AlphaTex Kennels in TX-300 dogs seized in deplorable conditions - Page 5

selzer · 09-30-2011, 02:09 PM

I have been counting on my fingers and toes and cannot possibly figure out how they could give even a basic amount of care to that many animals with three people and one seriously ill.

I can clean up after, feed and water ten dogs in an hour. I do it every morning, In the winter it takes a little longer to haul water and shovel them in and out of the kennels.

If it was a full time job, I suppose I could care for more. But not a hundred.

I wonder if prior to the last couple of years they had kennel help. And the relative state of the economy has forced them to reduce the number of pups and they could no longer afford to pay for extra help. The dogs are still there, and getting older, and need care. And with the old man being sick/out of commission, I can see how they got to the state they are in. In fact, I am shocked it didn't look worse.

I think that the number of animals each individual is capable of managing is different. I might struggle with ten, while someone else manages thirty without thinking about it. I think if you put a tight cap on the number of animals an individual can own, many animals who are older or not to be used for one reason or another, or returned to the breeder will be euthanized to stay within acceptable limits. And these animals generally do not take a lot, expensive maybe with more vet bills, but their need for exercise, training, etc is usually lower.

Maverick · 10-01-2011, 04:27 PM

Hi guys! Although I've been on your site many many times, I have never posted before. I want to thank you for all the valuable information I have gained from so many of you over the years! Your help has been immensely valuable to my family!

I am the proud Mommy of 3 dogs; 2 rescues and 1 AKC GSD. I purchased the GSD from Alpha Tex Kennels 1 1/2 years ago when he was 3 months old. At the time I was not knowledgeable about what to ask and what to look for from breeders. I thought if a facility was AKC inspected, it was top notch, so I was surprised when I picked up a very sick 3 month puppy. I am very thankful I got him when I did, and was able to have him to a vet within hours to treat a severe coccidia infection and rehydrate before it was too late.

I am fostering a 5 year old male that was rescued from Alpha Tex on Thursday. I watched as all the adults were unloaded, and from what I have seen and from what I was told I am sickened. Originally the Humane society received an anonymous complaint about the conditions in which dogs were being kept. The final number of dogs seized was 231. There were plenty of sick dogs there. There was a puppy with paralyzed legs and a Collie that had been sick for a long time. They had to put them both to sleep, but those were the only ones. It is amazing that out of 231 dogs, only had to put down two, especially with all of the illness that was there. Most of them are underweight and pretty beat up. What got me was a lot of the GSD are missing parts of their ears. They were just thrown in cages with no regard for the dogs they were being held with. Sometimes, dogs just don’t get along with other dogs, but that didn’t seem to play into the owner’s scheme. One dog had old scars and a deep cut across her head, and the dog’s ear was so mangled that it literally grew back together like “a crumpled piece of tin foil” because it had never been treated. I will note that my 3 month old puppy had a torn ear when I received him as well. The 5 year old that I am fostering has a chunk missing from his ear as well.

None of them had been groomed or cared for. Their pens were rarely cleaned and they lived in big houses with cement floors with no access to the outdoors from what I was told. The dogs were walking around in layers of feces and urine, which was also in their beds, as well as fecal matter caked on them somewhere. I did not see this because when the dogs arrived the majority were coward down in crates and terrified because they were not socialized, but I was told so many had broken legs that were never set properly. The dogs just walked around on them and the bones healed wrong. A mother dog with puppies only had three legs and the owners continued to breed her. From what I remember being told, there was a dead dog that has been there for sometime alongside the living animals. I believe there was a recent death of 2 more. When inspectors returned Wednesday, the dead dogs had been removed. However, after further investigation, a few bodies were found in the weeds where they had been dumped.

Here is the kicker. American Kennel Club representatives inspect his kennel annually, and did so most recently on Aug. 30. Apha Tex passes the inspection, although they noted a little detail work around the yard and pens needed to be done. Are these inspections scheduled or what?

I truly believe the Smith's originally had good intentions. I think this situation is a result of things getting out of hand for several years. Mr. Smith was quoted as saying that
they usually try to stay between the 100-120 ranges, but it's been a year that their numbers have increased. They haven't gotten all of them sold. It happens. It's a cycle.

