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So Paula Owen over at the Telegram and Gazette has been pursuing this story for the last year or so about a puppy mill run out of Webster by a woman named Jennifer Gardner. The place was called Elite Puppies, and it had a tendency of selling people dogs who died shortly after the transaction. She also had a history of not repaying them. You can read more about that here and here. Or just Google, “Jennifer Gardner elite puppies” and watch what comes up.
I’m not gonna lie, I really didn’t know anything about where dogs came from before today but I learned a lot. Let me rephrase that. Yes, I know dogs have sex with one another, but the way you go about purchasing a dog was foreign to Turtleboy. We always had a dog growing up, but I never once thought to ask where it came from. One day Dad just came home with a dog which we would grow to love and that’s just the way things were.
But these “puppy mills” are frowned upon, and in many cases illegal. The dogs are kept in terrible conditions and are delivered there by a van or a truck from somewhere across the country. Turns out these really awful people breed dogs, rip the pups away from the mother, and then put them inside a cage and onto a truck where they are delivered on cross country journeys to a place like Elite Puppies. Because of this these puppies often end up sick and traumatized, and cause their unsuspecting new owners a lot of problems they weren’t prepared for.
Anyway, Elite Puppies has been shut down for a few months now and Jennifer Gardner has been sued in court by several families whose dogs died shortly after purchasing them. She skipped TONS of court appearances before finally showing up one day and she was confronted by Ms. Owen from the Telegram and Gazette:
But as long as Elite Puppies is gone, it should be problem solved.
Well a bunch of people have been messaging us to check out this place called Laughlin Kennel. It’s in Oxford, near the borders with Dudley and Webster – a hotbed of culture, mystery, and intrigue.
According to them Jennifer Gardner now works at this place, which they allege is another puppy mill. And according to this 2009 article from the Telegram, it appears as if Elite Puppies and Laughlin Kennel got their dogs from the same breeder. We know the driver of the delivery van was arrested in 2009 after the van was found to have DEPLORABLE conditions for the puppies inside. Here’s an excerpt that shows the link between Elite and Laughlin:
Anyway, the people who have been filling us in about this are really into dogs. They’re disgusted with the way these animals are treated, as well as the people who purchase them unknowingly. They sent us this video of the inside that’s pretty disturbing:
So we wanted to check it out for ourselves. First we messaged Laughlin Kennel on Facebook and asked them if they employed Jennifer Gardner. They had no comment. But our sources insist that the former disgraced puppy mill entrepreneur did, and that when we got to Laughlin Kennel, we would see her black Mercedes there. And what do ya know?
Oops!!!
It’s a bright yellow house in a quiet neighborhood on Larned Rd.
On the other side of that rapey looking fence is where the dogs are held. And all these freaking dogs do is bark. We were there for about 15 minutes, and during that time there would be periods of 10-15 seconds of silence. Then one of the dogs would bark and they’d all lose their Goddamn minds:
Yup, those dogs sound like they’re having a good ol’ time. How would you like living next to them? Must get some great sleep at night. According to our sources no one actually lives there and it’s strictly a commercial property. And to give you some perspective we parked about a quarter of a mile away down the road and you could still hear them loud and clear barking their poor little faces off:
Those poor little pups. They didn’t ask to be brought into this world. They were literally bred so that people like this could take them, stick them in their outdoor puppy warehouse, profit off of them, and then the customers share stories like this:
If it was one or two people who were dissatisfied it would be one thing. But their Yelp page is loaded with reviews like that. I’m wondering where the Oxford PD fits into this. How is it not illegal to have dogs making this much noise 24/7? Is this even a legal business? Like I said, we’re new to this industry so we’d love to learn more.
