Turtleboy Investigates

Town Of Oxford Is Choosing To Allow Laughlin Kennels To Sell Sick Dogs To People

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A lot of people have sent us this and this article from the Telegram and Gazette about their investigation of the puppy mill known as Laughlin Kennel in Oxford. These turtle riders basically assumed that this was just more of the Telegram copying Turtleboy, and normally you’d be right, but this is not one of those cases. Paula Owen at the Telegram has been on Laughlin Kennel and Elite Puppies for a couple of years now and she does a really good job with it. Laughlin Kennel is a terrible place run by terrible people and the more attention that is drawn to it the better because it needs to get shut down. The Telegram can be a valuable resource and partner, but too often they are covering up real stories. In this case they are doing the exact opposite and should be commended.

Here’s a couple new things that Paula Owen has revealed:

  • The neighbor across the street, Kathleen Casavant, has lived there before the house was turned into a puppy mill. The previous neighbors raised pet German Shepherd show dogs, but never had more than eight at a time. When the Fink family moved in they enlarged the kennel, started breeding their own dogs, AND started to get truck deliveries in the middle of the night, full of barking puppies from the Midwest. She said the smells, noise, and crying from the dogs has made it nearly impossible for her family to sleep through the night.
  • The town of Oxford has done nothing about it, despite the fact that it’s illegal. Town selectmen were appalled that over 100 dogs were kept there at a time, but ultimately took no action to shut them down
  • The town clerk claims that state law prevents them from putting a limit on the number of dogs they can have on their property at one time. However, it turns out she doesn’t understand the law according to the DAR, and the town absolutely has the authority to set a limit. It’s just choosing not to out of sheer laziness and complicity. Make no doubt about it – the town of Oxford is 100% complicit for the horrifying things that are happening under their watch.

  •  The Finks no longer live there, and the majority of the employees are local teenagers, many of whom have reached out to Turtleboy to share their horror stories. Thus when the kennel closes at 5:00 PM, no one is there to deal with screaming and howling dogs who are often sick.
  • One idiot neighbor embarrassed himself by saying this:

    “It doesn’t bother me at all. Like it or not, they do a great business over there,” Mr. Thorton said. “Everyone says, ‘Puppy mill this. Puppy mill that,’ but they’ve got to come from somewhere. How else will everyone get a dog? Like any other business, nothing runs smoothly. I’m sure they are going to have sick dogs.” – Obviously this man is a moron.

  • Laughlin gets its puppies from Justin and La Nae Jackson in Kansas. They are on the Human Society’s “worst puppy mill list” on an annual basis and have years of documented violations. Then those puppies are sent cross country to Oxford where some schmuck buys them only to find out the dog is about to die. This is what you get when you Google them:

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  • Michael Cahill, who ultimately has the authority to step in at the DAR, lied to the Telegram when he said this: “However, Mr. Cahill said he was not aware of the allegation that Laughlin staff was bringing breeding dogs from the kennels into the pet store in the basement to have their puppies in whelping rooms. The kennel and pet store operations are supposed to be kept separate, he said.” We have an email returned from Mr. Cahill that shows he is well aware that Laughlin is bringing in breeding dogs from the kennels into the pet store in the basement.

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  • The Fink who owns Laughlin Kennel blatantly lied to the Telegram as well. Here’s a lie:

    All puppies are confined in cages that are suitable for their size, and larger puppies are taken outside for exercise, he said. Every puppy is examined each week by a licensed veterinarian, he assured.

  • This is what it looks like in the basement of Laughlin Kennel:

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  • Mr. Fink claims that, “The cages are designed so that nothing can fall from one cage to one below, as is required by regulation.” But as you can see from this irrefutable photographic evidence, clearly he is lying.
  • This is what happens to the puppies after being confined to these cages without any exercise for months:
  • The town of Oxford’s Animal Control Officer,  Kelly Flynn, knew about the “whelping room” but did not inspect it because she didn’t want to “disturb the mothers giving birth.”
  • Oxford Selectmen John Saad, is talking a big game. Let’s see if he follows through on this promise. Turtleboy is watching John:“If the town has the ability to set limits on the number of animals it is incumbent on the town to do something about that,” he said. “If a facility right now is overcrowded to the point it affects the health and well-being of an animal, I agree (with those who oppose it) something should be done. The town has the responsibility to do it and we should do something. On the surface, it doesn’t sound like the way you would want an animal to be treated.”

