Looking For Purebred Online???
There are those who will not look for dogs at a shelter, but are drawn
to the internet in their search for a purebred dog. Beware, a fancy website
doesn't mean anything. Check out this kennel in Indiana.
German Shepherd Seller Keeps Dogs In Questionable Conditions
POSTED: 6:43 am EST January 28, 2006
UPDATED: 7:30 am EST January 28, 2006
ARCADIA, Ind. -- A woman selling German shepherd dogs in Hamilton County is under scrutiny because of the conditions some people say the dogs live in.
The owner of Raebark German Shepherds, Rachel Clark, would not allow Call 6 on the property and would not talk with Call 6's Rafael Sanchez on camera, but a potential buyer took pictures of the property.
Monty Mosby drove to the kennel Tuesday after reading an ad in the Indianapolis Star offering puppies for $500 or less. He found a vacant home, an unlocked door and puppies and dogs in the dark.
"The conditions were horrible. They were in their own filth," Mosby claimed. "There were two pens with 15 to 20 dogs -- no food, no water. The puppy was sitting in the bowl that water should have been in."
Clark runs a business on the Internet at www.raebark.com, where German shepherds of all ages are up for sale.
Clark also uses a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine title on the site, leading potential dog buyers to believe she is a licensed veterinarian. Cindy Vaught, of the Indiana Veterinary Board, told Call 6 that Clark's license had been suspended in 2003.
County, state and federal investigators have been watching Clark's business since 1996. Often, they found the dogs in good shape, but their surroundings questionable.
Melody Miller, who runs German Shepherd Rescue of Central Indiana, worries about the future of the animals.
"Phone calls keep coming in asking me to help. I'm a rescue. I can't shut her down," Miller said. I come in afterwards and clean up the mess."
The animals received another visit from a Hamilton County officer on Thursday. He cited the owner for cruelty, abuse, neglect and abandonment.
Clark did get her degree in veterinary medicine from Purdue University. She told Sanchez she is working on making improvements on the property. Clark also said the animals have plenty of food and water.
There are no state standards on the operation of kennels, Sanchez reported.
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