The holiday season was a time of grief for some, namely one family whose beloved dog died at just two years old due to a popular pet store chain’s fraudulent practices.
The owner, podcaster Tabitha Newell, purchased her French bulldog, Rupert, from Companion Pets Inc. in early 2022, which operates the popular chain stores, Animal Kingdom and Puppies ‘N Love. Rupert passed away shortly after turning two years old, the day after Thanksgiving last year; Rupert was diagnosed with a mass in his chest that had pushed his vital organs away.
According to Newell, the veterinarian that treated Rupert claimed they hadn’t seen anything like Rupert’s case in all their 15 years of practicing, what they compared to a “car crash” worth of internal trauma and damages. A necropsy determined that the mass was cancerous.
“He was sick from the day I got him. The truth came out, and the lies were uncovered, and the puppy mill existed,” said Newell.
In December 2022, former Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced an injunction against Companion Pets for fraud over its breeder sourcing practices. The company was subsequently required to identify the source of its animals, name and display the USDA licensing status of the breeders and brokers from which the animals came, cease offering dogs for sale from breeders in violation of USDA policy, and not sell parasite-ridden dogs without first informing the owner.
After Rupert’s death, Newell contacted the breeder from which Companion Pets sourced Rupert. She discovered that the breeder stopped contracting with Companion Pets because they failed to abide by their contracts, which included returning any puppies that fell ill in Companion Pets’ care. According to Newell, the breeder was never notified of Rupert’s illness.
Newell was initially unable to take Rupert home for several weeks due to an alleged upper respiratory infection. After Newell brought Rupert home, she then discovered he had giardia, a parasitical infection of the intestines; Companion Pets reportedly blamed Newell for that illness.
Online reviews through sites such as Yelp show that Newell was one of many owners who experienced similar issues when purchasing through Companion Pets.
According to Newell, Companion Pets also claimed that the breeder neutered Rupert at only six weeks old to stop his bloodline; vets don’t recommend neutering smaller dogs until 6-12 months of age. The breeder reportedly told Newell that Rupert had a surgical treatment for a hernia at six weeks old, which was the true reason for the neutering; yet Companion Pets didn’t disclose Rupert’s hernia or surgery prior to selling him.
More details of Newell’s ordeal with Companion Pets is documented in a podcast episode released last week.
In a promotional video published last summer, Companion Pets claimed that they use a breeder relations team to ensure that they only use humane, compliant breeders. They also claim that they visit the breeders multiple times a year to ensure quality of life for the animals.
“The truth is that responsible pet stores like ours are the most transparent, regulated source to obtain a puppy,” said the promotional video.
Newell relayed that the breeder from which Rupert came only saw a Companion Pets representative once: to sign a contract approximately three years prior to Rupert’s sale.
Rupert was one in a litter born on Halloween in 2021.
A review of all puppies listed online for sale showed that all listed breeders had clean inspection records from the USDA. The following breeders received no inspection from the USDA in 2023, yet they continued selling their puppies to pet stores:
- Atlee Raber (last inspected: March 2022, USDA no. 31-A-0623)
- Barbara and Roy Ross (last inspected: November 2022, USDA no. 73-A-1873)
- Ernece and Clarence Bontrager (last inspected: March 2022, USDA no. 32-A-0421)
- Julie Anderson (last inspected: November 2022, USDA no. 42-A-1584)
- Katie and Merle Miller (last inspected: July 2022, USDA no. 32-A-0390)
- Marion Nisley (last inspected: April 2022, USDA no. 32-A-0957)
- Matthan Schwarts (last inspected: December 2021, USDA no. 32-A-0405)
- Oakley Sharp Kennels (last inspected: September 2022, USDA no. 43-A-6422)
- Peaceful Pines/Freeman Steury (last inspected: December 2022, USDA no. 32-A-1020)
- Rae Lynn Mercer (last inspected: December 2022, USDA no. 43-A-3264)
- Stevie, Abram, and Bertha Stoltzfus (last inspected: February 2022, USDA no. 32-A-0820)
The following breeders were listed as USDA-exempt: Derick Lankford, Lane Pendergrass, Omar and Fannie Wagler, Melissa Brunetto.