But our sources are diligent. They’ve been getting their protest on outside of the property as much as possible, urging people not to buy dogs from Jennifer Gardner and company. They used to protest Jennifer’s Elite Puppies, and Jenny had some fun with the pictures on her Facebook machine:
Our sources also sent us this picture of a van they say is a typical out of state delivery van, bringing them a fresh batch of unregulated puppies:
Like I said, we’re gonna delve more into this story now that Turtleboy is on the case. But we just wanted to share with you what we’ve got now, mainly so you can help educate Turtleboy a little more on this. I know a lot of turtle riders are dog people. Share your knowledge with us and help us shed some light on this deplorable situation.
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56 Comment(s)
Places such as Laughlin kennels preys on ignorant buyers..my best friend waited all her life for a dog and bought a st.Bernard from Laughlin kennels ten years ago. My friend was told her dog was from a sweet breeder named Kathy bauck and well they brought the dog up for her to see as she couldn’t go to see all the dogs where they kept them.
Come to find out and here are the facts ( yes we have documents to prove this isn’t slander) :
1. Our dog came from a horrific puppy mill breeder who performed an illegal surgery on our dog, and that was caught on undercover camera footage, and the conditions of Kathy bauck place was a house of horrors..then it was shipped to Laughlin kennels and well no surgery or sickness was ever sighted on the papers for purchase,what a surprise!
2. Our dogs total rear end was malformed. One hip socket dislocated another was missing as well..her prognosis was so grim at first, our vet cried and said many groups have tried to shut them down.
3. Laughlin did give my friend her money back and she kept the dog due to the extended warranty my friend bought and due to the media pressure that my friend put on them at that time.
4. The attorney general is well aware of this occurance in mass. but our laws in Massachusetts protect Laughlin as these dogs fall under livestock USDA type laws. So at this moment your dog is not better of than say a beef cattle, pigs or such. Which means if Laughlin abides by there contract with the buyer they are technically not breaking the law. So if you want change … The legislative process must occur to change it so lobbying for a change in domestic pets and livestock is a good start.
Lastly our dog even though her start was a crappy one lived out a good long life..total vet costs over 20000.. She was worth every cent.
Also Kathy bauck was jailed and not allowed to breed anymore.. Now I would love to see the final piece of justice for Gertrude ( our former dog) and see Laughlin kennels shut down.. No family or their furry friends should have to experience this kind of experience.. Where they get a dog that has never even walked on grass, like Gert or come from such horrible breeding places.. Or the places that sell them and the constant sick dogs they sell.
My last thought
Adopt a dog..often they come with microchip, spay neuter, temperament tested and sometimes pet health insurance its part of the adoption fee. If you must buy a dog goto a honest breeder who prides themselves on how they breed and will show you linage and how or where they keep them. Sure you spend more buying a healthy dog with a linage but I assure you it’s cheaper than 20000! Not to mention you heart aching for the days when your dog suffers, or worse dies prematurely as some have reported.
Thank-you to all working to shut this callus business down.
If anyone knows how to write a solid law we should get it on a state ballot.
BTW.. I am glad so many wont leave this fight easily, places like Laughlin have their day coming. There’s only so many you can screw over before it catches up to you.
Don’t buy dogs.You commit to a big crime.Go to your local shelter and adopt one,they need it
This is a poor substitute for journalism.
For all those satisfied puppy buyers, Google the breeder of your puppy and look up their USDA inspection reports. Your cute puppy may be healthy and happy but I can guarantee the parents of your cute puppy are living in hell in a mill somewhere in the Midwest. And you, the lazy puppy buyer, can pat yourself on the back for perpetuating their misery and the misery of future generations. Better yet, get your lazy butt out to a dog auction, where the breeding stock is bought and sold. You can find some of these sales and auction catalogs at swkennelauction. Companion Animal protection society also has investigative reports, including videos, of many puppy mills. It’s a sickening business.
I Live at the corner of larned rd and these dogs bark constantly. All. Day. Long. I can only imagine how exhausted they are every day. Walk by this dump- I can’t believe people pull up there and trust that these dogs are well cared for. It’s a disgrace.
