# What to do?



## theboyz (Jan 10, 2007)

What does this look like to you all?
1. Ads in newspapers for Maltese Puppies 6 weeks old.
2. 3 residences.
3. Won't let anyone see sire or dam.
4. 24 hour return policy.
5. Nasty attitude on phone when we called about 12 week rule.
6. Apparently has a friend on her local Animal Control Agency.

I have called this lady annonymously many times. A friend who was in the area at one time tried to find where she is keeping her dogs at her many locations with no luck ( tough, nasty area ).
I talked to Animal Control in her area 2 years ago and they had been to her home to try and rescue a dog that she had living in a car, and were met with a gun. They had wanted to shut her down at that time. I talked to same AC lady this year and I was met with a different attitude " she is a nice lady and my brother has one of her dogs".
Someone in our town bought a dog from her and by chance we got to see it. No teeth yet and luckily we brought formula and Nutrical which helped this baby thru a few difficult weeks. We read her Contract which stated 24 hour guarantee. 
I called the AKC to see if they check her out and was rudely told they are not a policing agency only a registry. 
Sounds like " the Mississippi Lady". What the heck can anyone do???????


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

If this lady sells puppies directly to the consumer, she's not regulated by the USDA/Animal Welfare Act like millers who sell to brokers who supply pet stores. As the AKC said, they are not a policing agency and, in fact, these dogs may not be registered with the AKC anyway.

Unfortunately, selling puppies at only six weeks old, only offering a 24 hour health guarentee, and not allowing people to see the sire or dam is not illegal. While she certainly doesn't meet our definition of a reputable breeder, she may not be violating any laws.

Here are the Michigan anti-cruelty laws. They set forth adequate care requirements which are pretty minimal - sufficient shelter, potable water, a tie out of at least three times it's length, etc. Failure to provide this care is a misdemeanor.

http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stusmi750_50.htm

There is also a section that requires animal control officers to enforce these laws:

http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stusmi750_52.htm


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## HappyB (Feb 28, 2005)

> What does this look like to you all?
> 1. Ads in newspapers for Maltese Puppies 6 weeks old.
> 2. 3 residences.
> 3. Won't let anyone see sire or dam.
> ...


Unfortunately, every state has breeders like this, not just those here in my state of Mississippi. Some people actually do not know that the toy breeds should stay with the breeder longer. I know of some vets who don't even try to teach this.

Not letting anyone see the parents might indicate she is a broker. You might investigate this further, and if you find this is the case, then you can report her to the USDA. 

I have visited our local "puppymill" posing as a potential buyer. You might try this. At least you can see how one of the three residences looks, and get a look at the pups at the same time.

Do you know if she sells dogs on a regular basis? I know you said you had helped someone with one, but can you find others? I would suspect that if there are problems with her pups, the local vets are aware of this. 

You might post an ad in the same newspaper and ask if there are people who have had problems with pups (no breeder name mentioned ) to contact you.


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## theboyz (Jan 10, 2007)

Thank You both for the reply! She does say in her Ad that they are AKC. She also advertises 2 or 3 times a year. My husband always puts a counter Ad in our paper saying that Toy breeds should not be sold before 12 weeks and to please research the breed before you buy! She is 3 or 4 hours away from us but from talking to the people that bought the puppy ( our Vet called us as she knew of my plight ) we found out that the 2 puppies they were shown were urine stained and very quiet. NO Parents as "they would be nervous". From what we learned there were NO dogs on that premises except the pups that she brought.
This drives me crazy and yes we will drive down there. If we see an OK house and no other dogs, then what? The time that I talked to AC in her town " Fountain, Mi " and " Walhalla, Mi " they said that they wanted to shut her down!! Bad person and bad situation.....next phone conversation was " what's wrong with her, my brother has one of her dogs".
If you can think of anything else please let me know.

Thanks,
Marsha and Bob


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

If she only has puppies, she may very well be a broker as Happy B suggested. If so, she is a middleman and doesn't sell directly to the consumer so she would be regulated by the USDA. Scroll down about halfway on this page and click on the links for breeders and brokers and see if she is on the list. If she is and you suspect she is violating the law, you can report her. If she isn't, but should be, you can also report her.

http://www.prisonersofgreed.org/USDA.html

If she is just a lousy backyard breeder who is just in it for the money, she falls through the cracks as there is currently no legislation regulating byb's, hobby breeders, or internet puppy sales, anyone who sells directly to the consumer. Unfortunately, they are all over and will continue to be until people start being more careful about researching breeders before buying a puppy.


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