Breeder: Wayne and Karen Miller
Address: 1905 S 1100 W
City, State, Zip: Middlebury, IN 46540
USDA License: 32-A-0479, under Wayne Miller (cancelled 11/28/19)
32-A-0787, under Karen Miller (from 9/9/19 until revocation on 2/8/14)
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: not determined; They had 112 dogs and 124 puppies at their 3/1/18 USDA inspection.
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.
USDA licenses, violations and revocation
The Miller’s original license, 32-A-0479, was under Wayne Miller (cancelled 11/28/19), 116 dogs and 54 puppies at 7/8/19 USDA inspection, 112 dogs and 124 puppies at 3/1/18 USDA inspection. They did not have an inspection for 2.5 years between 2015 and 2018. Animal Care Inspector Lori Linn went to the facility on 6-24-16 and no one was home. She did not try again until 3/1/18 despite there being violations on 8/17/15 for Wheaten Terriers with dental decay with a correct-by date of 8/31/15.
At their 7/8/19 inspection, a different inspector cited them for a direct violation: A Wheaten Terrier, hunched over in her kennel, had a softball size vaginal prolapse with a two-to-three-inch protrusion. The Millers had observed this painful condition on 5/23/19, but the attending veterinarian did not know about it. The Millers scheduled the dog for spay surgery during the inspection.
In addition, on 7/8/19, the inspector cited the Millers for cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping, and pest control violations: “The whelping building consists of raised kennels over a concrete wash-down. The wash-down gutter was full off feces, old food, and maggots. A strong ammonia odor was observed upon walking up to the facility. Additionally, there were a significant amount of flies.”
The Miller’s USDA license was then under Karen’s name, effective 9/9/19. When an inspector (veterinary medical officer) showed up at the Miller’s property on 11/29/23, Wayne Miller refused to allow her access to the facility, stating that he had a painter working at the property. The subsequent inspection report had a 2.125(a) Critical violation because the inspector was not allowed access to the facility. USDA then moved to revoke Karen Miller’s license.
As a result, Karen Miller signed a settlement agreement with USDA on 3/19/24, which stated the following:
- She had to agree to sell, donate, and/or transfer ownership and possession of any dogs on her premises within 12 weeks from the date of the agreement
- She was allowed to keep a reasonable number of personal dogs
- USDA was revoking her license as of the date of the agreement.
- She was permanently disqualified from obtaining a USDA license
- In exchange for signing the agreement, USDA agreed not to bring administrative or civil actions against Miller unless she failed to comply with the terms of the agreement.
