2013 Greenwood Pets Investigation

Chronic problems, complaints and cruelty charges

WARREN Mich - Greenwood Pets has a history of pet store violations going back to 2006 involving no food, unsatisfactory cleanliness, food storage not adequate, overcrowding of animal cages, insufficient number of employees to maintain husbandry, surfaces not disinfected and distressed birds loosing feathers. Fines were issued by the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA), but the store continued to receive complaints involving the same violations. In 2008, the MDA ended their pet shop program and complaints were filed with Warren’s local animal control office.  

Puppy Mill Awareness of Southeast Michigan’s investigation tied Greenwood Pets to a large puppy broker from Kansas through interstate shipping records. Lambriar’s last inspection listed 773 puppies in inventory and was selling unhealthy puppies for over ten years per reports published by PetShopPuppies.org. Some of Lambriar’s breeders had serious violations to the Animal Welfare Act and are considered “puppy mills”. 

In 2011, Warren assigned a different animal control officer after Greenwood sold an underage pot-bellied pig to a Warren family where farm animals are illegal to own forcing the family to return their beloved new pet.  

In 2012, two search warrants were issued and the owner was charged with animal cruelty and abandonment. Officers were called to the store after a goat was found untreated with an urinary blockage. The owner is currently facing felony charges and awaiting trial. 

Customers have reported unsanitary conditions and sickly animals in the store for years including: dead rats, dirty ferret & bird cages, filthy snake aquariums full of dead skin with dried up water bowls, aquariums with brown algae on walls with no lights or filtration, a Cockatoo bird who was feather plucking until chest was bare, puppies covered rust colored dirt, fish with fungus on their heads, lethargic fish, a snake with small sores on its nose, turtles without perches, rat feces on the floor. 

A trial date is set for May 21, 2013 at the 16th Judicial Circuit Court in Mt. Clemens Michigan.

 

Follow this open investigation on the Puppy Mill Awareness of SE Michigan discussion board. http://www.meetup.com/puppymillawareness/messages/boards/thread/10050964

2012 Pet Station Investigation

Ramzi Dakhlallah was charged with 37 counts of animal cruelty. 

DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich April 11, 2012 - A Dearborn Heights man and his store, Pet Station LLC, are accused of subjecting more than 20 dogs, 70 birds and numerous other animals such as hamsters and snakes to poor care that included depriving them of food and water. 

He and Pet Station are charged with one count of abandon and/or cruelty to 10 or more animals, a 4-year felony. 

He and the store also face misdemeanor charges: one count of false pretenses between $200 to $1,000 for selling a sick animal; one count of nonsufficient funds of $100 or more but less than $500 for writing a bad check on the pet store's account; 20 counts of violations related to the pet shop and care of animals; one count of rules violation for failing to maintain proper records on the animals; and 13 counts of violation of the Animal Industry Act for not following the state Department of Agriculture rules for the importation of dogs in to the state. Those charges have penalties varying from 30 days to one year in jail.

About 10 people complained to authorities about the miserable conditions in the pet store, prosecutor's office spokeswoman Maria Miller said. 

DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. October, 5 2012 - Ramzi Dakhlallah was charged in April with 37 counts of animal cruelty following a lengthy investigation of the owner of the Pet Station. The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office alleged that he abused or neglected more than 100 animals during his ownership of the shop, located on Telegraph Road near Van Born. 

Judge Thomas E. Jackson on Wednesday placed Dakhlallah on probation for five years, and ordered that he stay out of the pet shop business.

 

For more information about this case, go to the Puppy Mill Awareness of SE Michigan Message Board. http://www.meetup.com/puppymillawareness/messages/boards/thread/22280782/0#74515192

2010 Sporting Dogs Unlimited Investigation

Con man goes to jail

SHELBY Mich  - The Macomb "Dog Flipper" was caught violating his probation. Joe Yaquinto was on probation for fraud and was not allowed to operate an online business. He was actively selling dogs out of Shelby Twp as a “rescue organization” and many were sick and one died. 

In one weekend, approximately twelve complaints were filed with the Shelbly Twp Police and one with Sterling Heights. Many of these victims attended the hearings and testified.  Joe Yaquinto was sentenced to 20 months in prison without bond. Judge Talon did not hesitate to restrict Joe from working with animals on parole. 

Joe started his career as a dog flipper back in 2006. He told the judge he picked up dogs off the street in Detroit  - only the ones running loose in the city.  According to Joe, Sporting Dogs Unlimited began in 2006 made of up all volunteers. He misled families stating the dogs were rescued, however, Sporting Dogs Unlimited was not listed as a non-profit and Joe was using many aliases.  

Judge Sullivan notes clearly stated he felt Joe should not be in a position of trust.  

“You are taking advantage of people and not learning your lesson. Judge Sullivan was trying to protect the public. You were in the position of trust that Judge Sullivan did not want you to be in. The court can be mad or afraid of you. We are clearly mad. This can be for punishment, to deter others or keep you from harming people or retribution.  You have great people skills that make you a con man. Probation is not approved.  It is time to be imprisoned” – Judge Talon

For more information about this case go to the Puppy Mill Awareness of SE Michigan discussion board. http://www.meetup.com/puppymillawareness/boards/thread/9013648/0/

2010 Pet Paradise Plus Investigation

Sick and dying animals, protests and cruelty charges

STOCKBRIDGE Mich - On December 9, 2010 a Livingston County woman accused of hoarding animals in her home and selling them in her pet store located in Stockbridge, Mich (Ingham County) avoided jail time. Laura Springborn of Gregory was ordered to serve two years of probation in Livingston County Circuit Court. She was facing a felony count of cruelty to ten or more animals, but pleaded guilty to a lesser offense of attempted cruelty to animals. The two year probation terms

In May of 2010, Ingham County Animal Control officials closed her pet store, Pet Paradise Plus, in Stockbridge after an investigation. The investigation began after a customer complained the dog she had purchased had parvovirus. Conditions in the store brought concerned citizens who began protests outside the store. The local investigator then contacted Livingston County Animal Control and officers discovered all of the dogs at her home.

In her home, they found over twenty small breed dogs in unsanitary conditions. Many of the dogs were coated in fecal matter, had visible lesions and inflamed eyes. Some dogs were observed to have been bred repeatedly. 

The veterinary examinations showed dogs with thin hair, bad tartar, overgrown toe nails, inflamed eyes, severe skin problems, heartworm positive, mucus discharges from vulva, badly matted fur, fleas, deformations due to untreated injuries, bloody poop, dental disease, and one was missing a bottom jaw.

There were many prior complaints filed regarding her dogs housed in Gregory going back to 2006.

• 13 dogs, Newfoundlands, St. Bernards, Great Pyrenees. No shade, skinny, not good living conditions.
• No dog licenses.
• Running at large, attacking neighbors dog.
• Too many dogs. Over 10. Breeding dogs, not caring for them. Hearing horrible yelps and crying from home.   

More photos from seizer.
http://michiganpuppymills.yolasite.com/pglauraspringborn.php