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Protester, Puppy Tell Story

by marcia chambers | Feb 6, 2012 9:18 am

(18) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author

On Jan. 23, two days after she purchased a Bull Mastiff puppy from All Pets Store in Wallingford, Kimberly Natoli noticed that her 2-month-old puppy was having serious trouble breathing.

She called the store to tell them.

“Well, you can bring her back, and we will give you another puppy,” they said. Natoli was incredulous. “How could I do that? I couldn’t give her up. And I didn’t want to bring her back because I think they would have put her down. That’s how I feel. She’s a baby.” She had named her puppy Dakota, and “she is part of the family. Now you want us to return her, like she is a piece of garbage.”

Natoli told her story to the Eagle as she stood on a protest line yesterday outside the All Pets Club store in Branford. She found the protest on East Main Street by using Facebook, which, in turn took her to a newly formed group, CT Citizens Against Puppy Mills.

“I was so angry,” she said. “I needed to talk to others.” Yesterday’s demonstration was the largest so far, having grown from half dozen people last November to about 30 yesterday. The protests are held once a month.

Pet stores in general have long been the target of those rallying against large commercial breeders who produce purebred and so-called designer puppies under deplorable conditions. Known as puppy mills, they have been operating under horrible conditions for decades.

Under sunny but chilly skies, protesters came with their kids and their dogs, mostly rescue dogs. Over the months the statements on the signs they carry have grown bolder. Now they say “Boycott this Store.” Or “Adopt Don’t Shop,” or “APC = Death.” One points to the “Branford Animal Shelter 1 mile Up ” Another sign reads: “Honk if you Care.” Many motorists driving along East Main Street honked.

While All Pets Club denies it uses puppy mills, many of the animals come from kennels that are known puppy mills, the protesters have determined. Expensive dogs from puppy mills, these protesters say, arrive at stores like All Pets Club with unseen physical and genetic problems. Families say they often spend thousands of dollars in subsequent vet’s bills to get their puppy healthy. Click here to read the story of Isabella.

Natoli, who lives in Northford, can relate to that. She paid $1,800 for Dakota last month and then, when she stopped breathing, she called the Wallingford store. Employees, she said, did not see the issue as severe.

“I kept telling the people at the store that she needed immediate care or she would die. They told me if I took her to my own vet, that I would have to foot the bill.” The store’s vet, she said, wanted to prescribe medication without seeing Dakota. So she decided to take her puppy to another vet, one recommended by the store. “I wouldn’t wait.”

She took Dakota to the Powder Ridge Veterinary hospital in Middlefield, Connecticut. Dr. Lawrence Brooks told her that Dakota had a serious case of pneumonia.

The vet picked up the tab, she said, telling her if All Pets didn’t pay for it, he would pay for it. Dakota is now healthy. Natoli says she was not told the costs of Dakota’s treatment only that it would be taken care of.

The All Pets Club in Branford experienced an outbreak of Parvo in December. Two dogs died, and the store’s puppies were placed in quarantine throughout the Christmas season. The store’s owner, Jerry Pleban, gave several reasons for the outbreak. Click here to read the story.

Heather Bradley, one of the leaders of the protest, wore a dog outfit to the demonstration. She told the Eagle that last week she met with Pleban, his manager, Mike Rowland and another employee, who was recently hired, she thought, to develop a rescue dog operation. There was also discussion of expansion, she said, perhaps with regard to a new dog rescue place.

Bradley, who is a special ed teacher, owns three rescue dogs. She said Pleban and his employees met with the protest leaders for two hours. She said she thought the demonstrators were having an impact on the store’s business. Pleban, she said, did not come right out and ask them to stop picketing, but he did say “it hurt his heart” when kids arriving for a birthday party must first pass the protestors.

Bradley said she asked Pleban, who has three other All Pets Club stores in the state, how much of his profits were from dog sales. “He said it’s very, very minimal, but he wouldn’t give me the numbers. I said 25 percent. He said much less than that.”

Another protestor, Helen Bartek and her daughter Leah and their dog, Scout, a rescue, stood for two hours in the cold. Bartek held a sign that spoke to an issue of concern to some Connecticut legislators, a federal law that doesn’t go far enough.

We left a message for Pleban at the store. Rowland, the manager, said he could not speak for Pleban and declined to answer questions. He did say he would relay our message seeking comment. Pleban’s cell phone message system was full and unable to accept additional calls.

Marcia Chambers Photo Tracey Scheer, the other leader of the group, said after she arranged a group photo: “We are going to keep doing this!” She told the group that Heather had tee shirts for them. They say: “Don’t Support Puppy Mills. Boycott All Pets Club.”

Scheer told the group that it is her belief that All Pets “are not interested in stopping selling these dogs. They are keeping making money hand over fist at the expense of these poor animals. So let’s keep up the good work.”

