The Top Dog Store Breeder: WL Kennels

Hello Readers!

Guess what? I feel quite confident that I have unearthed another puppy mill which The Top Dog Store chooses to associate with. To refresh your memory, The Top Dog Store is an unethical business which  recently opened up in Calgary, Alberta. They are the only store in Calgary which chooses to sell puppies - and this has not been well received by fellow Calgarians. Since the store has made their breeder evaluations available to the public, I have been picking apart each one to prove that they truly are puppy mills.

The breeder for today has a lot to cover so let's begin!

Today we will be exposing WL Kennels. I urge you follow along with the link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/3zqpj3ziv7iwpun/WLKennels2014.pdf?dl=0 so that you can view the pictures as I discuss them.

Starting with the second page, these look like typical dog runs. There is little stimulation, as you can see. It is also difficult to know if all of the dog runs actually have a sheltered outdoor area. If not, then the outdoor runs already fail my own inspection.

The next page features a tool shed - but wait! This is where they keep some of their dogs! The walls in the top right picture do not look insulated, nor accessible to that little corner space. We also see some dogs in their pen but as usual, there are no toys or things to chew on. Chewing is a behavioural need - dogs MUST chew on something! If they can't, they will be destructive and chew on the fence or whatever stuff is stuck to the walls (insulation for that particular building?). This can cause damage to their teeth or worse if they ingest anything!

On page four, we see the whelping area. Once again, a lack of toys is made available to the little pups. You know what else seems suspicious? Later in this evaluation is becomes clear that inspections occur once a year. We have no idea if these breeders "behave" during the other 364 days of the year. With that knowledge, look at the mom in the tiny bed in the bottom right corner. She appears to be recently shaved considering her puppies are super fluff balls. I am curious to know if she was legitimately due for a groom or if her typical matting would be too much to pass the inspection... food for thought.

The following set of pictures is more of the same. The dogs live on gravel, no toys, lame life.

I want to press pause on this evaluation for a moment. You see, the rest of the report is incredibly vague. We learn that the breeder lives in Pincher Creek, their vet is from Pincher Creek, they claim to follow breeding protocols, etc. There is not a whole lot to pick at for the rest of the evaluation. Instead of simply criticizing pictures, I wanted to find out who these people actually are! After a lot of researching, these is what I found out:

WL stands for Wendy Lindfield (though it is sometimes spelled Linfield online). Her partner of sorts is Russel Presby. I know this because I found a pincher creek ad for a coton de tulear X puppy with a phone number and email (though future ads will exlude emails). I emailed the person and Russel's name appeared alongside the email address (yay for technology!!). After reverse-searching the phone number, I learned it belonged to a W. Lindfield - WL!! Unlike Homestead Kennels, these guys do not have a website. Instead, they choose to operate very stealthily. On all of their ads, they tell you to not text them. They don't want physical evidence that a conversation occurred between you two so that they cannot be held accountable. This is a major red flag people!! It is almost as bad as not letting you see the parents before adoption. Reputable breeders will be confident in texting or at least emailing.

Yes, this information is all fine and well, but it doesn't directly relate to the animals. No Puppy Mills Canada has set the following as characteristics of a puppy mill:
(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

Thus far, their (a) environment is a rather poor. The rooms are not effective against Canadian winters (the evaluations claim they use space heaters but that is not as effective). The concrete is also hard on joints, especially when that is the primary surface for their adult dogs for 6-7 years. It is also recommended that each dog has a bed to lay on, or at least something large enough to accommodate several at a time - unlike the tiny one we see on page four. http://www.game-dog.com/showthread.php/15066-Concern-about-Concrete-floor-and-dog-health

Now to look at (b) socialization. Socialization is essential for newborn puppies. Humans can begin interaction as early as 2-3 weeks old. It makes a big impact on their ability to adapt to changes in people/environment and their ability to be around other animals. According to the evaluation, they have 30 dogs. Since this is a family owned business, it is unlikely that each dog gets individual attention, if any at all. Now, I want to present to you, in chronological order, some of their more recent ads that they have posted since October 2014:

Cocker X Cavalier, born October 9 - 8 puppies @ $600

http://www.canada-classifieds.com/dogs-puppies-for-sale-cocker-x-cavalier-puppies-offered-by-owner-pet-s-date-of-birth-09-oct-14-8-weeks-old-this-pet-should-not-be-rehomed-unt_141497-155.html

