(This post last updated Sept. 19, 11:37 p.m. Newer updates here. Nov.24 court decision against Paws R Us post here.)
If you want to help the Paws R Us dogs, Humane Society International has set up a website here.
They are still involved in a lawsuit against one of their former customers, Lorie Gordon, after she went on-line and called them a puppy mill but to many people it comes as no surprise that Paws R Us, proudly self-proclaimed to be Canada's largest commercial dog breeder, was raided yesterday by ANIMA-Quebec and Humane Society International Canada.
The Ottawa Citizen reports there were four hundred dogs found at Paws R Us though reports from other individuals involved in the raid have indicated there may have been as many as eight hundred dogs. Either number is believable given that witnesses in previous trials involving Paws R Us have testified to there being as many as 80 different breeds of dogs at the facility.
From 2009 trial testimony:
Defendant’s witness Daniel Davenport testified that he carries officer-of-the-peace status in Quebec. He is an investigating officer of the Montreal SPCA and has been for twenty years. He testified that he visited the facilities of Paws-R-Us five times until he was refused entry in February 2005. He explained that in Quebec there are several organizations that govern the breeding of dogs. He testified that during his inspections of Paws-R-Us, he did note a number of health concerns, such as open sores on the dogs, extremely dirty kennel areas, and over-crowding. He testified that with each visit he would examine paper records and from the documents could say that there was 80-85 different breeds of adult dogs. When asked about the number of puppies, Mr. Davenport testified that from May 1999 to March 2000 he received reports from the attending veterinarian of vaccinations of 412 five-week old puppies that were followed until they were 12 weeks old. He also testified that on one day in April 2000 the attending veterinarian reported vaccinating 312 puppies 6-weeks of age or older. Mr. Davenport never testified that he counted all of the dogs in all of the buildings at Paws-R-Us. He did state that at the times that he inspected the operation, there were many dogs and they were kept in sub-standard conditions. When asked if they were a puppy mill, he responded that in his professional opinion Paws-R-Us was a puppy mill at the times that he did his inspections. He further testified that just because he believed that they were a puppy mill, in Quebec that is not enough to file charges. He explained that in Quebec the test that they must meet is found in the Criminal Code of Canada and the dogs must be abused to the point of life-threatening conditions. Mr. Davenport was asked to confirm that he believed that Paws-R-Us was a puppy mill and he confirmed in examination and in cross-examination that Paws-R-Us was a puppy mill.
In that trial, despite all the evidence confirming the obvious, the presiding judge somehow still found it necessary to declare Gordon guilty of defamation and awarded $14000 to Paws R Us. Gordon has since been involved in a lengthy appeal process against Paws R Us at a not insignificant personal cost.
If nothing else, Paws R Us was brazen in peddling their wares and never saw anything wrong with what they were doing. Here's a comment I received from one of their "supporters" after a blog post concerning their business:
It is people like you that dont take anything you read online with a grain of salt that cause most of our worlds problems. A judge is a judge for a reason, if after looking at all of the information on both sides that was his ruling then he was probably right. Just because someone has a certain number of dogs does not mean it is a puppy mill. It is the conditions and treatment of the animals that define a puppy mill, so as long as they treat their dogs well and keep them in good health why should someone that cannot afford $800-$1000 for a puppy be able to have the right dog for them at a better price?
Oh I see. Paws R Us was breeding puppies in the hundreds because they were doing it out of the goodness of their hearts for the benefit of poor people.
I suppose it's minutely debatable whether or not a handful of employees could possibly "treat their dogs well" when there are four hundred or more dogs to look after but, regardless, a judge somewhere disagreed with the "in good health" part, at least disagreed enough to allow Friday's search and seizure.
According to the Labombards, the inspectors told them they were seizing the dogs because of cobwebs on the ceiling, because the floors weren’t tiled and the kennel didn’t have proper ventilation.
Really? That's it? A judge would do that? I somehow doubt it especially in Quebec where running a puppy mill is really no problem and the law only gets involved when "the test that they must meet is found in the Criminal Code of Canada and the dogs must be abused to the point of life-threatening conditions". Call me biased but I'm going to guess that whoever issued the search and seizure warrant was shown enough evidence to sway him or her to think that "the dogs must be abused to the point of life-threatening conditions".
