MDA needs to shut down pet stores that abuse animals

From the Detroit Free Press By STEVE NEAVLING %u2022 FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER %u2022 December 30, 2007

The state agency responsible for ensuring the safety of animals has never fined or shut down a single metro Detroit pet shop, even though inspectors for years have found inhumane conditions and neglect that have endangered dogs and cats, records show.

      Nearly a quarter of the roughly 70 pet shops in southeast Michigan have been cited in the past four years for housing sickly animals, confining dogs and cats to dirty, cramped cages and selling pets that are unhealthy or below the legal age. None has been shut down or fined, the Department of Agriculture records show.

And conditions could get worse.

That's because the department is abandoning inspections altogether, unless complaints involve serious abuse or disease outbreaks. The state used to do unannounced annual inspections.

Agency officials say they must shift the focus to monitoring deer and cattle populations for contagious diseases such as tuberculosis. A shrinking budget is compounding the problem.

"In a perfect world, it wouldn't be this way," said state veterinarian Dr. Steven Halstead, who works for the Department of Agriculture. "I have concerns that by not having the presence that we should, animals will suffer."

More than 30 people have complained to the state this year about Pollywood Pets, inside the Gibraltar Trade Center in Mt. Clemens. That's more than any other store. Among the complaints: 20 kittens stuffed in a pen; sick puppies covered in feces, some injured by broken cages; guinea pigs bleeding and overcrowded, one without an eye.

   State inspectors found similar conditions in visits since 2003 but did nothing. Inspection records show they found a dog's carcass in a freezer and kittens who died after receiving no veterinary care. Other kittens, too young for legal sale, were infested with fleas and slumped over in dehydration in an old birdcage.

Tamara Rodriguez said she quit Pollywood Pets last year because the state did nothing after the store knowingly sold dogs as young as 5 weeks and other animals that were sick. Customers made the same complaints, records show. State law bans the sale of dogs and cats younger than 8 weeks.

"I don't think the state cares," Rodriguez said.

Pollywood Pets owner Shelly Myers said conditions are improving, but wouldn't elaborate.

"It has been a learning curve for me," said Myers, who has operated the store since 1991. "All we can do is improve our services. I take what I do seriously. It's hard work."

States are responsible for passing laws to protect pet shop animals. Michigan requires cages to be large enough for animals to stand and move around. Sick animals must get immediate medical attention. And animals must have adequate water and food.

Animal-rights groups question whether agriculture departments -- focused primarily on livestock -- were ever equipped to monitor pet shops.

Even before the state decided to stop inspections, it had begun reducing unannounced visits. Most pet shops, which had averaged two inspections annually, weren't inspected for years, records from 2002 to 2007 show.

The last inspection at Family of Pets in Waterford, for example, was five years ago, despite complaints as recently as two months ago about filthy, cramped cages. The state found similar problems in the past three years -- plus outbreaks of a potentially deadly virus and puppies sold too young -- at the chain's other four stores.

Violations are common in stores across metro Detroit, the inspection records show.

• Water was tainted with feces, and pens were too small for dogs and cats to turn around or stand up in.
• At least eight stores sold puppies under the legal age of 8 weeks -- some as young as 5 weeks. At least three were cited several times but were never fined or shut down.
• Animals with contagious diseases, some deadly, were not separated from healthy ones at more than a dozen stores.

In an unusual move, the Riverview Fire Department -- not the state -- stepped in and closed All About Pets in late November because the shop hadn't been using heat and was a fire hazard, records show.

Even though the state found similar conditions in visits since September 2006 and the shop failed to apply for annual license renewals in 2005 and 2007, inspectors allowed the shop to stay open.

Other stores without proper ventilation to prevent the spread of disease continued operating after subsequent inspections found no improvements. One was Utica Pet Supply, where the owner acknowledged an overcrowded puppy population, records show. At least four complaints about sickly pups followed in a 3-month span this year.

A shih tzu from the pet shop nearly died a day after Joseph and Christie Gentner of Warren bought her in September. A veterinarian immediately diagnosed the puppy with the potentially fatal parvovirus, which vets say doesn't reveal symptoms for at least five days after infection.

The Jack Russell terrier with fleas, a lacerated ear and blood caked on his neck and head sat confined to a small metal cage that had been his home for a year and a half. He often turned in circles, sometimes resting on his own feces. His toenails were so long they curled.

In another cage barely large enough for him to stand, a mixed Cavalier King Charles spaniel older than a year had a hernia and a torn ligament that would require several surgeries.

Both had intestinal parasites and ear infections.

Too often, animal advocates say, unwanted puppies at pet shops grow up in tiny cages without veterinary care and a chance to play with other dogs. People passed the dogs up at Pollywood Pets, a Mt. Clemens pet shop in the Gibraltar Trade Center, for younger, cuddly pups.

%u201CI wanted to get the dogs out of there,%u201D said Deborah Howard, president of the Massachusetts-based Companion Animal Protection Society, which investigated the pet shop this month following dozens of complaints this year of cramped, dirty cages. %u201CThey were in bad condition.%u201D

The pet shop owner, Shelly Myers, declined to comment.

Using $500 that Howard donated, two local rescue volunteers bought the dogs Dec. 15 and carried them outside, where they breathed clean air.

The volunteers hauled the dogs to Veterinary Centers of America in Allen Park, where a vet diagnosed the Jack Russell with ear and urinary tract infections.