The Attorney General’s office must be contacted about this place. Reports must be made. I will be happy to make phone calls. Someone contact me at my email please. Also, an investigative reporter with the cameraman must show up. Reach the masses
The Attorney General’s office in Boston must be contacted about this place. Reports must be made. I will be happy to make phone calls. Someone contact me at my email please. Also, an investigative reporter with the cameraman must show up. Reach the masses
My former cell phone number was one number different than Laughlin’s – so I would get a lot of calls inquiring about puppies. I would always warm whoever called to do their due diligence before they went any further. I also lived about half a mile from their kennel and the dogs would bark non-stop. I had a contractor at my house who said he had cleaned Laughlin’s duct work out – and was dismayed at the conditions. He states many of the puppies had iv’s and their living area was atrocious. I’ve been told by people who went there that they were never allowed to go to the puppies crate. They had to stay in a waiting area and the pup was brought to them. No wonder why!!!
DON’T SHOP – ADOPT!!! We’ve got 4 rescued mutts that we adore!!! All of them are southern dogs that were brought to New England by Rescue Road Trips.
A lot of people are posting “Adopt don’t shop” but even a lot of the rescues are not what you may think. Take for example the recent fire at Sweet Pea…. This new money making trend of rescuing animals is really very very lucrative. When I was growing up you could go to your local dog pound and get a dog for $25, now you would be pretty hard pressed to walk out of a shelter without paying around $350+. This business started taking off right after Hurricane Katrina. Everyone wanted to help out and adopt a Katrina dog, and then came hurricane Sandy, same thing happened. Now we have dogs coming in from everywhere, literally all over the globe. These dogs come into Massachusetts and bring all their illnesses with them. Some of the shelters are charging more than $600 for a full grown mix breed dog! Some shelters are being greedy and bringing in more dogs than they have room for. There are more than enough home grown dogs in Massachusetts that there is no need to go to different states or countries but it gives people the warm and fuzzy feeling too be able to post on Facebook that they “adopted” their new dog that came all the way from such and such horrible place….
This is a response to Stk3: You wrote “This new money making trend of rescuing animals is really very very lucrative.”
No, it is NOT lucrative. It is money-losing and rescues rely on donations simply to keep afloat. When rescues take in pound dogs from other states, they have to quarantine the dogs for two weeks, vet the dogs fully including all appropriate shots, worming, plus spaying or neutering them. The fees are extremely reasonable given the expenses involved. Puppy mills, they just breed the dogs in deplorable conditions and sell them without spay or neuter. As someone above said they got an elite puppy that had “typical” worms. Guess what: Reputable breeders and rescues don’t place puppies that have worms. Puppy mills place puppies with worms because it would cut into their profits to worm them, and then tell the purchaser that worms are “typical.” Wow.
I’d like to say those of you that bought healthy pups…congrats…we have a 3 ring binder of complaints from customers that have purchased sick puppies from both Elite & Laughlin Kennels. The binder has breeder info( which Laughlin will not disclose until after purchase) , complaints from customers & paperwork from veterinary diagnose. Its despicable. They dupe their customers. Come join our protests. ….And those of you that got a healthy pup….”a broken clock is right twice a day”
I have lived on Larned rd most of my life. One time I was on a walk and heard the dogs barking, followed by an even louder bang. Then the dogs stopped barking. The woman is a bitch too. Everytime I drive by she gives me nasty looks if she’s outside. I wish this place would shut down.
I bought an english bulldog from laughlin 8 years ago. I wish I had done more research, but I was young (24 at the time) and excited to get a dog. There were several bulldogs in the litter that I went to go see, but when I went there only one of the dogs was “ready to go home.” I should’ve known then something was up, but again I was just excited to get a dog. I ended up paying $2100 for the one healthy dog after meeting him for a bit and bringing him home that day, since it was an hour drive from where I live I didn’t want to make the trip again.