All I know is that I truly pray my foster GSD will hopefully be granted a permanent membership to my family. He is amazing and each day shows more and more personality.

msvette2u · 10-01-2011, 04:32 PM

AKC likes it because they pump out registrations which = $$ for AKC. And then the purchasers of the pups (the ones that survive the illnesses) think they need to breed because "it has papers" and it goes on and on.
*sigh*

onyx'girl · 10-01-2011, 04:37 PM

Wow, thanks for sharing, and fostering. How many of these dogs went to foster, and are they all getting vetted? The burden the Smiths have put on the rescue world is horrible.
So sad that it had to get to this point before the poor dogs were helped. When you picked up your sick puppy, why didn't you let AC know?
A good breeder will not sell a sick pup!
Glad your baby survived. To have 17+ litters this year alone is wild, I can't imagine they would have enough buyers...

selzer · 10-01-2011, 04:56 PM

I think that having an internet site opens a lot more buyers for a breeder, especially if they are making it easy to buy using cc or pay pal. Many of us still want cash or check, and some of us will not ship puppies.

Buying a pup off the net from a distance, getting it shipped means you are relying on the photos on the website to show what the facility is like.

Welcome to the board Maverick, there is a lot of good information and people here, people who work their dogs, show their dogs, breed, rescue and most importantly, care out their dogs, the breed and dogs in general.

When I saw the horse -- that looks like it has a completely dislocated leg or broken leg, that just did not bode well for the dogs. It is shocking to hear that many dogs had broken legs, and visible signs of fighting. (My Babsy is now dog-eared, though she was not kenneled with anyone.) Seeing three or four dogs in a pen isn't a good sign. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, but it is hard to get past that.

Thank you for opening your home to the dog. I hope you can keep him.

Catu · 10-01-2011, 05:13 PM

I used to work for a boarding and training center. I only did feeding and cleaning back then and just started my few steps on training on my spare time.

There were 25 kennels, with between 25 to 35 dogs, almost all of them GSDs and rottweilers. It took me from 8 to 13 to clean, water and feed all the dogs (including a second cleaning of feces after feeding) from 2 to 6 PM I would rotate dogs on the training field to play and run, brush, repair stuff... the day was way too short. And there were other person full time and another part time to do the training.

There were no puppies, who are even more work and more mess.

I can't figure out how to take care of 231 dogs.

ETA: That site screamed puppymill way before being on the news.

Maverick · 10-01-2011, 05:53 PM

Two rescue agencies in TX have come to pick up the Golden Retrievers and Collies, so I am not sure if they have facilities to house them until the hearing on October 13 or not. The Humane Society of West Texas is handling the many GSD and they do not have facilities to house. We have amazing people in West Texas that stepped forward with tons of donated supplies as well offers to foster every last GSD. Every 231 dogs went through a vet check, and I'm thinking 5 were put into quarantine and 5 are going to surgery. Many of us fosters are personally handling the grooming of these dogs.

Sadly, I never reported my ill puppy because honestly I didn't know too. I have always owned rescues and just take care of the situation at hand. I really wish I had though, because you don't expect to pay a large price tag for a puppy that is covered in ticks, sick, and a permanent disfiguring nick on the ear. Since this story has broke, many people are reporting that they bought puppies that show severe signs of hip dysplasia and were sick as well. I wouldn't trade him for anything though! He is my 3rd child!! lol

I just picked my foster up from a groomer...... looks total different. Brought tears to my eyes when he ran full speed to me when he saw me!

Maverick · 10-01-2011, 05:58 PM

Selzer, a cut and paste from an interview.....

Mr. Smith agreed there was an issue with a horse who had an injured leg. "We had been doctoring the horse along and determined it would need to be put down," he said, adding that he planned to make arrangements to do that this week. "They came in before I had a chance."

Hmmmm.............

**JakodaCD OA** · 10-01-2011, 05:59 PM

maverick thanks for the update and first hand info..thank you all for the help with these dogs...

onyx'girl · 10-01-2011, 06:20 PM

Maverick, what a nice report.
I bet these dogs all thought they've died and gone to heaven! And so sweet to read how your foster reacted when you picked him up from the groomer. I'd love to see picks of your pack(and the foster!)

09-30-2011, 02:09 PM	#41 (permalink)
selzer Crowned Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Denmark, Ohio Posts: 17,499	I have been counting on my fingers and toes and cannot possibly figure out how they could give even a basic amount of care to that many animals with three people and one seriously ill. I can clean up after, feed and water ten dogs in an hour. I do it every morning, In the winter it takes a little longer to haul water and shovel them in and out of the kennels. If it was a full time job, I suppose I could care for more. But not a hundred. I wonder if prior to the last couple of years they had kennel help. And the relative state of the economy has forced them to reduce the number of pups and they could no longer afford to pay for extra help. The dogs are still there, and getting older, and need care. And with the old man being sick/out of commission, I can see how they got to the state they are in. In fact, I am shocked it didn't look worse. I think that the number of animals each individual is capable of managing is different. I might struggle with ten, while someone else manages thirty without thinking about it. I think if you put a tight cap on the number of animals an individual can own, many animals who are older or not to be used for one reason or another, or returned to the breeder will be euthanized to stay within acceptable limits. And these animals generally do not take a lot, expensive maybe with more vet bills, but their need for exercise, training, etc is usually lower. __________________ RIP Arwen, CD RN CGC RIP Whitney, RN CGC Jenna, RN CGC Babs, CD RA CGC Herding Instinct Certificate Heidi, RA CGC Tori, RN CGC SG3 Odessa, SchH1, Kkl1, AD Ninja, RN CGC Milla, RN CGC Joy, Star Puppy, RN CGC Dolly & Bear

