The Top Dog Store Breeder: JO Kennels

Hello readers!

In this post I will continue to expose the Top Dog Store, a recently opened pet store in Calgary, AB which has chosen to sell puppies. They claim that their puppies come from reputable breeders but I wish to expose the truth behind this claim.

The Top Dog Store has openly posted the breeder evaluations that they do to ensure that their puppies come from reputable sources. I should point out that none of these breeders release their true name, they only go by their initials. This makes it a lot harder to track the exact source in which their puppies come from. Today I will analyze JO Kennels' evaluation to prove that they are a mill.

This is the link to view the evaluation for yourself: https://www.dropbox.com/s/536y3mh28e7m2b4/JOKennels2014.pdf?dl=0

On the first page, we are given the names of the "Inspection Team."

• Marion Church is Robert Church's wife. Robert Church is the owner of the Top Dog Store and therefore she will have a very bias opinion on the animals. 
• Dr. S. Wizniak DVM is a veterinarian from the McKnight Vet Clinic.  
• R. Gledhill is the dog trainer for puppy classes that you can take at the Top Dog Store, providing another bias inspector

For a legitimate inspection team, it should comprise of at least one person who is not directly connected to the business. Perhaps someone who works for the SPCA? That would make a well rounded team.  

The second and third pages look very similar to the kennels at the store itself. The dogs live on grates so that their poop can drop below and be easily cleaned. There are also no enriching toys for the adults or puppies - a very bland life for them indeed!

The fifth page is really, really sad. You can see how narrow and pitiful their dog runs are. These dogs get zero access to grass at any time. There are no toys for entertainment and all they can do is walk back and forth. What a sad life those dogs must live! It is also crucial to note how many runs there are in this picture. Reputable breeders should not that many if they are to be well socialized pets!

This brings us to page six. This is the actual report itself. Here we see that they carry 11 different breeds of puppies and have over 51 dogs on their establishment. A little excessive eh?

If you read my first blog post, you will be familiar with what qualities make a puppy mill. So far, according to No Puppy Mills Canada, this facility has met 2/5 conditions:

• (b) Sub-standard animal care, treatment and/or socialization - With 51 dogs in their care, there is no way those dogs receive proper socialization or treatment. Sure, they may receive food, water, and a quick look-over to make sure they are in decent shape, but that is sufficient for a future family pet. 
• Note: These conditions may also exist in small volume or single breed establishments - This one is a little vague, but they have 11 different breeds of dogs. Why not specialize in a couple? It would be very difficult to keep track of each dog's genetic background, temperament, etc. 

But wait! There is more! I did a bit of sleuthing and actually managed to find the breeder's personal webpage! They are Homestead Kennels from Assiniboia, SK (a town which is identified in the evaluation). Jennifer Olson is the contact personal, therefore confirming this breeder's association with Top Dog Store.

Here is their webpage: http://www.homesteadkennels.ca/Homepage.html

Now we can truly expose this breeder as a mill! Let's explore:

