Beware of Brighton Township Puppy Mill Broker

Puppy Mill Awareness is warning the public to think twice about buying a puppy as a gift for the holidays.

Yesterday consumers filed more complaints with the Brighton Township Planning Department against Terry Adams of Parkside Builders in Brighton Township for selling puppies out of his pole barn without a license.

Parkside Builders is located at 4413 Kenstington Road, in Milford, Mich. There is no registered kennel or pet store at this address.

Shoppers who call in response to Mr. Adams’ ads in local papers are told to bring “cash only” and that they can pick up a registered AKC puppy by appointment.

“Once we entered the building I was astonished by the amount of puppies in cages!” said Dena Awdish, from West Bloomfield, Mich. who visited the breeding facility. “I told my husband that these were ‘puppy mill’ pups and wanted to leave but he insisted on seeing the pugs and letting our daughter pick one. There had to have been 30 - 40 different pups, and about 15 different breeds but no parents anywhere. The pups were in wire cages and had no bedding whatsoever.”

The advocacy group Puppy Mill Awareness has been investigating this business operation for a year and recently received a complaint regarding a sick Pug, named Hogan, who was purchased last month. A Puppy Mill Awareness investigation revealed that Mr. Adams is operating without a business license, is not currently zoned for commercial sales and is performing veterinary procedures without a license.

Puppy Mill Awareness observed puppies housed in Mr. Adams’ garage including Maltepoos, Papillons Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, Cavelier Spaniels, Yorkie-poos and Shihtsu mixes.

Mr. Adams told Puppy Mill Awareness that he works with breeders in Indiana, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Howell, Fowlerville and Traverse City. Currently, however, there are no USDA licensed breeders in these cities. It is illegal for a breeder to sell to a pet store (wholesale) without a USDA license.

“We are most concerned that Mr. Adams is part of the puppy mill pet trade and operating without any license or inspections,” said Pam Sordyl, Director of Puppy Mill Awareness. “The puppies are not receiving Health Certificates by a certified vet, meaning they are more likely to become ill at these young ages. Without proper shelter and health care one sick dog likely means many others are falling ill.”

“If you can not see the breeding dogs onsite, it is time to leave,” Sordyl continued. “This should be the first red flag when contacting anyone selling puppies online or in the classifieds. With the poor economy, many people who have no experience with animals are trying to make a buck in the pet trade. Don’t be fooled by cute puppies.”

Mt. Morris says no to Puppy Mills!

On June 8th,2010, Cherie Lane of My Puppy Paradise sold a very ill Pomeranian puppy. It was reported that the puppies from that litter looked lethargic. The pom was later diagnosed with parvo – a deadly virus. The township was notified of the situation and investigated the facility.

On June 29th, local Animal Control found over 50 dogs on the property. Cherie Lane was ticketed for not having them licensed. This meant that they likely did not have their rabies vacations. Vet information was not provided. The Zoning Officer cited her for having more than 3 dogs violating the township ordinance.

In July, Cherie not only lost her small claims court case over the parvo puppy, but she was evicted from the rental property in Mt. Morris Township.

On Monday July 26th, Cherie Lane, paid her $300 to the Mt. Morris Township Zoning Board which would allow her to seek approval to keep more than 3 dogs. The Township notified the neighbors who showed up for the review meeting on August 12th. We had already reached most of them with our petition.

Just after paying her fine, she was evicted by the rental property owners: Claudine & Wilson Desilva for not paying her rent. This meant she no longer needed to speak with the board. We took the opportunity to let the board know that the neighbors did not want dogs left out in kennels for breeding. We have asked the property owners to ban pets from the kennel for a year to protect them from the virus still on the property.

On August 7th, the kennel operation moved out in a hurry leaving the house filled with debris, filth and property damage.

On August 16th, the Zoning Board heard several neighbors concerns regarding the welfare of the animals housed in this kennel. They were concerned about the cleanliness, leaving them out at night subject to weather conditions and the smell. One neighbor was worried about how many times the dogs are bred and did they have air conditioning. The Board also received a letter from the commercial property owners across the street opposing the request. On top of our petition the board made the right decision.

Her motion was denied.

Going forward the owners or renters of this kennel will have to plea their case to the Zoning Board.

Mt. Morris says no to Puppy Mills!