The Perfect Pup
2400 E Main St
St. Charles, IL 60174
(630) 444-1404
Date and time of CAPS investigation: 3-2-25; 1230
Approximate number of dogs observed at time of investigation: 4 puppies
There were just four puppies in the store, placed individually in enclosures set on the ground. These enclosures were about two feet wide and four feet long, with solid walls and floorings and open tops. There were about half a dozen enclosures, and those with a puppies had water and food dishes and toys inside, and small blankets partially covering the floorings. There was no information on enclosures about the sources of puppies.
I spoke with a woman who identified herself as the owner (Caucasian female, about 50 years old, 5’9”, 140 lbs, with slightly graying, long brown hair) about the puppies and where they come from. The store was empty of customers at the time I was there, so while the owner said that she normally only speaks to customers about puppies by appointment only, she offered to speak with me.
No puppy mill claim
The owner told me that she doesn’t buy from puppy mills. I asked about the specific conditions that breeders keep dogs in, she admitted she didn’t know. She told me that I could look up the breeders on my own, and that she would give me info on a puppy I was interested in. The owner told me that all of her breeders are USDA-licensed, and that she uses different ones all the time by looking up what puppies she wants to purchase rather than going through specific breeders. While she didn’t elaborate further on this, it sounds as though the owner is buying puppies through an online service and then reselling them.
Owner said that appointments circumvent state law
The owner mentioned that while there is a state law prohibiting stores from selling puppies from breeders, she said that she has a “dealer’s license” to be able to sell puppies, and that because she works by appointment only, she is not violating the law.
I asked her for breeder information on a Yorkie, and she showed me paperwork revealing the puppy was bred by Philip Hoover (43-A-5673).
Breeder information obtained during store investigation
Philip Hoover, Show Me Puppies, 13872 State Hwy 15, Memphis, MO, 43-A-5673, 334 dogs and 191 puppies at 4/17/24 USDA inspection. Hoover sells through PBT Marketplace, an online marketplace that connects breeders and pet shops.
Evidence of false statement and misrepresentation given by the store
The owner’s claim that she can have a dealer’s license to bypass Illinois state law and sell puppies from breeders is a lie. No such license exists. Furthermore, her claim that having people make appointments means that she can bypass the law is not true. The store is still re-selling puppies from breeders as a retail business.
The owner’s claim that she doesn’t use puppy mills is a lie. Philip Hoover’s kennel, like most USDA-licensed facilities, is a commercial kennel that breeds dogs for profit. His USDA inspection report from 4/17/24 reveals he had 334 dogs and 191 puppies. Such a facility is exactly what people refer to as a puppy mill.
The Perfect Pup is violating 225 ILCS 605 by selling puppies
(225 ILCS 605/3.8)
Sec. 3.8. Prohibition Sourcing of dogs and cats sold by pet shops; recordkeeping.
(a) A pet shop operator may offer for sale a dog or cat only if the dog or cat is obtained from an animal control facility or animal shelter, located in-state or out-of-state that is in compliance with Section 3.9.