10-01-2011, 04:56 PM	#45 (permalink)
selzer Crowned Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Denmark, Ohio Posts: 17,499	I think that having an internet site opens a lot more buyers for a breeder, especially if they are making it easy to buy using cc or pay pal. Many of us still want cash or check, and some of us will not ship puppies. Buying a pup off the net from a distance, getting it shipped means you are relying on the photos on the website to show what the facility is like. Welcome to the board Maverick, there is a lot of good information and people here, people who work their dogs, show their dogs, breed, rescue and most importantly, care out their dogs, the breed and dogs in general. When I saw the horse -- that looks like it has a completely dislocated leg or broken leg, that just did not bode well for the dogs. It is shocking to hear that many dogs had broken legs, and visible signs of fighting. (My Babsy is now dog-eared, though she was not kenneled with anyone.) Seeing three or four dogs in a pen isn't a good sign. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, but it is hard to get past that. Thank you for opening your home to the dog. I hope you can keep him. __________________ RIP Arwen, CD RN CGC RIP Whitney, RN CGC Jenna, RN CGC Babs, CD RA CGC Herding Instinct Certificate Heidi, RA CGC Tori, RN CGC SG3 Odessa, SchH1, Kkl1, AD Ninja, RN CGC Milla, RN CGC Joy, Star Puppy, RN CGC Dolly & Bear

10-01-2011, 05:13 PM	#46 (permalink)
Catu Crowned Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Valdivia, Chile Posts: 4,269	I used to work for a boarding and training center. I only did feeding and cleaning back then and just started my few steps on training on my spare time. There were 25 kennels, with between 25 to 35 dogs, almost all of them GSDs and rottweilers. It took me from 8 to 13 to clean, water and feed all the dogs (including a second cleaning of feces after feeding) from 2 to 6 PM I would rotate dogs on the training field to play and run, brush, repair stuff... the day was way too short. And there were other person full time and another part time to do the training. There were no puppies, who are even more work and more mess. I can't figure out how to take care of 231 dogs. ETA: That site screamed puppymill way before being on the news. __________________ "The dog does not need to be deranked so much as the people need to learn to act like people worth listening to" Suzanne Clothier. Diabla, my Daemon; SchH A, RH-T A Akela, my Direwolf; Work in Progress Bagheera, Long term puppy host Last edited by Catu; 10-01-2011 at 05:16 PM.

10-01-2011, 05:59 PM	#49 (permalink)
JakodaCD OA Moderator Join Date: May 2000 Location: Old Lyme, CT USA Posts: 14,237	maverick thanks for the update and first hand info..thank you all for the help with these dogs... __________________ Diane Danger Danger vom Kleinen Hain aka Masi "Angel" Jakoda's Bewitchen Sami CD OA OAJ OAC NGC OJC RS-O GS-N JS-O TT HIC CGC "Angel" Steinwald's Four x Four CGC HIC TT Harmonyhill's Hy Jynx NA NAJ NAC NJC RS-N JS-N HIC Jakoda's Jagged Edge