Maybe we'll find out how strong the evidence against Paws R Us is this time if HSI-Canada releases video footage of the raid.
From The Citizen: “I’m losing my livelihood and I’m very upset,” Labombard said, trying to hold back tears. “It just breaks my heart.”
But that's hardly recompense for the tears you've caused.
Update Sept.17, 12:46 p.m.: Turns out it was Humane Society International who was involved with the raid, not HSUS. There was also assistance from the Oceanographic Environmental Research Society, Red Rover, and the Ottawa Humane Society.
The HSI-Canada website has more details on the raid. From their site:
Humane Society International/Canada, in partnership with the Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec and local law enforcement, rescued more than 400 dogs and puppies from a large-scale commercial breeding facility in Outaouais, Québec. The animals were seized and removed after multiple investigations indicated dogs were not receiving proper care.
“By far, this was the largest commercial breeding facility, involving some of the most inhumane conditions, that our Animal Rescue Team has ever encountered in Canada,” said Lauren Scott, campaigner for Humane Society International/Canada. “Hundreds of dogs were denied their most basic needs and proper care and lacked adequate socialization.”
The seizure followed an inspection by authorities in which numerous infractions were observed in regards to the security, and welfare of the animals.
Update Sept.17, 5:58 p.m.: Now the number of seized dogs, according to the Canadian Press is over 500, making it the largest puppy mill seizure ever in Canada. Many of the dogs were reported to be suffering from skin and respiratory problems.
And look at this: "The investigation is ongoing and charges could be laid against the operators of the puppy mill, Auclair said. A puppy mill! Someone forgot to tell him that Paws R Us is not a puppy mill. It's a commercial dog breeder. But what was it the Bard said? A puppy mill by any other name would reek as foul.
A lot of people are wondering why Paws R Us had been able to stay in business for so long given their notorious reputation. But, as others who have tried taking them to task in the past, the burden of proof was difficult to obtain. From one of the people involved in gathering evidence to obtain a warrant for yesterday's seizure:
They needed MANY more dogs out to prove it. And they had to be of various breeds and ages. And it had to be done in a certain way otherwise it left loopholes for them to slide thru. The dogs had to go straight to a vet from the mill. Otherwise they could have said that any of the issues with the dogs were the owner's fault. As Lorie knows even [epileptic] seizures could be explained away as the new owner's fault for hitting them on the head. So they had to go straight to a reputable vet "as is" to be seen and documented. So no baths prior, no feeding prior, no stops in anyone's home prior.
Also, from the Canadian Press article: [Quebec] has long been considered the puppy mill capital of North America, with an estimated 800 unregulated breeding operations in Montreal alone. Quebec was named "the best province to be an animal abuser" in the 2011 annual report prepared by the U.S.-based Animal Legal Defence Fund.
Between cleaning up the atrocious Berger Blanc animal killing mess in Montreal and yesterday's Paws R Us bust, maybe Quebec is on its way to ridding itself of that ignoble moniker.
CTV has some video.
Update Sept.18, 12:45 a.m.: A rescue shelter worker posts on Montreal Dog Blog about the seizure operation at Paws R Us.
I held my breath all week knowing something was brewing but not being told where until the very last minute.
You should know this happens a lot. Mill owners get a warning to clean up and if they pass inspection … basic food, water and shelter , raids are called off. Of course after the authorities leave the premises the misery returns.
Perhaps the authorities will pursue this as a criminal case after all.
Photos from the seizure, care of Toronto Star.
Update Sept.18, 4:03 p.m.: Video, care of Humane Society International Canada, of some of the seized dogs at their temporary shelter.
Update Sept.18, 9:51 p.m.: The Labombards, like any good corporation, are starting to fight back against the tarnishing of their brand name. In this Sun article/video, the owner of Paws R Us claims her family is a victim of a "setup" and she thinks a former customer, Lorie Gordon, is behind the whole thing.
