Rick Sandbulte – Furever Paws

August 22, 2024 — Routine inspection, USDA 42-A-1649

308 dogs recorded (172 adults · 136 puppies).

• Poodle 'Sassy' excessively matted

  A cream and reddish female, poodle (ID numbers 9351 last four), named “Sassy”, was excessively matted. … The dog was matted under the neck, front rib cage, and front legs. The matts covered approximately 50% of the neck and front rib cage and approximately 80% of the two front legs. The hair was heavily twisted and ropey.

• Pug and Lab X long toenails

  *A female cream and black pug (#6502 last four) and a female cream lab X. (#9425 last four) both have excessively long toenails. Some of the toenails are starting to curl back.

• Pug with interdigital growths

  * The pug (#6502 last four) had two interdigital growths on both front feet. Both growths were between digits two and three for both front feet. The grows were approximately 13 MM round and protruding between the digits approximately 6 mm outward. The growths appear moist.

• Puppy ID cards lack unique numbers

  In the Whelping Building, there were 90 puppies still nursing on their mother with identification cards. These cards did not have a unique number list for their identification. Identification is required in order to ensure that each animal's identity can be known with certainty and to facilitate record keeping requirements. To be corrected by, 03-September-2024.

• Unsecured plastic kennel fronts

  In the Big Dog Kennel there were two enclosures with solid plastic fronts. These plastic fronts were not secured or in good repair. When the dogs in the enclosure would stand and lean on these solid plastic fronts, they would move forward exposing a gap between where the enclosure divider and front attached. This gap could allow the seven adult dogs to escape and or be injured while escaping. This indicates the facilities are not being kept in good repair. For the security of the dogs and prevention of injury, the facilities must be kept in good repair. To be corrected by, 3-September-2024.

• Rusty kennel panel piping

  The outside enclosures for the Big Dog Kennel has black powder coated piped framed panels. The bottom pipe for the front panels of three enclosures had paint that corroded off exposing bare metal. These metal surfaces were flaking and corroding with excessive rust. These excessively metal rusty surfaces cannot be properly cleaned and sanitized. The corrosion is affecting the structural strength. Therefore, without required cleaning and sanitizing the disease hazards can increase. The metal pipe corroding away can eventually allow the dogs to get injured from possibly escaping. For the prevention of disease hazards from required cleaning and sanitization, and lost integrity of the structural strength for nine adult dogs, all metal surfaces must be kept free of rust. To be corrected by, 9-September-2024.

• Brown grime on kennel surfaces

  The whelping building has two plastic whelping boxes with an accumulation of brown grime on their surfaces. The particle board back wall for seven enclosures and two plastic dog door inserts, in the Big Dog Kennel, have a buildup of brown grime on their surfaces. These surfaces with a buildup of brown grime indicate that daily spot-cleaning is not taking place. Without daily spot-cleaning and required sanitization the accumulation of waste and disease hazards for the 41 adult dogs and five puppies can increase. For the prevention of an accumulation of waste and increase disease hazards, all surfaces must be spot-cleaned daily. To be corrected by, 3-September-2024.

• Boxer exposed to sharp metal rod

  An enclosure in Room 3, of the Whelping Building, had an metal rod protruding up through a floor opening into the enclosure presenting a sharp point. This rod was attached to a cable for the drainage system and was at eye level for the one adult boxer in the enclosure. The Boxer could be injured by this sharp point. All enclosures must be free of sharp points and edges that could injured the animals. To be corrected by 3-September-2024.

• Boston Terrier puppy feet through flooring

  In Whelping Room number 1, a litter of puppies had an “Boston Terrier” puppy housed with them. The feet of the “Boston Terrier” puppy were observed passing through openings in the plastic chicken flooring while walking. The feet of dogs passing through openings in the flooring can cause injury, affect the animals’ gait or get stuck in the flooring causing more detrimental injury. For the prevention of injury, all flooring with openings must not allow the dogs and puppies feet to pass through. To be corrected by, 3-September-2024.

Read the inspection report (PDF)