  • One of the many customers who have filed complaints with the Attorney General and USDA, wrote this letter: “I also asked for the breeder’s name and was given the name of Brigete Rucker from Macon, Missouri,” the couple’s letter said. “This raised tremendous red flags for us because we discovered online that puppies transported from Macon, Missouri, to Massachusetts kennels, and Laughlin was one of them, the puppies were treated in a very abusive manner (cramped, nonventilated quarters, undernourished, lying in their own and others’ waste, low weight, to name a few allegations.) Please find enclosed the article on animal cruelty charges involving Laughlin Kennels.”
  • The Attorney General’s office has done nothing about this, but they had plenty of time to investigate a blog in Worcester this summer for alleged hate speech.
  • For more horror stories dead the dozens of comments in the Telegram’s article.
  • Another woman alleges that in October she purchased a dog from Laughlin Kennel. The dog was sick and had a hernia and pneumonia, but Laughlin Kennel lied and told her the dog had been inspected by a vet and was healthy. When the dog started throwing up blood she brought it to the vet who put the dog on oxygen. Since the warranty for the dog (2 weeks) was almost up, the owner had two options – keep the dog on oxygen or bring it to Laughlin so their “vet” could look at it. If the did the latter the dog would die. Then they wouldn’t give her a refund after the dog died unless they brought the dead body to them for proof.

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  • Laughlin buys the puppies for $50, and sells them so over $1,000.
  • A vet at the Westside Animal Clinic in Worcester says that you are better off trying to take care of a sick puppy you buy from Laughlin, because if you send it back and get a refund the dog will almost certainly die. It’s not cost effective for Laughlin to keep sick animals.

These people are pure evil. They are a disease and need to be eradicated. The town of Oxford is equally to blame for having the authority to do something about it and make a conscious, willful decision to allow them to keep doing business as usual. To make matters worse Laughlin Kennel continues to call Paula Owen and Turtleboy the liars on their Facebook page:

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Laughlin is also claiming that hardly anyone is complaining about this joint:

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Of course when you Google Laughlin Kennel you can see that there are literally hundreds of people who have similar stories. Like this one:

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And this one:

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And many more. They also don’t like some of the wording that Paula Owen used:

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Yea, stupid words like “some customers” and “numerous complaints.” Those words are dumb.

But hey, when you’re making bank, you’ll pretty much say anything to keep your business afloat. It’s the reason why some scumbag like Webster’s Jennifer Gardner can afford to drive a car like this:

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Anyway, we’re going to keep the pressure on these scumbags because we can’t get the sound of these crying dogs out of our heads:

You can run, and you can lie, but you cannot hide from Turtleboy. All we are armed with is the truth and our only weapon is facts.

 

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27 Comment(s)
  • Favorite lil redhead
    January 9, 2016 at 9:54 am

    You know, I just wanna throw out there, if these puppies are in terrible conditions they wouldn’t be open to the public and would’ve been shut down but their not. The Finks are wonderful people! And apparently no one reads a contract before you sign off, clearly states the employee and buyer examine the dog before purchase to ensure the employee and customer do not see any signs of illness. If you happen to have a pup with a sickness you are entitled to bring them back and have the kennels vet treat the puppy! Laughlin is not a puppy mill. Where do people expect pups to come from? They are saving these babies!! Open your eyes!! Turtleboy is just in an uproar along with others because they can’t find anything sour about Laughlin Kennel! Dogs are gonna bark they aren’t screaming. And I’m pretty sure everyone on Larned Road owns a dog and knows they bark even at cars driving by or even cats!! Come on people common sense. You were created with a brain and a heart now use them!!

  • Andrea
    January 8, 2016 at 8:13 pm

    Would an orphanage be allowed to adopt out sick children ??? I think not. So tell me what makes this ok. Someone needs to step in and do the right thing. Does anyone of the employees have a conscience? If I had the money I would by that place and send them all packing. There are plenty of people in this area that could do a stellar job at caring for these animals because to them it wouldn’t be about the money it would be about doing what’s right and humane. I’m disgusted.