The Jack Russell is named Wishbone. The mixed cavalier is Casey.

In their first days at the vet%u2019s office, Casey grew more social and romped in the snow. But Wishbone still shook with fear.

On Saturday, the dogs were taken to the Pet Ritz Lakeshore Resort in Roseville, a luxury boarding and doggy day-care center.

They were exhausted after about an hour of playing and fell asleep on beds donated by Pet Supplies Plus.

%u201CThey look so happy,%u201D said Joe Coates, co-owner of Pet Ritz. %u201CWhat a great recovery.%u201D

After the dogs begin adjusting, training wizard Vlade Roytapel of Troy will take Wishbone home for about a week to teach him obedience.

%u201CWe%u2019ll provide him with a human environment, which he should have had,%u201D Roytapel said Saturday. %u201CHe needs love and affection.%u201D

The rescue wasn%u2019t cheap and required volunteers to help. The nearly $4,000 medical bill was picked up by Veterinary Centers of America. Pet Supplies Plus bought treats, toys and food. The Pet Ritz is offering free boarding.

%u201CThese poor dogs need a home and a lot of therapy,%u201D said one of the volunteers, Marie Skladd, president of the Ferndale-based Michigan Animal Adoption Network.

When the time is right, volunteers will search for new homes for the dogs.

To see the dogs, go to www.petritzlakeshoreresort.com/id29.html and click on Venice.

~~~~~~~~~~To be fair I am including the letter from Steve Halstead , The State Veterinarian at the Governor's Office, to The Free Press:


"Mr. Steve Henderson, Deputy Editor
Detroit Free Press
600 W. Fort
Detroit MI 48226
Dear Mr. Henderson:
The Detroit Free Press article written by Mr. Steve Neavling on December 30, 2007,
entitled %u201CState lets neglect at pet stores slide%u201D contained significant misrepresentations
of the Michigan Department of Agriculture%u2019s (MDA) pet store regulatory program.
The Department responds to all complaints involving abuse or disease outbreaks of
animals at a variety of licensed facilities, including pet shops, animal control agencies,
animal protection shelters, and riding stables. MDA works with local law enforcement
and animal welfare agencies to investigate complaints of inhumane treatment of both
companion animals and livestock.
Under state law, P.A. 287 of 1969 as amended, MDA must conduct inspections of
facilities wishing to obtain a license to sell cats, dogs, and ferrets. Once the license is
issued, MDA requires licensed facilities to operate within the law. MDA employees
investigate licensed pet shops whenever a complaint is filed.
The Detroit Free Press indicated that the state %u201Cdid nothing%u201D regarding Pollywood Pets,
located in Mt. Clemens. This accusation is unfounded. Unannounced investigations
were conducted on January 5, 2007; March 13, 2007; August 9, 2007; and November
15, 2007. MDA inspectors did not find the conditions the complainants reported. MDA
records indicate that inspectors found that the cage sizes, food and water levels, and
cleanliness at the facility met state requirements.
In the article, Neavling wrote "State inspectors found similar conditions in visits since
2003 but did nothing." Again, this is deceptive. The Department held a hearing in April
2004 with Pollywood Pets store due to verified complaints. The Department provided a
list of animal health standards for the store to follow. Since 2004, many changes were
made by the store, including changes in animal suppliers, a changed vaccination
protocol, and a changed cleaning/disinfecting protocol.The statement from the former employee of Pollywood Pets that she quit her job
because the %u201Cstate did nothing%u201D is contradictory to our records. In response to her
phone call on February 22, 2007, two state veterinarians investigated on March 13,
2007. The inspectors listed eight recommendations for the owner to follow; none were
based on violations of the law.
Mr. Neavling erroneously wrote that MDA%u2019s last inspection of Family of Pets in
Waterford was five years ago. In actuality, the Department%u2019s investigations of Family of
Pets were conducted on January 13, 2003; December 12, 2003; July 9, 2004; and
December 16, 2005. MDA received a complaint on September 4, 2007, that the facility
was housing adult dogs in small cages. On a previous inspection, the cages had been
approved and were within the guidelines.
And finally, the statement that MDA... "Has never fined or shut down a single metro
Detroit pet shop" is untrue. Since 2006, MDA has fined three stores in the metro Detroit
area.
In my conversation with Mr. Neavling, he never shared the allegations he was planning
to print. If he had, we would have provided the correct information. He did not, and that
is unfortunate.
Sincerely,
Steven Halstead, State Veterinarian
Michigan Department of Agriculture"


The Michigan Department of Agriculture states on their website:

Pet Shop and Animal Shelter Regulation
The MDA's Pet Shop and Animal Shelter regulatory program is responsible for oversight of various animal holding facilities. The MDA does not have regulatory oversight over facilities that sell only birds, rodents, fish and reptiles. On average, facilities are inspected once per year by a MDA staff member. Inspections are also prompted by consumer complaints that are registered with the MDA Animal Industry Division. Animal facility inspections include the following aspects:

• sanitation
  
• cleanliness
  
• waste management
  
• space allotment
  
• air quality
  
• environmental temperature
  
• food and cleaning agent storage
  
• recordkeeping
  
• rodent and vermin control
  
• physical plant maintenance
  
• vehicles (if applicable)

This important companion animal program operates under the jurisdiction of Public Act 287 of 1969 and Regulation 151. Industry stakeholders include local law enforcement officials in animal neglect or cruelty cases, as well as the United States Department of Agriculture Animal Care Division.