The Labombards and Gordon may not be on speaking terms, especially since the former is suing the latter for defamation, but I'm thinking the chances of Gordon being the main reason for the seizure is about as likely as the chair I'm sitting on being the incarnation of Elvis Presley. But what do I know?
Update Sept.18, 10:56 p.m.: From Montreal Dog Blog.
I really wasn’t angry until then. I was too busy caring for dogs. The ones the person on the TV claimed to care about.
The ones who are covered in sores, making their skin raw and swollen. The golden retriever who cannot lift her head to look me in the eye in fear of what she might see. The cocker spaniel with green mucus flowing out of his eyes, the tiny pom on IV fluids fighting to breath.
I held her dogs today. The whippet that cried in the crook of my arms and didn’t want to let go, the bichon who was covered in his feces, the little yorkie with the bad limp.
I cried with her dogs today. The bernese whose babies were stillborn, the schnauzer with the dead eyes who was brave enough to come to the front of her crate, the small Australian shepherd mom and pup who I put next to a sunny window as they watched the goings on outside with disbelief. It’s my understanding this morning is the first time they saw daylight.
And from the Humane Society International Canada Facebook page, photos from the seizure:
Update Sept.19, 2:00 p.m.: From Ottawa Sun,
Ottawa resident Julian, 24, went to Paws “R” Us in February 2010 and saw an eight-month-old wire hair fox terrier named Joey.
The breeder immediately showed him Joey’s hairless, pink legs.
“She said it was because of allergies. There were a few scars and marks,” Julian said Sunday.
In hindsight, he said, he should have seen red flags, but since it was his first pet, he was overly excited.
He paid $350 and renamed the pup Apollo.
The same day the puppy came home, “I had dropped the garbage bin on the floor in my kitchen. Apollo bolted out of the kitchen and hid behind my couch, shaking uncontrollably for nearly 20 minutes,” he said, adding Apollo’s overall behaviour was bizarre.
“He was very different from other dogs. He wasn’t socialized, he didn’t bark. I couldn’t bring him anywhere. He would lose his mind.”
Update Sept.19, 11:37 p.m.: Adoptions of Paws R Us dogs could begin as early as next week.
Quebec Agriculture Minister, Pierre Corbeil, says charges will be laid against Paws R Us within 90 days.
More at CTV.
Video from Humane Society International on the seizure:
Updates continued here (sorry, this post is getting too long).
Haaaaaallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah, hallelujah, halleeeluuujah!
"But that's hardly recompense for the tears you've caused."
The tears and the suffering and the pain... I have a desperately hard time trying to have compassion for people like this. What on earth can teach them that what they are doing is so deeply and fundamentally wrong?
Keep us posted!
Ok, so it was the HSI, not HSUS: http://www.hsi.org/world/canada/news/releases/2011/09/puppy_mill_rescue_091711.html
Not that I want to see the cruelty, but I am happy they took photos.
One puppy mill down, great, but sadly, how many more of these disgusting places are there to close down. It seems that the only thing Labombard truly cares about it MONEY, not the pain & suffering that he causes poor innocent creatures. We DON'T NEED PUPPY MILLS. There are already enough dogs (& cats) looking for homes, to be loved, don't cruelly breed more.
But the family had about 13 kids, not counting the nieces, nephews, grandchildren, inlaws, outlaws,and the 3 staff they were supposed to have but never seen. They had lots of mouths to feed and the dogs were their keep. Hope they all rot in jail. Too bad they have no remorse.
I only learned about the 2009 ruling a short while ago, and was shocked, disgusted, and severely disappointed in the legal system that ruled in favor of Paws R Us. I hope this raid and the ensuing fallout will help place all those dogs into proper, loving homes, and that the TRUE nature of what constitutes a "commercial breeder" (cough, puppy mill, cough) will come to light.
