The Top Dog Store Breeder: KV Kennels

Hello readers!

I believe I have uncovered another puppy mill which the Top Dog Store uses to source their dogs. The Top Dog Store is a pet store that recently opened up and is the single location in Calgary which sells puppies. We have already exposed one of their breeders, JO Kennels, as a mill in one of my other posts and today, we will do it again! Unfortunately I could not track down their website but luckily there is enough information in their evaluation to expose them. The link for KV Kennels is here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ebc75dprq55a02c/KVKennels-2014.pdf?dl=0

Before we really get into what makes this breeder a puppy mill, I just want to remind all of you what a mill is according to No Puppy Mills Canada: http://www.nopuppymillscanada.ca/mill.htm
(a) Sub-standard health and/or environmental issues;
(b) Sub-standard animal care, treatment and/or socialization; 
(c) Sub-standard breeding practices which lead to genetic defects or hereditary disorders;
(d) Erroneous or falsified certificates of registration, pedigrees and/or genetic background.
Note: These conditions may also exist in small volume or single breed establishments." 

I am going to take each of these traits and discuss how KV Kennels meets each one. 

(a) Sub-standard health and/or environmental issues
There are a lot of environmental issues that are evident with this breeder. True, the large kennels look spacious and not over crowded, but I question some of the decisions that have been made regarding their living space.

The first thing I notice about the pens on pages 3 and 4 is the lack of ANYTHING. There are no beds, no toys, no bones, nothing. These dogs live their lives with very little stimulation. Scrolling down to pages 6 and 7, you see the same thing. They have caged lives with no access to grass or the luxury of running and playing to their heart's content.

The next notable point is on page 5. These are the feed bins for each individual dog, though the pictures make it hard to understand how these function. In this close up picture, you can see how filthy the food bins are and how impractical they are for cleaning and sanitization purposes.

Alright, now we get more into the nitty gritty. We have reached the whelping and nursery barn on page 10-14. Let these pictures sink in. There are 3 problems with the pictures on these pages...

• Cleanliness: Look at how dirty they are on the inside when this is suppose to be a sterile location for birth. The material, as claimed in the report, is plastic so it should be easy to clean. 
• Bedding: The bedding that they use for these poor newborns is shavings. The problem with this material is that it can cause respiratory infections in the pups who already have a weak immune system. Additionally, their noses and mouths are so close to the stuff that they can easily ingest it. There are many sources that support this claim: http://dogcare.dailypuppy.com/can-use-pine-bedding-newborn-puppy-4190.html, http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2098&aid=1099, http://www.afrma.org/pineproblem.htm. 
• It is suggested that puppies can handle the natural odour from this type of bedding once they reach 4 weeks but let's be real, it isn't beneficial regardless of age and should be avoided. http://dogcare.dailypuppy.com/bedding-use-dog-going-pups-4902.html 
• Incubators: Looking at them, they are incredibly sinister, daunting, and ridiculous. The purpose of an incubator is to keep newborns warm if the mother is unable to do so (due to abandonment, death, too many puppies, etc.) and is therefore not required for regular whelping purposes. http://www.ehow.com/how_5989200_directions-build-puppy-incubator.html, http://thepuppysaver.homestead.com/The-Puppy-Saver1.html 
• What makes this situation so sad is the fact that, according to this evaluation, they are kept in this light-less box for their first 3-4 weeks of life. They will have no human interaction and no natural light. All they get is a heat lamp, shavings to cause respiratory ailments, and ultimate seclusion. What a life. 
• For any breeders who are reading this post, many would argue the necessity of a whelping box. The purpose of a whelping box is to keep the mom in a space that is sterile, comfortable, and secure for the birth of the puppies. It should have walls that are high enough to keep the puppies inside, but accessible enough for the breeder to assist in the birthing process if it is required - also, lose the roof! Allow for air circulation! As you can see from these pictures, these little incubators are definitely not large enough if the breeder had to help. Here is a link to what a whelping box looks like: http://dogs.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Whelping_Box

(b) Sub-standard animal care, treatment, and/or socialization
Alright, so let's start with animal care. As discussed earlier, these pens are void of any stimulation which leads to a very dreary life. They need something to keep busy or else they will get destructive or aggressive.

