (ODA)
Breeder information obtained from 2021 Certificates of Veterinary Inspections
Forever Friends, Afton, OK, No USDA license, Unlicensed per ODA
Brandy Sanders, Adair, OK, 73-A-2815, 43 dogs and 17 puppies at 11/1/21 USDA inspection
Broker information obtained from 2021 Certificates of Veterinary Inspections
First Class Puppies, Bluejacket, OK, 73-B-1866, 19 puppies at 9/3/21 USDA inspection
Pinnacle Pet (Sobrad LLC), Neosho, MO, 43-B-3750, 36 puppies at 2/22/22 USDA inspection; 256 puppies, 8 kittens, and 57 ferrets at 7/29/21 USDA inspection
Southpaw Pets, Neosho, MO, 43-B-3812, 12 puppies at 3/1/22 USDA inspection
Broker information from 2019 Certificates of Veterinary Inspection
J.A.K.’s Puppies, Britt, IA 50423, 42-B-0271 179 puppies at 11/24/21 USDA inspection.
The following are some of the breeders who sold to Pinnacle Pet according to 2020 and 2021 Certificates of Veterinary Inspection:
Sandy Wisdom, Adair, OK 74330, 73-A-2733, 46 adults, 8 puppies at 3/8/22 USDA inspection
Gorgon Everett, Moline, KS, 48-A-2225, 45 adults, 40 puppies at 11/7/22 USDA inspection
Shelba Canfield, Scranton, AR 72163, 71-A-0815, 117 adults, 23 puppies at 7/27/21 USDA inspection
Carolyn Criner, Marble Falls, AR 72648, 71-A-0789, 35 adults, 40 puppies at 12/1/21 USDA inspection
USDA violations cited on the 6/11/15 inspection report included the following: An 8-year-old Shiba Inu with a cloudy eye; 10-week-old Shiba with hair loss on neck, legs and throughout the torso; and both dogs lacking veterinary evaluation and treatment documents.
Anita Gustin, Berryville, AR, 71-B-0123, 115 adults, 72 puppies at 10/4/21 USDA inspection
USDA violations cited on 2014 – 2017 inspection reports included the following: Broken teeth, infected gums, and teeth covered in green and brown matter; matted dogs; toenails growing sideways because they are too long; open wounds; hair loss; food receptacles with dead flies, excreta, dark matter, spiders, and mold; expired medications; holes in walls and protruding wires.
Jack Horton, Green Forest, AR 72638, 71-A-0806, 81 adults, 23 puppies at 7/6/21 USDA inspection
USDA violations cited on the 6/10/15 inspection report included the following: Dog in a splint with bandaged right front leg; dog with pink tissue in eye, which dealer claimed was a birth defect; both dogs lacking veterinary evaluation and treatment documents; and excessively rusty doors
Arba Jett, Vian, OK, 73-A-2089, 111 adults, 53 puppies at 8/26/21 USDA inspection
James Mast, Wesley, AR 72773, 71-A-1321, 18 adults, 15 puppies at 1/10/22 USDA inspection
USDA violations cited on 2014 and 2015 inspection reports included the following violations: Green nasal discharge; filthy walls, doors and divider panels; and accumulation of dead insects, food, used syringes and dark matter (under puppies cages.
Catherine Rexwinkle, Welch, OK, 73-A-1964, 15 adults at 5/12/21 USDA inspection
USDA violations cited on the 1/4/17 inspection report included the following: Protruding tooth; and lack of bedding in freezing weather
Dawn Troupe, Dibble, OK 73031, 73-A-2675, 42 adults, 8 puppies at 11/17/21 USDA inspection
USDA violations cited on 2014 and 2015 inspection reports included the following: serious gum and teeth issues dog with stiff/sore dog when walking; badly infected eyes; abnormal gait causing knuckling of foot when walking; fecal material on fur; USDA forms didn’t list all the dogs on hand; excessive fecal build-up in indoor housing and runs and on bedding; holes in the dirt dug by dogs that can pose a hazard; goat medication being used to treat dogs; algae water; rodent droppings on floor; facility owner refusing to allow inspection
The following are some of the breeders who sold to Southpaw Pets according to 2021 Certificates of Veterinary Inspection:
Dandelion Acres LLC/Roger and Marla Campbell, Newton, KS, 48-A-2232, 109 adults, 46 puppies at 10/19/21 USDA inspection
On 02-02-21 (Dandelion Acres: Kansas State Inspection Report 02-02-21), USDA inspectors documented the following violations: rusty kennel doors; dirty carpets in the weaned puppy building; discolored water in the water bowls in the weaned puppy building; and excess excreta under all the outdoor kennels and under the trays where the weaned puppies are housed.