Hundreds upon hundreds of innocent homeless animals being euthanized in Canada and the States every day of every week of every month, year after year after year. These people call it 'making a living' ??? On the backs and suffering of the inmates of their death camps. Puppy Mills. The public continues to turn their heads, refuse to believe the horrors of these places exposed daily, and give these lowlifes thousands of dollars for a dog that will almost certainly have medical and emotional issues for their entire life, and for many it will be a short one. These dogs spend their whole miserable little lives in filthy cages with wire floors, receive little to no vet care, fed just enough to keep them, often go long periods with no water, are force bred until they are too old, then discarded like a piece of trash. They never know a kind word or a gentle touch, many will never feel the sun or a breeze on their faces, just the dank darkness of a living death. Our government has to be made accountable in enforcing decent and proper animal welfare. I can only hope that with such a blatant injustice before our courts with this case, they choose to make a point this time. If not, this will just continue, thousands of animals will continue to suffer and the public will continue to be mis-led that all is well in Puppy Mill Land.
I would love to give a loving home to one of these poor dogs. I hope they announce soon where the dogs will be and the plans for adopting them out to PROPER homes.
I really despise humans. Any person who abuses animals is nothing more than dirt. I don't want to give my opinion of the Labombards. I might get sued.
i don't think those dogs was abuse, they look like well feed and do you have a proof that the dogs with skin problem don't received any vet care??
by the way they are not better in their small cage at the shelter
I watched the video yeaterday of Nicole Labombard crying & saying she "loved all her dogs" and I just watched the updated video of the condition some of the dogs were in & I am left scratching my head. This is what you call "loving your dogs"? I would love to ask her how she would feel if she were crowded into a barn with between 400-800 other humans? Do you think that would be a little bit stressful, Nicole? How long do you think it would take before you went crazy? There's no separate place to go to the bathroom so of course, you have to go all over yourself. You're not allowed to go outside at all so you don't even know if it's day or night. You're barely fed & water is hard to come by. The air is so thick you can barely breathe & of course, the smell is unbearable. You can't even hear yourself think because the other people are going crazy and they are yelling & crying. Sounds like Auschwitz, doesn't it? That's what these places are...Auschwitz for dogs. The Lombombards & others like them just don't get it & I doubt they ever will because they lack any empathy. They can't put themselves in the dog's place, not even for one second. You can cry all you want, Nicole, but I know it's not for the dogs, it's because you see the money going bye-bye. I just hope someone is smart enough to prevent these people from owning any more animals because they could just start all over again.
whats the difference between human and humane...the letter e...e for effort and e for empathy....and e for the empty wallet the Lobombards are going to have to endure...Im sure most would agree...throw them in the same deplorable conditions as the pups....a fitting punishment...good luck to the pups ...and kudos to the gal who blew the whistle...at a great personal expense...justice will prevail...come on Quebec...set a precedent....be the first....
I wonder if they will be denied welfare now that they lost their "job". I surely hope they are.
And what will happen to my puppy I was to pick up this week?? Will she be givin out to someone else,even though I have put money down for her or will I be able to bring her home??? Need help to get answers she looked very healthy when I seen her last.
I want my pup plz help if you can
I have a dog from this dreadful place. He was on KIjiji.. advertised as a dog being fostered (buyer beware) He came to me at 8months and has been with us for the same amount of time. It takes money, time, patience and a lot of love to keep a dog that missed out on the socialization period.
These people knew the pain and suffering that they were causing the animals ... and new owners... they just didn't care. It was all about the $$$$$$. I say shame on the powers in Quebec who overlooked this wicked place for years.
Betty Anne.... You should contact HSI. They are on Facebook also. We just got an 8month old puppy from this hell hole. I was disappointed when Charlene Labombard (co-owner) delivered the dog to us. My first inclination was to say no, but I felt sorry for the pup, so we took her home with us. It took a lot of patience, love and affection, but she is turning out to be a beautiful dog. The physical scars will heal, but the psychological ones will always remain. Also, the picture that we had been shown on the internet was not the same dog.
Andre.... I had the same experience... Our Wheaton was delivered to us by Nicole Labombard. He was 8 months at the time... and we knew right away there was a problem just by the smell of him. We felt so sorry for him we took him...knowing no matter what happened he would be in a better place.