10-01-2011, 04:27 PM	#42 (permalink)
Maverick New Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 4	Hi guys! Although I've been on your site many many times, I have never posted before. I want to thank you for all the valuable information I have gained from so many of you over the years! Your help has been immensely valuable to my family! I am the proud Mommy of 3 dogs; 2 rescues and 1 AKC GSD. I purchased the GSD from Alpha Tex Kennels 1 1/2 years ago when he was 3 months old. At the time I was not knowledgeable about what to ask and what to look for from breeders. I thought if a facility was AKC inspected, it was top notch, so I was surprised when I picked up a very sick 3 month puppy. I am very thankful I got him when I did, and was able to have him to a vet within hours to treat a severe coccidia infection and rehydrate before it was too late. I am fostering a 5 year old male that was rescued from Alpha Tex on Thursday. I watched as all the adults were unloaded, and from what I have seen and from what I was told I am sickened. Originally the Humane society received an anonymous complaint about the conditions in which dogs were being kept. The final number of dogs seized was 231. There were plenty of sick dogs there. There was a puppy with paralyzed legs and a Collie that had been sick for a long time. They had to put them both to sleep, but those were the only ones. It is amazing that out of 231 dogs, only had to put down two, especially with all of the illness that was there. Most of them are underweight and pretty beat up. What got me was a lot of the GSD are missing parts of their ears. They were just thrown in cages with no regard for the dogs they were being held with. Sometimes, dogs just don’t get along with other dogs, but that didn’t seem to play into the owner’s scheme. One dog had old scars and a deep cut across her head, and the dog’s ear was so mangled that it literally grew back together like “a crumpled piece of tin foil” because it had never been treated. I will note that my 3 month old puppy had a torn ear when I received him as well. The 5 year old that I am fostering has a chunk missing from his ear as well. None of them had been groomed or cared for. Their pens were rarely cleaned and they lived in big houses with cement floors with no access to the outdoors from what I was told. The dogs were walking around in layers of feces and urine, which was also in their beds, as well as fecal matter caked on them somewhere. I did not see this because when the dogs arrived the majority were coward down in crates and terrified because they were not socialized, but I was told so many had broken legs that were never set properly. The dogs just walked around on them and the bones healed wrong. A mother dog with puppies only had three legs and the owners continued to breed her. From what I remember being told, there was a dead dog that has been there for sometime alongside the living animals. I believe there was a recent death of 2 more. When inspectors returned Wednesday, the dead dogs had been removed. However, after further investigation, a few bodies were found in the weeds where they had been dumped. Here is the kicker. American Kennel Club representatives inspect his kennel annually, and did so most recently on Aug. 30. Apha Tex passes the inspection, although they noted a little detail work around the yard and pens needed to be done. Are these inspections scheduled or what? I truly believe the Smith's originally had good intentions. I think this situation is a result of things getting out of hand for several years. Mr. Smith was quoted as saying that they usually try to stay between the 100-120 ranges, but it's been a year that their numbers have increased. They haven't gotten all of them sold. It happens. It's a cycle. All I know is that I truly pray my foster GSD will hopefully be granted a permanent membership to my family. He is amazing and each day shows more and more personality.

10-01-2011, 04:32 PM	#43 (permalink)
msvette2u Crowned Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Beautiful Pacific NW Posts: 5,505	AKC likes it because they pump out registrations which = $$ for AKC. And then the purchasers of the pups (the ones that survive the illnesses) think they need to breed because "it has papers" and it goes on and on. sigh

10-01-2011, 04:37 PM	#44 (permalink)
onyx'girl Crowned Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: SW, MI Posts: 17,605	Wow, thanks for sharing, and fostering. How many of these dogs went to foster, and are they all getting vetted? The burden the Smiths have put on the rescue world is horrible. So sad that it had to get to this point before the poor dogs were helped. When you picked up your sick puppy, why didn't you let AC know? A good breeder will not sell a sick pup! Glad your baby survived. To have 17+ litters this year alone is wild, I can't imagine they would have enough buyers...

10-01-2011, 05:53 PM	#47 (permalink)
Maverick New Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 4	Two rescue agencies in TX have come to pick up the Golden Retrievers and Collies, so I am not sure if they have facilities to house them until the hearing on October 13 or not. The Humane Society of West Texas is handling the many GSD and they do not have facilities to house. We have amazing people in West Texas that stepped forward with tons of donated supplies as well offers to foster every last GSD. Every 231 dogs went through a vet check, and I'm thinking 5 were put into quarantine and 5 are going to surgery. Many of us fosters are personally handling the grooming of these dogs. Sadly, I never reported my ill puppy because honestly I didn't know too. I have always owned rescues and just take care of the situation at hand. I really wish I had though, because you don't expect to pay a large price tag for a puppy that is covered in ticks, sick, and a permanent disfiguring nick on the ear. Since this story has broke, many people are reporting that they bought puppies that show severe signs of hip dysplasia and were sick as well. I wouldn't trade him for anything though! He is my 3rd child!! lol I just picked my foster up from a groomer...... looks total different. Brought tears to my eyes when he ran full speed to me when he saw me!

10-01-2011, 05:58 PM	#48 (permalink)
Maverick New Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 4	Selzer, a cut and paste from an interview..... Mr. Smith agreed there was an issue with a horse who had an injured leg. "We had been doctoring the horse along and determined it would need to be put down," he said, adding that he planned to make arrangements to do that this week. "They came in before I had a chance." Hmmmm.............

10-01-2011, 06:20 PM	#50 (permalink)
onyx'girl Crowned Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: SW, MI Posts: 17,605	Maverick, what a nice report. I bet these dogs all thought they've died and gone to heaven! And so sweet to read how your foster reacted when you picked him up from the groomer. I'd love to see picks of your pack(and the foster!)

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