Coton de Tulear X Pomeranian, born October 14 - 2 puppies @ $400













http://pinchercreek.alladlistings.com/pets-leasure-time-hobbies/coton-de-tulear-x-pomeranian-puppies_1950315.html

Pomeranian X Maltese, born October 28 - 4 puppies @ $600

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:K5kYb8NAPOYJ:www.kijiji.ca/b-alberta/maltese-girl/k0l9003+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca&client=safari

Cocker X Pomeranian, born November 2 - 2 puppies @ $300











http://pinchercreek.alladlistings.com/pets-leasure-time-hobbies/cocker-x-pomeranian-puppies_1931721.html

Coton de Tulear X Pomeranian, born November 4 - 4 puppies @ $400

http://pinchercreek.alladlistings.com/pets-leasure-time-hobbies/coton-de-tulear-x-pomeranian-puppies_1941890.html

Toy Poodle, born November 6 - 4 puppies @ $700

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Tph3RiCdjkYJ:www.canada-classifieds.com/dogs-puppies-for-sale-toy-poodle-puppies-offered-by-owner-pet-s-date-of-birth-06-nov-14-8-weeks-old_211324-155.html+&cd=7&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca&client=safari

Cocker Spaniels, born November 9 - 8 puppies @ $300


















Pomeranians, born November 10 - 3 puppies @ $400

Cocker X Pom, birth unknown - puppies unknown
- though the birth is unknown, the ad was posted on November 15 as cheaper than the Cocker X Poms who were born November 2. These would logically be different litters of the same breed

Shih-tzu X Havenese, born November 22 - 5 puppies @ $550









http://www.canada-classifieds.com/dogs-puppies-for-sale-shihtzu-x-havanese-offered-by-owner-pet-s-date-of-birth-22-nov-14-7-weeks-old-this-pet-should-not-be-rehomed-until-17-j_235255-155.html

Havanese, born December 2 - 3 puppies @ $800









http://www.canada-classifieds.com/dogs-puppies-for-sale-havanese-puppies-offered-by-owner-pet-s-date-of-birth-02-dec-14-7-weeks-old-this-pet-should-not-be-rehomed-until-27-ja_273560-155.html

What all of these ads tell us is that in the span of 8 weeks, before the puppies can even be considered for adoption, this facility has 43 PUPPIES, not counting the mystery litter that does not specify. That is more than the facility claims to ordinarily have on the evaluation. Is there really any possible way in which these animals get the proper socialization? What about a simple examination for good health? The vet bill must be out of this world! This conflicts with both (b) animal care and (c) responsible breeding. 43 puppies.... and look at the price tag on each. To sell each puppy for the asking price, they would make approximately $21,750. I dare you to tell me they are not breeding for profit. There is no way in hell they are breeding for pleasure with 43 puppies to care for on top of their 30. 

If you still are not convinced, take a look at this ad: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:pIdJTMTrnEMJ:www.muamat.com/classifieds/328/posts/8_Pets_Animals/90_Dogs_Puppies/8963122_Dos_preciosa_cachorros_de_Pomerania_listo_para_un_nuevo_casa_.html+&cd=9&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca&client=safari
What you see before you is an ad for two pomeranian puppies with the same cell phone number that WL uses. Where are they reaching out to? Madrid Spain. This is an advertisement to ship their puppies over seas. Is that not sketchy?? Their ad roughly translates to:

• Two beautiful Pomeranian puppies ready for a new home - Madrid A male and a female Pomeranian puppies for you and your family. They are vet checked and have all the documents to date. They also have all their shots . These puppies and train well and very pretty and playful. If you think your home is the right place for any of the puppies then

This is not okay!!!

Here is the concluding scores:
(a) sub-standard health/environmental issues: 1/1 
(b) sub-standard animal care: 1/1
(c) sub-standard breeding practices: 1/1
(d) erroneous or falsified certificates of registration, pedigrees, and/or genetic background: n/a
*Note condition may exist in small volume: 1/1 --> really high volume!!

Conclusion: 4/5 it IS a puppy mill!

So now what? Report, report, report! The more people complain about these atrocities, the sooner these vile places will be shut down.

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