About a week after I got the dog, he started making weird gasps for air in the middle of the night and sometimes during the day. He was also having some digestive issues. I took him to the vet and it turns out he had pneumonia. They gave me some meds and said It should get better. It didn’t. 12 days after I bought the dog, and many nights awake as he gasped for breath, I had to take him to the emergency room. They said that because his airway was so small (due to the breed, but also maybe the breeder) he was having trouble passing the pneumonia. He had to stay overnight in the hospital so they could keep an eye on him. On the way home from the hospital I called Laughlin to see if they would help me out with the hospital bill at all. Their answer was that since it was less than 14 days, I could return the dog and get a refund. At that point I had already grown attached to the dog, not to mention spent hundreds of dollars at the vet, and there was no way I was sending him back there to die. Other than that, they told me there was nothing they could do for me. The next day, the hospital called me and told me if he didn’t start to improve, I was going to have to start thinking about putting the down down.
Luckily that same day, he started to improve slightly. After a couple nights in the hospital, they sent the dog home and I was stuck with a $7,000 hospital bill which I obviously couldn’t afford to pay. Luckily the hospital offered a credit card to finance the cost of the bill so I was forced to take that route. After a couple of weeks, he was completely rid of the pneumonia and is still around today. He still will have that same gasp for air once a night or so, but it’s something that isn’t a big deal anymore. I’m glad I didn’t give him back to Laughlin to be euthanized or allowed to die slowly in their basement, I feel like I saved him from being killed by those pieces of shit.
I have since bought another bulldog from a reputable breeder. For anyone that is looking to buy a dog, do the research so you don’t buy from someone like Laughlin and end up with a $9,000 puppy. Sorry for the long post, but these people need to be exposed. I can’t believe these scumbags are still in business, I hope you guys can do something to end that.
Probably about 5-10 years ago my mom bought a great Dane we named ozzy from Laughlin not knowing it was a puppy mill. We got him home and the first thing we noticed was he was super scared of stairs even if there was only 3 we had to carry him up and down the stairs and even as a puppy he was 70 pounds so that wasn’t really working but he was just petrified of them and I was wondering what they did to him there to make him so scared. We finally helped him to be okay going down our smallest set of stairs. We had him for a few years and then found out he had cancer. My mom brought him to tufts twice a week to get chemo hoping that would help and they would for about a week or two then it would make a turn for the worse and we would go back and try a different chemo to help him. He was on so much medication to feel better I felt bad. The last chemo they had worked and he was doing so good until the cancer came back full force and he couldnt even stand up or eat or anything. That was the saddest day ever I had to watch him and the moment I finally got him up to go outside I knew I had to get him in the car to bring him to the vets because he was suffering and it happened all in the matter of a few hours he was fine then he couldn’t move. We didn’t want him to suffer or be in pain so as soon as I was able to get him into the car we had to bring him to the vets to be put down. He didn’t deserve to be sick and scared and these puppy mills need to be shut down
People who purchased sick and dying puppies from this place need to report them to the BBB and the state agriculture dept (sorry can’t think of the proper office)! They are worse than Elite was and now that monster works for these people! They need to be shut down as well!
I wonder where the Animal control officer is for all of this? In the town I live in, it has a bylaw stating that people can be fined for their dogs barking for a long amount of time. And anyone who has over 5 or 6 dogs is required to have a kennel license….I doubt these people do! How would they pass inspection first?! I hope this isn’t just being ignored by authorities and the police and animal control will do something now!
Sweatpea of rutland had a fire..they are investigating the fire..they said they are putting regulations in place for the kennel because there are no regulations for kennels..i would look into sweatpea to see who and how you can get them to regulate all kennels..i have realized in life when you bitch long enough you will eventually get attention from someone who will help u
We must have got lucky I guess, our pup was healthy with the exception of typical worms. She has been the best dog and is exactly what we wanted. A truly hypo-allergenic dog and the price was okay. You would pay twice that with a small breeder and good luck trying to get a rescue dog on Memorial Day. Ever try to get a rescue dog? 3 page application, Spanish Inquisition style background and home suitability visits/checks and you may get your dog in a week, if they think you are qualified. I don’t agree with the puppy mill concept but it got me my dog at a good price with no hoops to jump through.