He has needed a lot of patience, training, love,,,etc. but is still terrified of people . I didn't know much about dogs...but I do now. The circumstances that these dogs were subjected to caused them to miss out on the very important socialization period in a dog's life.
Who are HSI and how do I contact them
Betty Anne, here is HSI's website: http://www.hsi.org/world/canada/work/about_hsicanada.html . You can find their contact information on that page.
I realize the adults were never treated but they must have had a Vet visiting to give shots to the hundreds of puppies. I wonder if the Vet ever thought there was something wrong with this picture?? The so called breeders are shameful.... but what about all the others that closed their eyes to this??
My story is similar ..My little brown toy poodle was delivered to me smelling terrible. I felt so sorry for him trembling in her hands I took him. The following day I knew right away something was wrong ..he was so terrified he sat in the corner of the room not moving at all ...he looked like a stuff dog. The picture that I saw on Kijiji was of another dog. No one can really touch him but me and I am trying to find everything I can do to socialize him properly. He is a happy dog now and he has such an amazing little personality...but I fear that he will always be scared of people including my daughters who have to love him from a far. My little Cody deserved a better puppyhood then what he has experienced shame shame on them.
I almost got a puppy from them, lost the deposit ($300) because I didn't want a sick dog (it was coughing and had a rattle in its chest). Charlene refused to refund me. I thought about taking it but I had an older dog at home and didn't want to get my dog sick. I thought about reporting the vet because she had signed a certificate of health when in fact the pup was nothing near healthy. The vets should be charged too...they supported them in their cruelty.
What a tragedy that as a nation we do not have stricter laws to protect innocent animals. Breeders should really have to prove themselves before they are allowed to sell any animal.
It is such a vicious circle... the puppy mills turn out dogs ..make their profit and the unsuspecting people get this cute little dog that is sick and or unsocialized. At this point the poor dog is often taken to a shelter because the new owner is unable to care for this dog or deal with this antisocial dog .
We can stop this madness by introducing some very strict laws.... Puppy Mills do not operate for the love of the animal or the breed...It is for the love of the money. SHUT THEM DOWN BEFORE THEY START
Ms. Lombombard summed it up beautifully...".I AM LOSING MY LIVELIHOOD"
Get this straight Charlene.... Breeding dogs is for the LOVE of the breed and the dog. NOT MONEY
You have been confused.
I am interested in finding out if my puppy from Paws R Us has had legitimate shots. The paper shows that a Dr. Sylvie Choquette gave him his shots. I am now wondering if this is authentic.. Does anyone know if this is a legitimate Veternarian
Supposely she exists here is her address and phone number.
Dr. Sylvie Choquette
4642 6 Concession,
Quyon, Quebec, Canada,
J0X-2V0
1 (819) 458 2974
Maybe speaking with her will put your mind at rest.
Wonder if all the dogs were taken see when you have children they have a hard time keeping secrets and tell other children in the playground all the details...
Are you saying some dogs might still be in their possession? If you know something you should be reporting it.
thank you to the person who gave me the name and address of the Vet ....I will try to contact and confirm.
Although I am sure she is screening calls these days if she was the Vet who came on sight and witnessed a lot of this situation. It sounds like there are a lot of people very angry!!!
I bought a Bassett Hound in 2005. It wasn't even the newborn I thought I was going to get. She, The owner called me and said she had one, 7 months old. I took that one, because it was my first dog, and I alwaysss wanted a bassett. After brining the dog home, and showing it her new surroundings, I figured I'd go for a quick shower. Walking back in kitchen, I saw the dog, not only eating her own poop, but the poor was diarrhea, and bloody. I immediately called the Lombardi woman and told her abt it.... her response was dogs do that, and she will stop. She is just nervous. After a week, the dog was still pooping DIARRHEA, and eating it,, and it was still bloody. Called the vet, she said to put powder on the poop, so that the dog wouldn't eat it, it would stop it.....To make a long story shot..... After $500, plus vet fees..... called the owner and told her this dog was sick..... I want another..... she said NO. I said fine... gimme back my money..... SHE SAID NO..... I said.... you will compensate me for this dog, that you sold sick..... she said come here I'll give you $250. It broke my heart to bring my dog back to HER.... but I didn't know what else to do. She calls me like 3 months later looking for the contranct.... because the dog was pregnant... and she needed contract to sell the puppies....I couldn't believe it...... I told her to GO TO HELL......
