NJCAPSA - New Jersey Consumers Against Pet Shop Abuse

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Cuomo Busts Queens-based Pet Dealer Robin Schulder

January 14, 2010

By Barbara Leonard
Courthouse News Service

Queens-based pet dealers use bait-and-switch tactics to sell unfit dogs, and violate charities law by "purport(ing) to engage in animal rescue activities," New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo says.

Cuomo says the husband and wife's two businesses, Imported Quality Guard Dogs and the Animal Rescue Unit, "engage in deceptive business practices and false advertising" and violate "the Pet Lemon Law."

Defendants Robin Schulder and her husband, Perry Reich, falsely claim to be dog breeders, make "numerous misrepresentations" about their animals, and falsify health records of the dogs, Cuomo says. He adds that Schulder practices as a veterinarian without a license, and makes improper use of the title "veterinarian technician."

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Pets & Supplies Unlimited

Pets & Supplies Unlimited
2465 S Broad Street, Trenton, NJ,

On June 17, 2009, in response to several complaints, an inspection of Pets & Supplies Unlimited was conducted by the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services, Office of Animal Welfare. According to the reports obtained by NJCAPSA under the Open Public Records Act, “numerous, serious violations of NJ Administrative Code 8:23 A 1.1-1.13, Sanitary Operation of Kennels, Pet Shops, Shelters and Pounds, were documented.” Forty seven puppies and about 40 various small animals were in the store at the time of the inspection.

Among the findings:

•   Supplies (food & bedding) up for public sale had evidence of mice infestation.
•   Dead hamster was in cage and remained unnoticed.
•   Dead fish in aquariums went unnoticed.
•   Dead animals (mice, rats and ferret) were found in store freezer placed next to human food.
•   Animals are not observed for signs of disease or stress and are not provided prompt basic vet care (to alleviate pain & suffering).
•   Shop was infested with mice and shop was deliberately providing harborage evidenced by numerous boxes stored on shelves with bedding provided.
•   Strong malodor throughout the store.
•   Puppy pens were not impervious to moisture which prevents proper and sanitary cleaning.
•   Water receptacles were not cleaned daily and had algae buildup.
•   Small animal primary enclosures were not cleaned often enough; bedding was saturated with urine with an accumulation of feces.
•   No program of disease control and animal health care on file.
•   No medical records on animals requiring treatment on file.
•   Records of all animals are not kept.
•   Intake and sales records of small animals are not kept.
•   Health certificates were not available for all dogs in store (47 puppies, 32 records).
•   Puppies are from out-of-state but store had no interstate records.
•   Not all puppies had identification.
•   Boxer puppy was showing signs of illness but the store dismissed it as allergies. Vet care was ordered on the puppy.

Below is a link to pictures taken during that June 17th inspection. In our opinion, they are revolting and we wonder why this store wasn’t permanently closed by the local health department. With all due respect to animal control officers (ACOs), why is Gary Hill, an ACO, responsible for the inspection of this despicable, filthy store? He apparently inspected the store just weeks before the state was called and found no violations. These did not happen overnight. Why isn’t the local health department taking over Hill's duties to ensure the health and safety of the store’s animals? Why wasn’t the NJ SPCA called in to investigate the injured and dead animals? Gary Hill is the same ACO who sanctioned Beagle breeder Daniel Bell’s filthy, over-crowded, feces-ridden, algae-watered, puppy mill with “satisfactory” inspections for years. It wasn’t until a horrified puppy buyer reported critical conditions (including dead puppies in rabbit-hutch cages) to the state that anything was done and Daniel Bell’s Beagleland Kennel was permanently closed. (A link to pictures of Bell's kennel can be found on the Breeders page.)

PHOTOS

ClickHEREto see pictures taken by the State during a June 2009 inspection.

Once in the album, click on Slideshow and then press F11 for full view.