In an interview, Scheer said the protests “are making people think twice about purchasing an animal here. “They know people are taking time out of their day to stand out here in the freezing cold and carry signs. It is going to make them think. We rely on the press and on people taking the initiative to find out what we are talking about. We have raised some awareness.”

Scheer says she thinks Pleban wants to open another store. “If he is smart he will see what is happening and change his business before it happens to him rather than waiting for it to fall down around his ears. There is a lot of space around here. He could use it for other things. Selling puppy mill puppies is a dying business. It won’t last long.”

And if he stopped selling puppies? “I would be the first to give him business. I guarantee you everyone in this group would embrace this store. We would be thrilled and we would support him. He is a local. But no business in which you make money on the suffering and misery of another living creature is worth it. There are many honest ways of making a living. Selling animals that come from places of torture is not one of them.”

The next protest is scheduled for March 3 at noon at All Pet’s Club in Branford.

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Comments

posted by: Barbara Ryden on February 6, 2012 11:08am

We have two wonderful Brussels Griffons purchased from APC five years ago. They have had no health issues and have been absolute
joys to us.
When we were taking the first one home from the store, she coughed, and they said she would have to be checked by their vet before we could have her.
I have found the staff so helpful and caring.
We bring my 94 year old mother-in- law there
and they put her in a special area where she can hold puppies. It is her favorite activity.
The place is spotless and the animals seem happy and healthy.

posted by: William Kurtz on February 6, 2012 1:36pm

I continue to find the Eagle’s vendetta against All Pets Club baffling and the quality and objectivity of the reporting seriously lacking.

Taking a stand is a fine thing and I have no issue with advocacy journalism, but this story is being presented as straight news while the writer poses the protestors for flattering publicity photos and accepts, without evidence or question, their assertion that “many of the animals come from kennels that are known puppy mills in the South”.

If that claim is verifiable, the evidence should be part of the story.

Despite the fact that he met with the protestors for two hours and it seems there has been some movement towards giving them some things they want, Mr. Pleban is being cast as some kind of villain, while the woman at the top of the story who spent nearly $2,000 to purchase a product—excuse, me, a dog—and then “called the store” when it became ill is portrayed as the “victim”.

It does seem callous that an employee offered her an even exchange, but there’s only her word on that, and let’s be honest, a retail establishment is going to try to make a customer happy with a purchase. And didn’t they do that, in the end? They recommended a vet and then apparently took care of the bill. It is unclear from the story what different outcome she was hoping for.

If I were Mr. Pleban, I’m not sure I would return calls from The Eagle either.

posted by: Concerned dog owner on February 6, 2012 2:49pm

I agree this article should have contained facts on these puppies coming from puppy mills. The term puppy mill is subjective. There is no legal definition. All pets club is legally required to post their breeder names. They are now listed on their website. It is up to each buyer to do research on each puppy. I did research and found that these are not small homey breeders. Puppies extraordinaire had over 1000 dogs at their last USDA inspection. Close to 700 of the dogs were adults, therefore used for breeding. There’s another breeder, dots little doggies. Wile dot may be super friendly when you call to ask about the dog, claims to have names for all of her breeding dogs, she has over 400 dogs used for breeding and hundreds of puppies. To me, since the definition is subjective, this is enough info to consider these kennels puppy mills. The USDA allows kennels to keep their dogs in small cages for their entire breeding life. This is a horrible life for a dog! Yes, some puppies are sick at All Pets Club and some lucky ones aren’t. There is evidence that dogs coming from mills are inherently more prone to diseases etc, however, the bigger issue to me is the parent dogs left behind and the deplorable conditions they live. Can you imagine your dog living his or her life in a cage, never touching grass, never being pet. Please do research on their breeders. If you are ok with these facts, then please go ahead and purchase a dog store puppy. I’m sure most people do not know these numbers.

posted by: dog lover on February 6, 2012 4:17pm

I just went on the All Pets Club website to look at their breeders. I thought it was odd that one of their breeders in March only had the name “Marla”. So I did some google research. There is a Kevin and Marla Yeubanks of K & M Kennel who breeds Standard Poodles. They sold Poodles to All Pets club in 2006. I’m assuming this is the same breeder, but regardless, All Pets Club has used them in the past.

Here is a direct quote from their November 29, 2011 USDA inspection report.
Outside runs of the lab pens have excessive accumulation of feces. Dogs are running in and around feces.
The six outdoor enclosures dog houses do not have bedding in them.The temperature was 42.6 degree Fahrenheit.
During the inspection it was seen dogs chewing and pawing at the automatic waters. When licnsee’s wife asked to place a water bowl in the enclosures, the canines stayed at the water bowl drinking it until it was gone.