  • Melissa Aldrich
    January 8, 2016 at 5:50 am

    MSPCA & DCR CALLING TODAY.

  • Angela
    January 7, 2016 at 7:35 pm

    I went there years ago to look at a puppy. I was not allowed to see where the dogs were held, when i asked. They brought up the poor thing with feces clumped in its fur, reeking of that and urine. I left and never went back. I may be harsh, but the people who keep this company in business are also complicit. It’s not exactly a secret that Laughlin is horrible, and even a small amount of research on this company now yields so much negative information.

  • Wabbitt
    wabbitt
    January 7, 2016 at 2:54 pm

    Where the Hell are those filthy hippies from PETA when you need them?

  • Nanny
    January 6, 2016 at 9:46 am

    It’s Oxford. Nuff said.

  • Sweet Justice
    January 6, 2016 at 8:53 am

    Well HERE’S news to me. I went to the ASPCA website and in order to report a facility for cruelty or neglect, they tell you to forward your complaint to the Dept. of Agriculture. FOR WHAT when an asshole like Cahill is going to do NOTHING about it? Where do we go from here TB? Who does Cahill have to answer to? Baker?

  • Your friendly Oxfordian
    January 5, 2016 at 7:32 pm

    thanks turtle boy please keep your eyes on this disgusting business. THIS DOES NOT BELONG IN OXFORD. OXFORD IS NOT TRASH. I will make a change.

  • Patti
    January 5, 2016 at 6:55 pm

    Any suggestions on ways to put the pressure on Oxford to address this more aggressively? Who to contact?

    • Um
      January 6, 2016 at 7:27 am

      Next town selectman meeting is January 12th. Get as many residents of the town to go as possible (I don’t think you get to vote in the meeting unless you are). I’ll see you all there.

      • Um
        January 6, 2016 at 7:28 am

        “(I don’t think you get to vote in the meeting unless you are).”

        A resident, I mean.

  • Tina
    January 5, 2016 at 6:21 pm

    This place needs to be shut down as soon as possible! Keep up the good work Turtleboy! I’m glad someone is getting the facts out to the public! Shame on the town of Oxford for allowing them to stay in business!!

  • Joe
    January 5, 2016 at 4:32 pm

    The former town manager, Joseph Zeneski, got his dog fro Laughlin. Not only is the town complicit, they are monetarily supporting them.

  • Heather Belton
    January 5, 2016 at 4:26 pm

    My daughter works as a CVT (Certified Veterinary Technician – as I’m sure you know, but for others reading these comments) for a local animal hospital. They see many dogs from Laughlin and it is heartbreaking to them. She comes home far too often talking about how sick these poor little babies are and on too many occassions has come home to say they have had to put, yet another one, to sleep. This place needs to be shut down. It is not humane to the poor animals, nor is it ok to treat people that way, as if their monies and love are so disposable.

  • Purple Passion
    January 5, 2016 at 3:38 pm

    Every dog has its day, but a dog with a broken tail has a weak end.

    • Brian M
      January 5, 2016 at 4:06 pm

      This!

  • Cause for paws
    January 5, 2016 at 3:01 pm

    The Humane Society of the United States just posted yesterday that they’re receiving numerous complaints about Laughlin Kennels. Check out their page.

    • Lovdogs
      January 7, 2016 at 10:23 am

      To the animals lovers. Keep on sharing this kennels name and the owners names send resend send resend. Share it everywhere you go. If you vacation around the world, share it there too. Keep it going.

  • Um
    January 5, 2016 at 12:29 pm

    I see an easy solution to the two claims that you make about what they do that is illegal (the injections and the town’s ability to step in over the amount of dogs there). You could post the law itself. For example: MA General Laws, PART I, TITLE XX, CHAPTER 140, Section 137C (only part of the section):
    “The mayor of a city, the selectmen of a town, the police commissioner in the city of Boston, a chief of police or an animal control officer may at any time inspect a kennel or cause the inspection of a kennel. If, in the judgment of such person or body, the kennel is not being maintained in a sanitary and humane manner or if records are not properly kept as required by law, such person or body shall, by order, revoke or suspend the license for the kennel.”
    I couldn’t find anything directly about the number of dogs (well there was a little, but me with my lack of a law degree couldn’t make enough sense of it to post). Also, I couldn’t find anything about the treatment of the dogs using injections. But, I did know someone with a dog that had diabetes and required daily injections. They were allowed to give them at home and did not have to have a vet administer them, so I’m inclined to say that on that particular claim you are not correct.