Pet shop reopens after mandatory shutdown

June 25, 2009 * The Times of Trenton * By Carmen Cusido

Hamilton (Mercer County) — State and township health officials yesterday reopened a pet store in a strip mall after closing it down last week due to unsanitary conditions.

Pets & Supplies Unlimited received a "conditional satisfactory" rating yesterday, meaning they were open and allowed to sell the animals currently in the store, but couldn't bring new animals, said Marilyn Riley, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Health and Senior Services.

Following a complaint received June 12, state inspectors visited Pets & Supplies Unlimited on South Broad Street June 17. They temporarily closed it June 19 after citing a number of violations.

According to a letter from the state Department of Health and Senior Services, store owners had until yesterday to correct several violations. These measures included removing and disposing of pet food contaminated with rodent feces and disinfecting a refrigerator and freezer used to hold animal carcasses and medical and pet supplies.

Riley said animals were not receiving proper care and were being given antibiotics not prescribed by a veterinarian. She said the owners didn't have a disease control program established and maintained by a licensed veterinarian. The disease control program spells out how animals will get preventative care and sick care.

"We felt the most serious violations had been corrected," Riley said.

She said the owners corrected other several issues, including isolating sick dogs from healthy ones, improving the general cleanliness of the facility, hiring an exterminator and closing off access to areas where rodents and other pests could get in. A veterinarian who inspected the store also had issued some instructions for medical treatment, and the owners had developed some cleaning and disease-control protocols, Riley said.

Before the store was given the OK to reopen late yesterday afternoon, a handful of midafternoon customers were turned away.

"Sorry, we're closed," said Lisa Youmans, who co-owns the store with her husband, Butch.

Next to the red "unsatisfactory" sign posted Friday by township health officials was a hand-made sign that said the place was closed and remodeling. Lisa Youmans said they had started repainting and remodeling before being closed down last week.

Pets & Supplies Unlimited, which has been operating for 14 years, sells dogs, rabbits, birds, hamsters, fish and rats, as well as pet food, leashes, collars, toys and other accessories.

Near the many "Do Not Touch" the puppies signs, there were 36 dogs some in cages. Many were barking; others were sleeping or playing with the other puppies in a pen.

As many as seven dogs were waiting to go home to their new owners, but because the store had been closed for nearly a week, they sat in their cages until they were given the green light by township and state inspectors.

The prices for the dogs range from $150 to $800, but Marlene Fanelli, Lisa Youmans' mother and a store volunteer, said sometimes they offer discounted prices to certain customers. She estimated they lost about $10,000 because customers couldn't make purchases for nearly a week.

Lisa Youmans and Fanelli said they knew they had had some mice in the store and were working on exterminating them without using chemicals. They said the township official who inspected their store was aware of that when they received a "satisfactory" rating.

Jeff Plunkett, Hamilton's health officer, said Gary Hill, the township's shelter manager who oversees animal control officers, had no knowledge of mice during his inspection. He also said there is no mention on Hill's inspection form of knowledge of mice in the store.

Plunkett said Hill inspected the shop on May 4 and rated it "conditional satisfactory." The rating was due to dirty floors, pens and food and water bowls, and general sanitation issues. Plunkett said the store was not up to high quality standards, but was also not at the point of closure. He added that when Hill returned on May 16, the violations were corrected and the store was issued a "satisfactory" rating.

After the June 12 complaint, the store was reinspected, received an "unsatisfactory" rating and was closed down. It reopened yesterday with a "conditional satisfactory" rating.

Plunkett said he and township animal control officials will meet with the Youmans within two weeks for a hearing.

NJCAPSA Note: Last year NJCAPSA received a complaint regarding the purchase of a sick puppy who died within one week. The breeder, listed as Sam King, County Lane Kennel, New Providence, PA, has a long history of violations and citations and is operating under a consent order which he regularly violates. Several complaints last year regarding filthy conditions at the store were passed along to Gary Hill, Hamilton ACO, but calls went unanswered.

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