Theres a bunch of other stuff in the report but you get my point.

This is a puppy mill. Oh yeah, dog count - Only 42 adult dogs. And they can’t keep it clean??

posted by: Branford Citizen on February 6, 2012 5:43pm

Thank you, Concerned Dog Owner, for some good examples of puppy mills that Pleban gets his dogs from.
...
If you want a dog and can’t find what you are looking for in the shelters (www.Petfinder.com), contact the AKC for reputable breeders in the area. You should be able to see th parents of the puppy and the conditions they are kept in.

posted by: This has to stop! on February 6, 2012 7:30pm

I have been researching the breeders that all pets club works with and they are definitely “puppy mills”. It’s hard enough caring for 3 dogs nevermind 1,000! The USDA regulates these businesses. Dogs spend their entire lives in small cages, they walk around in their own waste, and most never even know what it’s like to run on the grass outside. It’s very sad. The owners of all pets club are completely aware of what is going on. If anybody commenting would like more information on the breeders, visit CT Citizens Against Puppy Mills on Facebook. They will gladly give you websites, addresses, and a better understanding of where these puppies come from. The fact is, pet store puppies are the lucky ones. They escape these horrible places. Their parents, however, suffer their entire lives. Is it worth having so many dogs suffer? People should really look in shelters first. It’s cheaper to adopt also. Does anyone else see something wrong with the fact that shelters are flooded with animals, yet puppy mills keep mass producing all for MONEY? It’s horrible.

posted by: davecoondesigns on February 6, 2012 9:20pm

Rescue a greyhound if you want a dog.

posted by: Corine DeFrancesco on February 6, 2012 9:20pm

... All Pets Club did take care and pay for the bill of this puppy’s respiratory illness at their vet’s office. Their vet never said that he would pay the bill for them if All Pets didn’t. There was no reason for the vet to even suggest that since he knows their relationship and knows All Pets always does the right thing in the best interest of the law and the animal. The bill was not $1800, another inaccurate fact. More research really needs to be done before people have to take legal action to correct the wrongs that are being published. This is not news, this is gossip. And further more, if the dog is so ill, why is it outside in the extremities?

posted by: lindsay on February 6, 2012 10:06pm

Quite frankly any breeder who sells their dogs to a 3rd party for placement, regardless of them having 3 breeding adults or 30 - that’s a puppy mill. Backyard breeders are as much puppy mills as USDA inspected facilities. Breeders are special people. They show their dogs, they spend a lot of money to groom, and feed, and train them. They only deal in purebreds, not designer mutts. These kennels should have a different designation than true responsible breeders.

posted by: To Corine on February 6, 2012 10:24pm

Corine, I have no doubt that you as employee truly care for the best welfare of the puppies in your store. You seem like a very caring person. I just want to ask, are you truly comfortable with the facts in the USDA reports on your breeders? Do you honestly feel that a breeder who has 1000 dogs in their kennel is the best life for a dog? Have you read the violations on your breeders. The facts in these reports are shocking and I wonder if you honestly believe these are humane conditions for the dogs. I would appreciate and would be open to any comments that you have.

posted by: Cindy on February 6, 2012 10:51pm

From the minute we brought our Maltese puppy home he had the runs. 3x a night we cleaned out the poop from his bed/crate. The following day i called and they told me the dog was nervous from being moved. I said i was taking him to the vet, and the owner told me it was too hot, it was August and it woukd make him more upset. I did take him, and he had an infection, was placed on 2 antibotics, and we were given a bill for $250. When i called All Pets, they told me the dog was healthy when they sold him and they were not responsible for the $250 vet bill. They said i could return him and they would take care of him, but they couldn’t guarentee we would get him back. TThuswas ooutrageously did they think he was a sweater I could just exchange, we loved this sick little guy.
He then developed a cough and I took him back to the Guilford Vetenary Hospital, the vet told me in the ladt few days she had treated 6 puppies bought at All Pets tat had pneumonia. Now he was placed on yet another aantibiotics….

posted by: CT citizens Against Puppy Mills on February 7, 2012 12:19am

One must wonder what Mr. Kurtz’ agenda is in attacking the responsible journalism of this paper. Our organization has done research on every known breeder responsible for producing an All Pets Club puppy whose owner has contacted us. They are all massive operations located in the mMidwest licensed by the USDA. All the ones we know of have multiple violations against them. This past December, we noted the state of origin of puppies for sale in the Branford store just before the parvo virus outbreak. The locations we found were:

Beloit/KS
Liberty/KS
Lyndon/Ks
Belt/KS
Cherryvale/KS
Whitney/KS
Sheelby/MO
Oseole/Mo

The names of the actual breeders were not listed for the public. We sent an inquiry to Raymond Conners, Supervisor of the Animal Control Division of the State Department of Agriculture. To date, he has not responded to us about our observation that All Pets Club in Branford was not posting the names of its breeders.