What Vet with any love for animals would go to this place and not report abuse???
An how did it every end up that a judge ruled in favour of these people a few years ago.
The whole situation is very suspicious???
My husband and I got a lovely female yellow labrador retriever puppy (4 months old) from paws r us kennel at the end of August and I am happy to say that she is a lovely dog with a wonderful temperment and is very healthy.
You and your dog are some of the fortunate ... I am so happy for you. Many of us have been broken-hearted and many of the dogs have been and are very ill. Keep us in your thoughts.
Whatever your names are lombombard....I would put you people in a cage first and then in a prison cell for life.....and all the rest of you people who mistreat animals....I feel so bad for those animals.....I can t stop thinking....when will the GOVERNMENT DO SOMETHING PUT A LAW.....THIS IS CRAZY AND NOT NORMAL....WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING FOR THESE ANIMALS AND ALL THE OTHERS THAT ARE SUFFERING SOMEWHERE ELSE.............THIS IS REALLY REALLY REALLY SAD...
ITS SO SAD FOR THOSE DOGS....525 DOGS THIS IS CRAZY....SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE TO THOSE CRAZY PEOPLE OF PAWS R US.........WOULD LIKE TO ADOPT A DOG ....WHEN WILL THEY BE FOR ADOPTION....
I know there are children involved with these people. I can only hope they haven't witnessed the very horrific parts of all of this... It could have major psychological affects on them.
I cannot believe what has happened,those poor poor dogs,I cried while watching the video,I hope those so called people rot in hell,these are gods creatures and were not put here to be abused,is there anybody out there who knows where I can call to find out about adopting one of these dogs,they deserve to go into a home where they will be treated like a member of the family with lots of love and comfort,you can send me a message at teresa_45@live.ca,it would be very much appreciated.
http://www.mchumane.org/RehabilitationofaPuppyMillDog.shtml. I found this site and thought it might help us with our pups
Yes Thanks... that vet does exist.. I am unable to contact her by phone so I shall write to her and try and get her thoughts on all of this. I am hoping she will respond back.
thanks again
I was elated to learn that the city of Toronto banned the sale of dogs and cats from puppy mills in a unanimous vote yesterday, it is LONG DUE!
Animals born and raised in puppy mills live in horrendous conditions: they are mal-nourished, have open sores on their body, and many are cramped into small cages. As a result, they are born with many genetic problems. It actually costs MUCH MORE to have a puppy mill dog in the long run.
One unfortunate dog owner paid dear price for this lesson. Lorie Gordon of Brockville, Ontario purchased a black Labrador retriever from Paws R Us, a puppy mill located in Shawville, Quebec that was raided on September 16, 2011. The dog was euthanized because of serious health problems. Paws R Us replaced that dog with a Golden Retriever that has also developed serious health problems (mange and epilepsy).
In 2006, the owners of Paws R Us Kennel have filed a lawsuit against Ms. Gordon. The suit alleges that Ms. Gordon made false statements on internet forums. Paws R Us Kennel is suing for $10,000 for lost business and legal fees. In that trial, despite the overwhelming evidence confirming that Paws R Us was indeed a puppy mill, the presiding judge somehow still found it necessary to declare Ms. Gordon guilty of defamation, and awarded $14000 to Paws R Us. Ms. Gordon has since then been involved in a lengthy appeal process against Paws at a significant personal cost.
I call on the City of Ottawa council to pass similar bylaws banning the sale of dogs and cats originated from puppy mills. They are our best friends, they deserve to be treated humanely. For more info regarding puppy mills, read here: http://www.nopuppymillscanada.ca/
Anon at 4:32 p.m., thanks for the comment but you realize you copied and pasted a portion of my post into your comment right? No problem or anything but it's kind of funny is all because when I read it, I was like, "Hey this person writes just like me".
We need to be heard....Toronto has passed a bylaw that puppy mill dogs can no longer be sold in Pet Stores...