    • Opinion
      January 5, 2016 at 2:48 pm

      I’m inclined to disagree. You’re allowed to give yourself shots at home but that doesn’t mean the receptionist is allowed to at the hospital.

      • Um
        January 5, 2016 at 3:02 pm

        I can say it is one way, you can say it’s another. Neither matter, only what the law says. I only brought it up in hopes someone out there might know the particular law that pertains to administering of shots to animals. I looked for a few hours today and couldn’t find anything (but that’s not to say its not out there). If anyone knows the particular law, court decision, etc. that shows it is illegal, would you mind posting it? If it is not out there, that would mean that it is not against the law and that part of this whole story is false.

        • Skeptical
          January 6, 2016 at 12:12 pm

          Insulin for diabetes and exact ml/kg of antibiotic or medication for any creature are two totally different beasts.

          Um-you are definitely wrong, believe me. You cannot administer antibiotics to a dog unless instructed by a licensed veterinarian on how to do so, or if you are a veterinarian. Period.

          • Um
            January 6, 2016 at 1:55 pm

            I don’t see how I can be “wrong” about something without taking a side. I didn’t say it was legal or illegal, just I couldn’t find anything that said either way and because of that I was leaning towards that there is no such law. If you know 100%, would you be able to point me in the direction of the law/policy/royal decree? I don’t mean that in a condescending way, I legit want to know that the true answer is.

    • Lovdogs
      January 5, 2016 at 10:03 pm

      ^Are you alright?? Who the f cares about a written law after watching the video above of the puppy. That’s abuse. I can’t even imagine the pain this dog was in walking with his paw like that.

      • Um
        January 6, 2016 at 7:24 am

        Look at it this way. There are many people out there that dislike Turtleboy. They say what he does is wrong and immoral and should be shut down. Thankfully for him, he has the law on his side which says he can say whatever he wants about whomever he wants (for the most part). There could be debates and arguments about if he’s right or wrong, if he should stop or not and its all for nothing. He has the law on his side and the only one that can tell him to stop is himself (and maybe Mrs. Turtleboy). That is the point of my statement. The two items I described may be immoral, but they don’t appear to be illegal. You can’t call for the government to step in and shut them down for things that are not illegal. These two items (and from what I can see, they are the only two exceptions) are not something you can bust them on to get them shut down. Focus on what can.

        • Skeptical
          January 6, 2016 at 12:15 pm

          You’re incorrect yet again.

          Abuse, i.e. physical damage as a result of neglect or malicious intent is absolutely illegal and one can absolutely be prosecuted on these grounds. The neglect of that puppy causing it to be in that condition is 100% illegal.

          • Um
            January 6, 2016 at 1:42 pm

            I never said anything about the animal abuse. The two points I was questioning was as follows:

            1) the town’s ability to step in over the number of dogs kept there, which I’ve found out they technically can’t do but they can inspect at any time and revoke the license based on any number of things that are clearly wrong. It would be up to the licensing authority to enforce any rules about the number of dogs they are allowed to keep. Example, the town can’t go in and say that they have 15 dogs and are only licensed for 10. They can go in and say that you have 15 dogs here, but you clearly only have the room for 5. They can then suspend or revoke the license until the problems are fixed.

            2) the legality of administering antibiotic injections by non-veterinary professionals , which I still cannot find a definite answer on. I have found several sites that give detailed info on how to administer shots to dogs, but they never mention a specific medication. I did find a site for the antibiotic called Covania (or something to that effect) which says that it needs to be given by a professional, but only refers to their product specifically and not antibiotics as a whole.

            Please don’t put words in my mouth. I am not defending them with the intent to get them off without any punishment for what they do, I just want to make sure what they are “charged” with is something legit that will stick. No sense wasting time on something with no solid ground when there’s plenty shady things going on there.

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