Puppyland
13103 Meridian E Ste. 104
Puyallup, WA 98373
(253) 697-9984
Date and time of CAPS investigation: 10/06/20; 3:00 PM
Approximate number of dogs observed at time of investigation: 20 puppies
Due to Covid, fewer than 10 people were allowed inside at a time, so the investigator waited approximately 40 before he entered the store. An employee later indicated that Tuesdays were always crowded because that is the day every week when new puppies arrive.
Puppies were kept in several open-topped enclosures with shredded paper on solid floorings and several glass display enclosures around the sales floor. None of the enclosures contained any toys or pieces of enrichment. None of the enclosures had signs that offered any information on the animals but there were signs saying, “No pictures or videos allowed.”
The investigator was approached by an employee (Hispanic female, about 20 years old, 5’5”, 120 lbs., with long straight waist length black hair). The investigator inquired about a German Shepherd in one of the enclosures. Please note, this employee was the same individual who was questioned at the Puppyworld in Olympia, WA on August 28, 2020 by the investigator. There were no other salespeople on the floor, but the employee gave no indication that she remembered the investigator.
The employee, almost verbatim, gave the same answers to any questions about breeders. She indicated that all of their puppies were from private breeders that are brought in from the Midwest because the local Washington breeders were not “up to the store owners standards.” She indicated that she had no knowledge of any of the specific breeders or the conditions of their facilities or their common practices, but that she trusted the store owners to only deal with good breeders. She also said that each dog is handpicked specifically by the store owners.
She brought out the file of the German Shephard and explained that the dog would cost $4,500. The breeder was Matthan Schwartz in Marysville, IN. She then repeated that the store owners visit every breeder. During CAPS puppy mil investigations, we have asked USDA licensed breeders and brokers if pet shops visit them, and rarely do they say “yes.”
The salesperson brought the German Shephard out to the play area and indicated that it was now okay to take pictures. She explained that the no-picture-rule only applied to the enclosures in the main area because, “We don’t want people to show the puppies in a negative light.”
Brokers used by this store:
J.A.K.’s Puppies, Britt, Iowa, 42-B (from CVIs)
https://caps-web.org/caps-investigators-journal-the-truth-behind-j-a-k-s-puppies/
https://caps-web.org/caps-works-with-the-dodo-to-expose-pet-stores-in-california/
https://caps-web.org/puppy-mill-dogs-sold-as-rescues/
Breeders identified during this investigation:
Mattan Schwartz, Marysville, IN, 32-A-0405
Schwartz had 78 adult dogs and 81 puppies during his June 2019 USDA inspection.