We should all go to our City officials and try to do the same.
It appears to me now that Paws R Us was a family affair and within a number of years the children and grandchildren of the Lombombards would be taking over and continuing with this horrific treatment of these animals to make their living. Hopefully this shut down has somehow saved the offspring from a criminal life. I was amazed to hear that 90 puppies were born today... quick math ...likely about 50,000 in pocket...cash at that I am sure.
We share a home with one of their dogs... We love him but...We cannot take him anywhere. Our dog is afraid of his own shadow...and the behaviour therapist tells us he will improve somewhat but he will never be what he could have been. A very crucial part of his development was neglected by the Lombombards.
I am so pleased they have finally been caught and shut down... Justice will not be served until they are prohibited from every owning an animal again... and it should be that far reaching... because I could see them doing the same to cats, rabbits, hamsters, birds....not as big a profit .. but better than welfare income.
I wonder if they are reflecting as they walk through their empty cells in the dark cold smelly barn. I wonder if they even had names for all these beautiful dogs that continued to produce babies every year.??
Thanks for the heads up on that Anon @ 10:33 p.m. Hadn't heard about the newborns.
It is so sad that we have to worry about the future of the pups who came from there. I was hoping on having my Cody around for a very long time but now all I am sure of is today ..I love him dearly and when I look into his eyes and I remember how much he suffered under their hands it breaks my heart. Like I said to my bf last night we need to love Cody just as he is and not what he should have been and give him all the patience, love and understanding that we have for the remainder of his life. Sorry for voicing my personal thoughts but I suspected my dog came from an abused home right away when he didn't know what balls or treats were ..etc, but now I know for sure seeing that picture of that woman it confirms the abuse. I have been upset for all the animals that have been abused under their hands ..I can't get my mind off it
http://www.hsi.org/world/canada/take-action/help_rescued_dogs.html. Here is a website if you wish to help the dogs that were seized.
Anon, thanks for the link.
Everyone who has had a bad experience with Paws r us ....please email your comments to info@hsi.org
They need to hear our voices.
thank you
I think we all need to remember their names... the Lombombards ..... and the name of the vet to Dr. Sylvie Choquette 4642 6 Concession, Quyon, Quebec, Canada, J0X-2V0.
Remember the Lombombards and their shameful empire called "PAWS R US" so that no one ever buys from them again. I am seriously doubtful that the Quebec government will prohibit them from owning an animal again - and as their ridiculous pleas of concern for their animals are made - we all know they are souly concerned about the income they are losing. Anyone claiming to love an animal but yet see that hundreds of them in their care never get walked outside, never socialize with other pets, and lack the basic necessities of life. I also encourage anyone reading this post to make a pledge - to never under any circumstances buy a pet from someone without first seeing where the pet lives/was born/raised. Obviously thousands of puppies were sold from the Lombombards and yet many of their customers replying on this post felt something wasn't quite right when the breeder delivered the dog to their doorstep. Listen to your gut instinct and simply do not buy from this type of breeder (it is unjust to call them a breeder).
Last but not least... remember the vets name...SYLVIE CHOQUETTE(and I will refrain from calling her a "doctor" because vets take an oath when graduating to act in the best interest of the animal at all times). How could she repeatedly give vaccinations to hundreds and even thousands of puppies all coming out of the same place. I doubt they brought her the animals so she must have visited the site. Either way - any vet that would systemically and routinely overlook the sheer quantity of puppies continually been bred there or the site and smell of the operation - clearly did not act in the best interest of the animals. I say she too should be fined, should suffer her livelihood as well. If she is your vet.... drop her. Find someone who cares for animal as clearly she overlooked the quantities, overlooked the conditions for the cold hard cash she was offered. How could any vet continue to vaccinate thousands of puppies while knowing she never treated any of the parents. Did she not ever wonder the health of the parents - did she not ever ask herself ... so many puppies and yet I have never treated any of the parents? She is as negligent, greedy and as guilty as the LOMBOMBARDOS.
