Five Iowa dog breeders received official warnings in 2021

Five Iowa dog breeders received official warnings for violating regulations last year from the US Department of Agriculture.

Warnings generally do not include fines, penalties or license restrictions, but indicate that a company may be penalized if further regulatory violations are found in the future.

One of five Iowa ranchers, Daniel Gingerich of Wayne County, was arraigned in civil court last fall for dozens of ongoing violations. The USDA threatened to fine Gingerich half a million dollars, but chose not to impose any fine after he agreed to hand over the approximately 500 dogs in his care. He was not charged with any criminal act.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship imposed $20,000 in administrative penalties on Gingerich last fall and suspended his Iowa license for 60 days. IDALS later fined him an additional $40,000 and revoked his license to operate in Iowa as a dog breeder.

According to federal and county records, these four other Iowa ranchers received warnings last year from the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

Helene Hamrick of Wolf Point Kennels in Ackworth – In May 2021, a USDA inspector cited Hamrick for multiple violations. A female Shih Tzu she cared for had poor dental health and had a thick, brown material on her teeth, with her gums inflamed and receding, some to the point where the bone or root of the tooth was exposed. One of the dog’s teeth was loose and moved easily when touched. The dog had last received dental care from a veterinarian 12 months earlier.

Additionally, a male Shih Tzu had similar issues and had last received dental care 17 months earlier. A third Shih Tzu, seen licking the right side of his mouth, had the same issues and his gums were reported as “very inflamed to the point of bleeding”.

The inspector noted in his report that “dental disease in dogs can be very painful.” She also noted that in a room where dogs give birth, the outer part of an enclosure, containing a dog, had “many sharp points”, such as broken metal fences and floors, located at the same level as the animals.

A Shetland Sheepdog was housed in a pen with holes in the floor large enough for the dog’s paws to fall through. One of these holes was large enough for the inspector to fit his hand through. One building had “excessive buildup of feces” and several enclosures had heavy buildup of dirt and debris on the doors. Seven other enclosures had bent or broken framing and there were two enclosures in which the metal framework supporting the floor had broken, causing the floor to collapse.

Last fall, 57 dogs were reported on the site.

Hamrick could not be reached by the Iowa Capital Dispatch. Wolf Point Kennels has appeared in three of the Humane Society of the United States’ annual lists of America’s 100 Worst Breeders – most recently in 2018 when the organization noted that inspectors found live maggots and beetle larvae alive crawling in dog food. , as well as enclosures where holes in the ground allowed the paws of the dogs to pass.

USDA inspectors visited Wolf Point Kennel nine times between December 2013 and December 2015 and said they only had access to the kennel on four of those occasions.

Larry Albrecht of Coldwater Kennel in Greene – In September 2021, a USDA inspector cited Albrecht for improper dental care related to a Maltese man named Micky Boy.

The inspector reported that the dog had a dark brown buildup “covering the entire surface of the left and right lower cheek teeth. The upper canines showed dark-colored tartar buildup along the gum line and extending halfway to the teeth. Several of the lower cheek teeth on both sides were loose and moved easily when touched by the inspector. The inspector reported that the gums under some teeth were receding, inflamed and bleeding during the exam.

The Coldwater Kennel is located on Camp Comfort Road in Coldwater Township, Butler County. At the time of the September inspection, the business had 157 adult dogs and 76 puppies. Asked about the violation, owner Larry Albrecht said, “The USDA is in cahoots with the Humane Society of the United States now and they’re just there to shut down kennels whether you’re a good kennel or a bad kennel. Ever since Biden came in, it’s a different USDA, and they’ve got all kinds of laws they’re pushing.

He said the problem with the dog’s teeth should have been dealt with without the violation being put on paper. “It’s just a writing, anyway, and so there’s no penalty, no fine, nothing. But the problem is that the wrong people get hold of it. If you get an item, it just gives animal rights groups and HSUS ammunition.

Thomas and Nancy Carlson of New Designs Kennel in Rockwell City – In September 2021, a USDA inspector cited the Carlsons for issues related to Vanna, a 2-year-old female Italian Greyhound who was injured on August 31. The inspection report does not state the cause of the accident, but says the dog was taken to a veterinarian and diagnosed with a broken right front leg. Upon inspection, it was noted that Vanna had a deep wound at the top of the bandaged area on her leg, near the elbow joint.

The inspector wrote that “a strip of gauze broke through the skin into the fabric underneath. The wound is open, about half an inch deep and an inch wide, and the exposed tissue is very inflamed and swollen with some blood present. Both toes visible under the bandaged splint are inflamed and swollen. The licensee didn’t notice the injury…Vanna is due to be seen by a vet today.

New Designs Kennel is located on the Carlsons’ residential property on 250th Street in Rockwell City. The first of three kennels on the property were built in 1980, and the newest and largest of the three was built in 2014. The three kennels total just over 2,000 square feet. In September, New Designs Kennel housed 93 adult dogs and 51 puppies.

Sharon Caruth of Caruth Kennels in Iowa Falls – Last October, the USDA issued Caruth a warning related to violations found during an inspection on September 8, 2021. However, no September 8 inspection report has been released by the USDA, so that the precise nature of the violations is not known. However, the warning clarifies that Caruth failed to maintain adequate veterinary care programs and failed to ensure the availability of emergency care on weekends and holidays.

County records indicate that the Caruth operation is located on a parcel of land that includes two kennels, one 24 feet by 30 feet built in 1974, and the other 14 feet by 90 feet built in 1985. Caruth had 31 adult dogs and three puppies on hand at the time of the September inspection. Sharon Caruth died in November 2021.