The location of the dogs is in the heartland of the puppy mill industry- Kansas and Missouri. The breeders that we have confirmed as suppliers to All Pets Club include Dots Little Doggies in Lyndon Kansas, a known large scale breeder which has also provided dogs for pharmaceutical testing for Ciba Geigy. Another consumer with a sick dog identified Hollow Tree Kennel in Shell Knob, Mo. as the breeder. If you check on the internet, there are numerous complaints from consumers about this kennel as the source of terminally ill bull mastiffs.

The ASPCA and the Humane Society of the US both openly warn consumers that more than 99 percent of all puppies sold in pet stores originate from large scale commercial breeding factories commonly known as puppy mills. There is no question that the source of All Pets Club are puppy mills. Jerry Pleban did not try to deny it when he met with representatives of our organization.

The fact that this publication continues to cover breaking news about protests at All Pets Club, consumers with complaints about sick dogs, an outbreak of parvo virus in the Branford All Pets Club location does not constitute irresponsible reporting. It’s called covering the news. The reporter continues to attempt to contact the owners of the store for comments and responses to complaints leveled by consumers. If there is no response, that is not the publication’s fault. The photos are not staged, but taken during an actual protest. The group photo was taken when our organization asked the crowd of protesters to gather for a meeting under the All Pets Club sign.

So Mr. Kurtz, what is your problem with this reportage? Perhaps you are a friend of the owners of All Pets Club, or have some vested interest in the survival of a store that is keeping itself in business by profiting from the abuse and suffering of helpless animals. If so, you are a lonely voice of support for an industry that is increasingly under scrutiny by the general public. With so many homeless dogs in shelters and foster homes, the irresponsible and furious breeding of sickly puppies for profit is unconscionable.

posted by: Just so you are informed on February 7, 2012 12:22am

For those who are interested in the government’s own report on how poorly the USDA polices commercial puppy breeders, read its report on its own failure in protecting helpless puppy mill breeding dogs: http://www.usda.gov/oig/webdocs/33002-4-SF.pdf

But be forewarned, the photos of the dogs and the conditions they live in may make you sick to your stomach.

posted by: michaela on February 7, 2012 9:43am

the bill was $415. $1800 was the pet store’s remaining balance, over all. dakota’s bill was only $415, and the pet store DID in fact pay this bill, Dr Brooks did not foot the bill. I work for Powder Ridge Vet. We are pleased to hear Dakota is doing well now!

posted by: marcia chambers on February 7, 2012 9:52am

To:Corine DeFrancesco: I will correct the error I made in saying that Kimberly Natoli’s vet’s bill was $1,800. Given the honking of horns at the demonstration Sunday I heard incorrectly. She was referring to the cost of her bull mastiff puppy, not the vet’s bill. She says she was not told the costs of Dakota’s treatment. Marcia Chambers

posted by: also a ct concerned citizen on February 7, 2012 10:27am

Just to clarify some statements made, I find CT Citizens Against Puppy Mills is a very informed group. Many of the members have done their research before protesting this business. All Pets Club does comply with current laws and posts all of their breeders in their stores and on their website. You can then go to the USDA site and look up the inspection reports on each breeder. The group encourages people to do their due diligence before protesting a business. “Google stories” and reviews are not facts. They are hearsay. The USDA reports are enough to give anyone an idea of the caliber of breeders APC uses. The purpose of these protests is to have people due their research before buying a pet shop puppy. Most people have no idea and are shocked when they look at the data.

posted by: mrsdoe on February 7, 2012 11:29am

Thank you for posting the truth in your article. Regardless of what is “gossip” both by the protesters and by the employees of APC, the facts remain. You want facts- read them on the USDA site. You may not find “facts” via google but you can find some great undercover work and videos with what isn’t documented by the USDA. http://www.usda.gov/oig/webdocs/33002-4-SF.pdf.

There, my friends, is the proof. No matter how you cut it, puppy mills are bad and any place that breeds more than one dog at a time is NOT your local breeder.

posted by: michaela o'donnell on February 7, 2012 1:18pm

as an employee at the veterinary hospital that treated this puppy and other all pets puppies, i am remaining impartial toward the all pets issue. however, i do not support puppy milss, and i feel that as the purchaser of the puppy, it is your responsibility to do some research as to where the puppy came from. i will say that all pets does do their best to care for the sick puppies when it occurs. they do go above and beyond the treatments that many private owners would. they immediatly bring a dog to the vet just for a sniffle, and they follow a very strict vaccination protocol. the fact of the matter is, if you don’t want to support pet stores, DON’T buy a puppy from one.

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