TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Animal welfare advocates say new data shows state inspectors aren’t consistently tough enough on pet breeders who don’t meet standards.
Of the 258 licensed breeders inspected by the Kansas Department of Agriculture in fiscal year 2013, 50 were cited for violations. But in some cases of the more than 200 that received no citations, an inspector wrote a note describing conditions that suggest a violation, The Topeka Capital-Journal (https://bit.ly/1v3JPRP ) reported this week.
Those include a Jan. 29, 2013, inspection at Kerston Shepherds in Abiline, where the inspector wrote that three pens had feces smeared throughout; a July 24 inspection at Bow-Wow Mound Kennels in Burns, where two Yorkshire Terriers appeared to have untreated health issues; and a Sept. 5 visit to Pierce’s Kennels in Narka, where flies were overwhelming in animal areas.
Each of those breeders passed inspections without a single violation from the Agriculture Department. The three reports were from follow-up inspections, meaning the breeders had failed at least one prior inspection.
Owners of two of the facilities told the newspaper they had corrected the problems. The owner of the Burns facility could not be reached for comment.
Inspectors use the notes section to pinpoint minor violations that could become serious, said Michael Faurot, director of the KDA’S animal facilities inspections. It’s a tool to help facilities watch for future issues, he said, adding that the agency tries to be consistent.
“Feces smeared throughout, I would expect that to be a violation,” he said.
Pierce’s Kennels, which failed two inspections last year, is on the Humane Society of the United States’ 2014 puppy mill list.
“To me, these reports show a pattern of tolerance for substandard health and welfare issues to how these animals are cared for,” said Terry Humphrey, Kansas lobbyist for HSUS and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Animal welfare advocates also say KDA needs to update its 26-year-old policy to include some of the minimum standards of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Association of Shelter Veterinarians.
“We don’t even come anywhere close to meeting those standards under the Kansas Pet Animal Act,” Humphrey said.
The issue of inspectors passing facilities despite troubling concerns is further illustrated by comparing KDA inspections with those cited in the recently released HSUS puppy mill report.
Kansas ranks second in this year’s puppy mill report with 13 “problem dealers” identified by the Humane Society.
Of those, KDA records didn’t include inspections of six, two were cited by the KDA for violations and the remaining five had no violations.
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