The Campbells (previous USDA license 48-A-1549) have a long record of USDA violations prior to 2017, when the USDA effectively ceased reporting them. The Campbells received 72 violations of the Animal Welfare Act within the four-year period 2012-2016. See here for an in-depth description of some of the violations.
Roger and Marla Campbell received an official warning from the USDA APHIS in March 2016 and an official complaint was filed against them by the USDA APHIS on July 15, 2016 (USDA APHIS Official Complaint 07-15-16) The USDA APHIS charged them with willfully violating the Animal Welfare Act, and fined them $8,000 (Campbell, Roger & Marla: USDA Consent Decision and Order 03-21-17). As per the USDA APHIS website (Screenshot of USDA website showing canceled license), the Campbell’s license (48-A-1549) status appears as canceled 8-15-20. However, the Campbells had already filed for a new USDA license (48-A-2232). The pre-license inspection took place on 11-05-19 (Campbell, Roger & Marla: USDA Pre-License Inspection Report). The Campbells have since been operating under that license. The new USDA number uses a P.O. box in Goessel, Kansas, although the Campbells live and keep their kennel at 266 90th, Newton, Kansas. The two towns are 14.6 miles apart.
Darlene Chalfant, Idabel, OK, 73-A-2680 (cancelled 3/12/22), 55 adults, 0 puppies at 12/11/19 USDA inspection
USDA violations cited on 2014 – 2016 inspection reports included the following: Dogs with matted fur covering at least 40 percent of their bodies; caked, dogs in contact with dried fecal matter along 2 x4 underneath wires; no wind/rain break; broken, rusty wires and dividers; protruding wires with sharp edge
Alison Hawkins, Finley, OK, 73-A-2145, 87 adults, 34 puppies at 12/11/19 USDA inspection
Nelson and Leanna Yoder, Coalgate, OK, 73-A2786, 21 adults, 21 puppies at 9/20/21 USDA inspection
Chris McGill, McAlester, OK, 73-A-1257, 118 adults, 25 puppies at 5/19/22 USDA inspection
USDA violations cited on 5/19/22 report included the following: a litter of nursing Miniature Pinscher puppies with mother — first deceased puppy had decaying body with skin and fur coming off, second deceased puppy had flies going in and out of its nose, third puppy was laying listless with shallow breathing, and three living puppies were huddled next to them; licensee unaware of the dead and severely ill puppies as she hadn’t observed the puppies in two days, excessive accumulation of standing fecal-contaminated water, dogs unable to avoid contact with fecal matter when using the outdoor runs, strong odor of feces and attracted flies; trash, junk, and chemicals stored next to dog food; open bag of chemicals within one foot of the stored dog food, rodent droppings around stored dog food; accumulation of cockroaches in whelping building; kennels and in dog food being eaten, on A/C unit; on walls, falling from ceiling during inspection; improper recordkeeping.
Devaron Zimmerman, Sterling, KS, 48-A-0968, 76 adults, 53 puppies at 3/7/22 USDA inspection
Kansas Department of Agriculture inspection on 2/24/21 found the following violations: The newspaper-lined trays under puppy pens must be cleaned on a more regular basis; the outdoor pends have cobwebs; building on top of pens require cleaning on a more regular basis, the waste from the pens needs to be put in containers with sealed lids.
Ervin, Jacob and Mary Ann Bontrager, Hillsboro, WI, 35-A-0452, 57 adults, 37 puppies at 12/07/21 USDA Pre-license Inspection
Linda Bruna/Bruna Kennels, Waterville, KS, 48-A-2216, 65 adults, 22 puppies at 1/10/22 USDA Inspection
Bill Fattig, Gothenburg, NE 47-A-0477, 73 adults, 48 puppies at 10/7/21 USDA inspection
Teresa Graham, Garvin, OK, 73-A-2755, 83 adults, 19 puppies at 12/9/19 USDA inspection
Darla Hilton, Broken Bow, OK, 73-A-2652, 120 adults, 50 puppies at 3/25/20 USA inspection
Jack Horton, Green Forest, AR, 71-A-0806, 81 adults, 23 puppies at 7/6/21 USDA inspection
Cynthia Paula Jack, Stringtown, OK, 73-A-1661, 58 adults, 15 puppies at 3/31/22 USDA inspection
Lack of USDA Violations
The fact that few breeders and brokers have USDA violations does not mean that none exist. During our undercover investigation of USDA-licensed facilities, we document violations. USDA has made it very easy for licensees not to have violations. In response to regulatory ordinances, USDA started using teachable moments, self-inspections and a trial announced inspection program. Their recent guidelines also instructed inspectors not to cite ear, eye and dental diseases as veterinary care violations (this requirement was recently changed back). It is for these reasons that USDA Animal Welfare Act violations have significantly decreased.