I am glad you got a healthy dog. I’ve been working in Rescue for 5 years. I do agree that some rescues go overboard in their application process, but please understand that it is because our dogs have already been through hell; we are just trying to be as certain as possible that they will be loved and cared for properly for their whole life once adopted. Dogs are sentient beings, not a new jacket or shoes that should just be bought on a whim. Brokers such as Laughlin treat them like “products” and that is NOT ok. Piling up 10 pups in a guinea pig cage is NOT ok. And the worst of it is not even the puppies, it is the PARENTS of these cute pups. These dogs are kept in small cages their entire lives, forced to breed over and over again, then tossed out like trash when their litter size decreases. I have fostered some of these throw-aways. They are petrified of real life; they’ve never even felt the grass under their feet. Thankfully, they are able to be rehabilitated; I’ve seen it time and time again. Buying puppies from brokers like Laughlin supports this sick business.
I have a 10k Great Dane from this hell hole. Checked BBB before I purchased her thought it was legit. Days after bringing her home she stopped eating, drinking, or even moving much. I had at the time 2 children and number 3 on the way. We were all in love already. We called between our local vet and our ride to the puppy icu in Rhode Island because she had severe pneumonia, not being pleased with the bring her here and maybe we can fix her and if she’s available for adoption again you will have first option. Too many ifs and maybes. Lady spent 8 days in isolation oxygen chamber, the bills racking up. I will never do business there again and I urge everyone to stay away.
I went there many years ago with a friend that was interested in buying a puppy. A woman handed us a catalog with many breeds of puppies to choose from. I stated that I would like to see them. She stated, let me know which one you would like to see and I’ll get it for you. She would not allow us to see the puppies in the kennels. I thought two things- they have too many breeds here not to be a puppy mill and not to let us see the puppies. Didn’t sit right with me. My friend chose to see a small dog. I also wanted to see a St. Bernard. She brought them to us one by one. There was something wrong with the St Bernard’s puppies legs as he had his back legs tied together so he could stand up. I questioned it and she stated it was normal for a puppy his age and breed. Again, it didn’t sit well with me. I filed a complaint with the Animal Control Officer the following Monday. This was 10+ years ago. I am deeply heartbroken that this place is still licensed to do business.
Can’t believe I’m coming across this place still after all these years…. I could go on a about this disgusting place… And the horror show I went through, financially and emotionally….
Bought a dog 4 years ago after looking online… Stopped by laughlin kennel and looked at puppies.
Two days after buying our dog he got sick and tounge turned blue, I called laughlin, they told me to come back we’ll look at him… After putting my faith and trust in there expertise they told us to return him, they will look after him…
They said he has “kennel cough” this is common, but he will get better….. Brought him home.
Two days later he turned blue and we brought him to the E.R. since it was 3am… He had a sever case of pneumonia .
Cost uss $3-4k in bills 4 days after buying him for $2k…
You want more?
Called laughlin, they told me to return him (like an f’n wrong size T-shirt) and they would only refund the purchase price, not the med bills…
Needless to say, we kept cannolli, after all the money and emotions he is the best thing that happened to us… I would never wish what we went through on my worst enemy!!
We’ve worked with MSPCA, THE STATE, BBB and NEWS CHANNELs….
To talk about BBB (better business bureau.) To acquire an A+ rating: as long as you reply to a customer inquire the BBB closes it at a good rating whether solvded or not..
PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE!!!!! DO NOT PURCHASE A PUPPY, ADOPT. WE WILL NEVER BUY AGAIN. IT WILL MEAN MUCH MORE TO YOU AND MORE IMPORTANTLY THE PUPPY
not to miss the comment on the BBB. Remember, they are the “go to” place to inquire about a BBB business (or non BBB business). They will also close a case administratively as well. Said another way, the BBB has little to no credibility more often than not. But, many people don’t realize this. On the other hand a BBB business will tout them especially if they have a positive rating.
SHUT DOWN PUPPY MILLS.
then make sure these sick bastards never lay their hands on an animal ever again.
help control the pet population, adopt, spay and neuter.
