Breeder: Richard Wagler
Address: 3780 N 975 E
City, State, Zip: Loogootee, IN 47553
USDA License: 32-A-0474
Date of CAPS Investigation: 7/5/18
Time of CAPS Investigation: 14:23
Weather at time of investigation: 92°F and partly cloudy
Approximate number of dogs observed at time of investigation: about 40 dogs
Breeds: Shih Tzus, Yorkshire Terriers, Maltese, Boston Terriers
I saw three kennel structures on the property. Two had elevated indoor/outdoor cages on the southern sides of the buildings, and another had outdoor runs on the northern side of a building, presumably with indoor portions. I observed only outdoor enclosures. The elevated cages had doggie-doors allowing access inside and were made entirely of wire. The runs had concrete floorings and wire walls.
Southern building
I looked at seven elevated outdoor cages on the southern side of the southern building. I saw various small-breed dogs go into the cages, with no more than two per cage. The cages were each about two feet wide and tall and four feet long. I saw two Shih Tzus and a Yorkshire Terrier pace back and forth and walk in circles in the cages repeatedly, for several minutes at a time.
Northern building
I saw several dogs in cages of the northern building, the cages being of identical design to the southern building. One cage held a long-haired white dog that appeared to be a Maltese of about eight pounds in weight. The dog spent several minutes opening and closing the metal doggie-door of the animal’s enclosure, biting the door from top to bottom in what appeared to be an attempt to play with it. The dogs also rolled on the ground and tried to bite at the cage wire separating the Maltese from a dog laying down in an adjacent outdoor cage.
Conditions contradicting pet store claims
I visited Puppy Experience in Aquebogue, NY on 5/19/18. An employee (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 kennels in a folder, with dogs in clean indoor and outdoor runs. She claimed that those were the conditions in which all breeders keep their dogs. The numerous dogs in elevated, wire-bottomed cages at the facility contradicts this claim.