• Clicking on the About Us page, we learn that three people handle the dogs. That is a very low amount considering the 51 dogs they currently have. 
• Clicking on the Health Care page, then the Health Guarantee. They will not take responsibility to sicknesses that are not life threatening. The problem is that they will not take responsibility for illnesses that can result from their facility or breeding practices. Here are some examples of illnesses that they will not cover:
• Coccidia - this is an illness that can result from stress, true, but also from being around dogs' feces (http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/infectious-parasitic/c_multi_coccidiosis) If one dog has coccidia at the facility, then your future family member could have contracted the illness before it left the building! 
• Giardia - this is an illness that does NOT result from stress, as claimed on the website. It is caused by ingesting feces that are already contaminated and can sometimes be chronic. If fact, it has a higher occurrence rate in dogs that are housed in kennel facilities because of the high volume of animals in close quarters.   (http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/infectious-parasitic/c_multi_giardiasis). Though not life threatening, the vet bills that you would have to pay to contain the illness is life long (not always, but it is possible). 
• Cherry Eye - though it is not confirmed that it is inherited, research has suggested that it is due to a "congenital weakness of the gland's attachment in the dog's eye." (http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/eyes/c_multi_prolapsed_gland) Therefore, this is a genetic defect that is not covered by the guarantee. 
• Luxated Patella - this is a condition that is due to a genetic malformation or trauma. It is a dislocation of the kneecap that only falls into place when the leg is relaxed or lengthened. (http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/musculoskeletal/c_multi_patellar_luxation). This genetic defect is also not covered by the guarantee. 
• There a few others that are mentioned but this should give you an idea on what their guarantee is really about. 
• Clicking on the FAQ page, then click on Health. Under "What is a closed kennel," they openly admit that will "not allow people to walk through our kennel to look at our puppies" and that they "do not allow outside dogs/puppies into our kennel." Their reasoning is that they want a perfectly sterile environment for the puppy. One of the number one cues in identifying a puppy is if you are permitted to see where the puppy grew up. They will SHIP the animal to you. I know of people who adopted specific breeds of pets from sources beyond where they live and that is alright if you do a lot of research on the breeder. Judging by this research, I would not trust adopting from them. 
• Still looking on the FAQ, click on Delivery. Under "What forms of payment do you accept for the remaining balance," they ask for cash only. There will be no proof of how much you spent on that dog. True, just above this statement under "How do I send my deposit," they are willing to send a receipt, but that is only a portion of your money. Many puppy mills prefer cash so that they can remain more elusive about their transactions. Sketchy. 

Lets review, one more time, the qualities of a puppy mill that this breeder has met, according to No Puppy Mills Canada:

• (a) Sub-standard health and/or environmental issues - they will not allow you to personally see the life that the puppy has been exposed to in its short life, not to mention you are unable to see the life that the adults have to endure every day. You are taking a gamble with each adoption. 
• (b) Sub-standard animal care, treatment and/or socialization - we already talked about this one but the human-to-dog ratio is 3:51. That is not adequate for proper care, treatment, or socialization
• (c) Sub-standard breeding practices which lead to genetic defects or hereditary disorders - true, they cover life-threatening illnesses, but absolutely nothing that is genetic based but non life threatening is covered. 
• (d) Erroneous or falsified certificates of registration, pedigrees and/or genetic background - I will admit that this one is more of a speculation, but since this breeder is on a roll in being identified as a puppy mill, I might as well cover this one too. With so many animals intermingling, breeding, and overwhelming the very few staff that handle them, it is doubtful that the genetic background of each dog is accurately recorded. Therefore, they claim to have "healthy dogs" but they likely do not have records to reflect potential genetic problems. 
• Note: These conditions may also exist in small volume or single breed establishments - Once again, they have 11 breeds of dogs. This is excessive for a breeder who genuinely cares about them. Again, this is speculation. However, if they were only in it for the money, wouldn't they want a wider range of breeds? Food for thought. 

Conclusion: With a score of 5/5, Homestead Kennels, one of the "Reputable Breeders" of the Top Dog Store, is a puppy mill.

There are two things that we can do about this

• Boycott the Top Dog Store for sourcing puppy mill puppies and trying to mask them as reputable, healthy dogs. With no demand, the supply will drop. This WILL save lives of animals. 
• Contact your provincial SPCA. In fact, if enough of us contact the Saskatchewan SPCA, perhaps we can have this facility shut down! Toll free number: 1-877-382-7722

Cheers

~I frequently hear people say "I rescued my dog from a puppy mill." Unfortunately, you did a disservice unless you reported the circumstance to the authorities. You still paid for the dog and the mill still made a profit. The dogs that were left behind will continue to suffer. What you CAN do to prevent suffering is call your provincial SPCA.~

Alberta: 1-800-455-9003

Saskatchewan: 1-877-382-7722