As for treatment, I want to draw your attention to the first page of the "Inspection Report." The vet that they use is PB Veterinary Services. PB stands for Picture Butte, a small town that is 30 minutes north of Lethbridge. I looked at their web page and noticed that they are an exclusive CATTLE vet. They do not handle pet cases unless you simply need a vaccination. However, they are not trained to treat dogs. I searched for other vets in the area and this breeder has the choice of any vet in Lethbridge (many to choose from!) or one in Coalhurst, another small town that is just west of Picture Butte. When brought to the Top Dog Store, these puppies are not being examined by an appropriate veterinarian so you won't know with certainty that they are clear of dog-related illness or problems.

With this knowledge, I wanted to search what kinds of vaccinations were being administered to these dogs. Dectomax spray (to treat mites and flies) caught my eye and, after checking several sites, I discovered that this specific brand can be FATAL TO DOGS. http://www.drugs.com/vet/dectomax-pour-on.html

• For more information on the chemical compound that is used in the drug, you can read this site: http://parasitipedia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2450&Itemid=2718
• This site admits that some brands can be used for dogs (only select breeds) but the brand will carefully state whether it can be used for pets or not. Dectomax spray, specifically, is exclusive to livestock such as cows, swine, and sheep. 
• Additionally, this site warns that dosages of this chemical, regardless of brand, has to be very carefully made for dogs because of the high risks. Who administers this intensive drug? Look on Inspection Report Page 3 and you will find that the breeder themselves administers it. Interesting indeed. I know many people who give medications to their pets but the thing is, 54 dogs have to receive this medication twice a year. A simple slip up can be detrimental. If the risk was that high, would an uncertified breeder not have a professional do it?

Finally, the socialization of these animals are questionable. Though we do not know how many people care for these dogs, 54 is still a large number for proper attention. They are kept for the purpose of breeding, all other interaction is minimized. Remember those puppies in the box? Puppies can be handled more regularly at 2 weeks (for short periods) which begins the socialization for a well tempered, happy pet. The incubators simply do not allow this to happen until they are at least 4 weeks old, if not older. When you get your puppy from them, they will only have had human interaction for approximately 2-4 weeks. That is not long at all.  https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/newborn-puppy-care

(c) Sub-standard breeding practices which lead to genetic defects or hereditary disorders
I will admit that I cannot extract enough evidence from this evaluation to suggest that KV Kennels is bad at preventing genetic defects or hereditary disorders. That being said, there is not enough evidence to suggest that they are good either. Given the results of the past two points, I wouldn't buy from them anyways.

(d) Erroneous or falsified certificates of registration, pedigrees, and/or genetic background
Again, there is very little information about this stuff on the evaluation. An interesting point, though, is that they claim to have a wait list formulated for people who want a retired dog. I have tried for the past week and a half to find the website and if I can't find it, I doubt that one is even made (entirely possible!) My question is: how does this wait list form without contact information? Does this list even exist? Though this is unrelated to the dogs, I still want to count this as false information.

*Note: These conditions may also exist in small volume or single breed establishments
They have 10 different breeds and 54 dogs. They would need an extensive team of employees to tend to each one. Consider how many volunteers are required to operate a dog shelter. To point it in perspective, as of January 27, 2015, the Calgary Humane Society has 11 dogs, the ARF foundation has 16, Pets for Life has 15, and they have a team of people who care for them! I also question if the infamous Inspection Team actually checks every single individual dog or if they give it the ol' glance-over and assume they are all fine. That would be a very consuming day to check each one.

Conclusion: With a score of 4/5, KV Kennels, one of the "Reputable Breeders" of the Top Dog Store, is a puppy mill. True, we don't know if they overbreed their dogs, but we know how these animals are treated and the lifestyle that they are forced to live. That is an essential part of being a mill. Do you really think that after coming from a place like this, these puppies are healthy with good temperaments? Keep in mind that, even after "23 years" of breeding, their research of animal care is miniscule.

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 Alberta SPCA, perhaps we can have this facility shut down! Toll free number: 1-800-455-9003

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