.
p.s. turtles also make for cute pets
Everyone saying you feel you rescued your pup from this place, please stop it. You gave these a-holes money, you kept them in business, you contributed to this problem. Paying these people does more harm than good. Dont be an enabler
Jim must be a relative or an employee? Great work TB! I am guessing this will be an article in the T and G within a week, but I wont know because I don’t read that waste of trees
I bought my chocolate lab here summer of 2014. I usually rescue all my pets and had recently lost a dog. I didn’t research place as I should have. Horrified now that I know, but feel I saved my dog’s life . Thought all was well until a vet appointment in fall 2014. Low. And behold my precious baby Sniper had severe hip displaysia . He had a total hip replacement so far on left side in February. Hoping not to have to get right side done….total cost spent so far roughly around $8,000.00. Vet said caused by over breeding and continuous bad breeding dogs with current health issues. Please look twice at this terrible place….
I feel your pain, same story :/
I purchased a French Bulldog from Laughlin May 19th, 2014. They wouldnt allow me to go in the basement to see the living situation and the “play area” outside was clearly unused. We spent a good hour or so with the pup before deciding to rescue her… Yes I did say rescue! I was not going to let her go back downstairs with what sounded like 100+ unhappy dogs in tiny cages. She also had patela luxation, a congenital issue, and it became clear that most of their puppies had some sort of problem. She was over priced for her age and her issues as well but like I said, I was not going to let her stay there.
As soon as wegot her home she immediately had blood in her stool. I called Laughlin back and spoke with the woman who sold her to us. I believe her name was Pam. She said it may have been due to an antibiotic they gave her and I coukd bring her back if I wanted. Hell no I wasnt going to bring her back. I am pretty sure they loaded the dogs up with antibiotics so that they wouldnt catch all of the nasty diseases the dogs they recieved in were getting. So of course, now my poor puppy has terrible stomach and skin issues. I am just glad she is away from that terrible terrible place.
I pray this run down, shit hole of a kennel gets shut down. I tried my best 18 yrs ago when I went there not knowing what I would see. I responded to an add for a Boxer pup, and got to laughlins around noon time. The gate was open to the yard, I heard the dogs barking, so I walked in. What I saw was nothing less than disgusting and sad. Puppies on top of puppies, full of feces, crying and scared!! The young girl came from the back and said in a nervous voive…”you need to leave now before Bridgette gets back, if she sees you in here she will kill me! ” This girl was maybe 15, and working her best which was not enough seeing as there were a large amount of dogs and pups to care for. There should have been 5 girls working not ONE!!. I left the area, to come out and find Bridgette getting out of her van walking to me swearing at me for being in the kennel. Why would a person who was doing all the right things get so upset? After all I was there to look at a Boxer?? She was combative and rude. At the time of her moving to Oxford, a lot was on the news about mills that got shut down in the Midwest for deplorable conditions, and I wondered if she may have been one of them. I contacted the SPCA and the dept of agriculture, and they sent the dog officer from oxford, at the time to give a report. I later found out that his reports were all favorable, as laughlin kennel owner Bridgette GAVE the elderly gent a bulldog that hes always wanted but couldnt afford. Convenient huh?? I realized I was fighting town hall and I gave up. Its time to rally and get these puppy disasters out of MA all together!! All States should consider these mass produced puppy mills a travesty and shut their asses down!! Thanks for reading me :/
My aunt and uncle purchased a puppy there…golden retriever…..unbeknownst to them the history of Laughlin kennel. She called me a few days later saying she had to drop $2,000 at tufts for the pup, (his name is chester after my grandfather) because he was diagnosed with severe pneumonia. She got him 2 Saturdays ago, brought him home, noticed he was coughing and acting weird on Wednesday and last Friday at 6 am brought him to tufts after seeing him cough up black stuff. My uncle is in the process of building a case against them. Vet said with how severe he was, he was already sick before they gotnhim, but laughlin claimed he was perfectly fine, and supposedly a pure breed (still haven’t received paperwork regarding this claim). My uncle works for the court house so hopefully he can get this done quickly…but if anyone wants to help build his case, please contact me. He even wants to go picket the house. If only she told me where they were going, I would of stopped them, but still wouldn’t have been fair to chester, now he is in a safe and loving home, but those other pups arent, and they don’t deserve to live in that shithole.
I’d like to say those of you that bought healthy pups…congrats…we have a 3 ring binder of complaints from customers that have purchased sick puppies from both Elite & Laughlin Kennels. The binder has breeder info( which Laughlin will not disclose until after purchase) , complaints from customers & paperwork from veterinary diagnose. Its despicable. They dupe their customers. Come join our protests. ….And those of you that got a healthy pup….”a broken clock is right twice a day”
I got a sick toy rat terrier there 2 years ago.
They as many other stories wanted me to bring her back. I would never and told them my vet said absolutely not to. It cost me 400 in vet bills and my dog almost died she was only 2 pounds. Now she has severe seperation anxiety so I have to take her in for that another 400. I love her so much I pay it but I do feel I am due all my money back.
Wish I had known better but I have her and love her. I can only imagine what she and other dogs have go through.
I know that’s it’s “Off subject”. Did ANY ELECTED official in the Woo mention that Dec. 8th was the fourth anniversary of FF Jon Davies line of duty death???
I am so glad turtle boy published this article. Makes me love turtle boy even more! This story needed to get out and people need to be more educated about where they are getting their puppies from! This place along with elite puppies needed to be shut down a long time ago!! They let these animals suffer meanwhile Jennifer Gardner is driving a 60k Mercedes at the expense of innocent animals. That is fucking bullshit!!!!!! Adopt don’t shop! Rescue is the way to go!
Amen!!!
I purchased a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel at Elite Puppies about 7 yrs ago he was going to be a birthday present for my mother who loved my Ruby Cavalier…he died 2 days later….Rt 20 animal hospital did the autopsy but we were unable to have any information on the results if we wanted out money back….they were stalling on our refund, but I told them I was going to call the BBB and Fox News and was refunded the next day….I had never purchased a dog before only adopted from rescue and there is your reason why….
Bred- not bread
I’ve lived directly across the street from this hellhole since they moved, subdivided the runs in a small kennel and expanded it to over 100 dogs. For years we’ve tried to get something done about the noise but have gotten nowhere with either the town or the state. I have seen the weekly puppy mill trucks and heard the puppies pitifully crying while the trucks sit idling in the driveway. I have talked to ex employees who have me horror stories. The town has no limit on the number of dogs a kennel may contain and refuses to get involved. The state and federal governments treat dog breeders as they would chicken or hog farms and have minimal regulations. Anything these protesters or Turtlleboy can do to shut down these heartless mercenary monsters has my full support. (And contrary to what Laughlin says in the flyer they give customers, I don’t give a damn about property values. I moved here long before they did, knowing full well there was a working kennel here that would undoubtedly always be here.)
All the millions of $$$’s they have made…..I’m sure they have paid taxes on all of it!
Those poor suffering pups and the people who had no clue what they were getting themselves into buying a sick pup from them!! Karma!!!
BS story. I bought a puppy at Laughlin this past August. The pup was in excellent health. Checked the next day by our vet in Sturbridge and given a clean bill of health. We showed up un-announced and they brought out the pup we were interested in straight away. The dog was clean and alert. There were others there checking out other pups. Yeah the place looks a little rundown, I purposefully went by one of the holding areas and saw nothing like the videos shown here.
We must be making all this up then. After all, you had a positive experience. Case closed!
Thank you for doing this story. It is real, it is happening, and it’s not just Laughlin. Pik-a-pup in Holliston, same deal. Puppy Love in Manchester, CT, All Pets Club in WillimanticCT all buy from “USDA Inspected facilities” The mills are rampant in the mid west where they are largely unregulated. The USDA inspections are a joke. I have been volunteering in Rescue for over 5 years and have personally fostered throw-aways from mills (the lucky ones get to Rescue…most are systematically destroyed once their litter size decreases)…dogs who have literally never felt the grass under their feet, bred back to back to back heats until their mammaries drag on the floor, then bred again. It is as disgusting a pastime as dog fighting, and any exposure that can educate the masses is greatly appreciated.
I have two dogs from Laughlin kennels, one is 10 years old and had no health problems, the other is 3 and is healthy as well. I do feel that I am somewhat lucky in this regard, I am sure that Laughlin is not the poster child of compassionate dog breeding. I Google searched the address of where the second dog was born and it was a warehouse in Kansas in the middle of wheat fields, Im sure thats not a puppy mill at all, right?
I work at a local (local to Laughlin) veterinarians office, and we see these puppies pretty regularly. They generally not healthy or well bred, they often have communicable diseases like parasites or kennel cough. Many breed specific illnesses like heart murmurs,joint issues, and allergies occur in higher rates in these “puppy mlll” puppies because of inbreeding but may not be caught until older. A lot of my co-workers foster puppy mill dogs, which means the dogs were so sick their owners abandoned them because they’re too tough to care for or too expensive. My advice to anyone looking to purchase a puppy is to call your vets office before to get info about breeders and kennels. Call your Vets office, they’re all animal lovers, are educated to speak about facts and see dogs from a variety of places.
I unfortunately bought a puppy from Laughlin Kennels 2 years ago. Before he was even a year he almost died from menengitis. He had to have a spinal tap done & spent time in the ICU at Tufts. He spent a year recovering & on chemo pills I had to order out of state for 75$ a month. $5,000 at Tufts, $200 every few months for blood work, and $75 a month for chemo. At 24 I have more vet bills than student loans. I would love to help see this place shut down.
Not ALL puppies bred in southern/mid-west puppy mills come out sick or have medical issues… you’re blessed if your puppy lives a healthy life! – but the risk is huge. These pups are born in (many times) horrific conditions, with ‘breeder dogs’ dogs on their last legs. They are kept in cages like pigs in gestation crates with their sole purpose to have cute, adorable pups to ship over to places like puppy stores and Laughlin Kennels. The buyer thinks they’re getting a beautiful, carefully bred puppy, but in actuality they’re supporting a heinous business. If more people saw these mills, I guarantee they wouldn’t be so supportive. I’m so glad TB is using his voice to help educate people on this disgusting trade.
You got lucky!
You got lucky, brother.
A broken clock is right twice a day.
I’m not surprised that Sturbridge Vet gave your puppy mill puppy a clean bill of health, Jim. As this was the same vet who let my dog’s squamous cell carcinoma go undetected for five years (and $20,000+ vet bills/visits) until the cancer was end-stage and chemotherapy couldn’t touch it. Good!
btw, the BBB central-western-massachusetts gives them a current A+ rating;
7 complaints closed with BBB in last 3 years | 2 closed in last 12 months
Complaint Type Total Closed Complaints
Advertising / Sales Issues 3
Problems with Product / Service 4
Billing / Collection Issues 0
Delivery Issues 0
Guarantee / Warranty Issues 0
Total Closed Complaints 7
a friend purchased from Laughlin and their tea cup terrier required thousands of dollars to correct the medical problem. Laughlin immediately offered a refund (then they are off the hook!) but they had already become attached (and of course, they didn’t know what the ultimate cost would be). Laughlin has also countered claims with the total numbers of dogs they have sold w/o an issue, they claim.
They Claims; 3. Who inspects you?
The Massachusetts Department of Agriculture – we are regulated, licensed, and inspected by the State Department of Agriculture. The MSPCA also inspects us on an irregular basis.
4. Where do you get your puppies?
Here at Laughlin Kennel we breed 6 different breeds. These puppies are marked with “Laughlin’s Own”. We also get puppies from breeders who are licensed and regulated by the United States Department of Argiculture (USDA).