REMEMBER THEIR NAMES...............LOMBOMBARDOS (PAWS R US SHAWVILLE) AND THE VET....DR. SYLVIE CHOQUETTE IN QUOYON, QUEBEC...shame to them both... I hope they indeed lose their livelihoods. They don't deserve to own another animal and she should lose her licence as a vet because both were in it for the money!!!
I think we all need to remember their names... the Lombombards ..... and the name of the vet to Dr. Sylvie Choquette.
Remember the Lombombards and their shameful empire called "PAWS R US" so that no one ever buys from them again. I am seriously doubtful that the Quebec government will prohibit them from owning an animal again - and as their ridiculous pleas of concern for their animals are made - we all know they are souly concerned about the income they are losing. Anyone claiming to love an animal but yet see that hundreds of them in their care never get walked outside, never socialize with other pets, and lack the basic necessities of life. I also encourage anyone reading this post to make a pledge - to never under any circumstances buy a pet from someone without first seeing where the pet lives/was born/raised. Obviously thousands of puppies were sold from the Lombombards and yet many of their customers replying on this post felt something wasn't quite right when the breeder delivered the dog to their doorstep. Listen to your gut instinct and simply do not buy from this type of breeder (it is unjust to call them a breeder).
Last but not least... remember the vets name...SYLVIE CHOQUETTE(and I will refrain from calling her a "doctor" because vets take an oath when graduating to act in the best interest of the animal at all times). How could she repeatedly give vaccinations to hundreds and even thousands of puppies all coming out of the same place. I doubt they brought her the animals so she must have visited the site.
REMEMBER THEIR NAMES...............LOMBOMBARDOS (PAWS R US SHAWVILLE) AND THE VET....DR. SYLVIE CHOQUETTE IN QUOYON, QUEBEC...shame to them both.
Oh so true... Vets, Breeders, Lawyers... and lets throw the government in there that has such low standards when in comes to protecting our animals. Do you really think the Lombombards will try to start another dog factory.... there will be so many eyes on them... I am hoping they know they will fail before they start.
IF YOU ALL WANT TO END PUPPY MILLS ....JUST STOP BUYING THEIR DOGS AND NEVER BUY FROM A PET SHOP AGAIN
I have just noticed that their website is back up....not sure of the reason for this. It is an interesting read...knowing what we know now. The Lombombards sure knew how to spin a tale. It really makes you realize how anybody can make anything look good.
Lets do everything we can to assure that the Lombombards do not get to start another puppy mill.
Send your complaints to info@hsi.org
I just found out yesterday that a dog that I got from someone that was just giving him away was a dog that originally came from this puppy mill. I was so sad when I found this out, sad that he had to go through what all those other dogs went through, now I see why he has been so nervous, it took him three weeks to finally become a different dog, he has always been loveable since we got him 3 weeks ago, but now you can see trust in is little face, and I do not know how after everything that he went through
I keep searching the net everyday to see if there's been a ruling yet, or updates on the 527 dogs and nothing. Why is it taking so long. I have registered to adopt, and evey day my heart hurts for those dogs...
How do you adopt the dogs?
The dogs are still in a legal limbo.
Until the courts get their act together and start sending these idiots to prison for lengthy terms there will be little change. When you are making six figures a year off of the pain and suffering of helpless creatures what deterrence is there?
A slap on the wrist and fine is not enough in a civilized society. And these owners of puppy mills have the nerve to shed tears because they are being "persecuted"? I hope there is a special place in hell for these people. But we can't wait and see..........so lets lobby our government to change and strengthen laws to protect the innocent victims of these grotesquely sick individuals. They deserve NO protection or leniency from the law...but a good public caning might be in order...
We bought a puppy from Charlene (paws"r"us) five years ago and she is a healthy happy family member.
We believe that maybe Charlene intended to try to be the biggest breeder not realizing that the puppy's/dogs needed loving care & not be to in pig pens...they were actual for pigs!! Why is it all right for pigs to live like that is another issue??
We feel for the whole situation as we believe there was no bad intended.
Hoping all the people that picked out their puppy's received them after they were seized otherwise the government has stealen from people.
Every animal deserves a proper life, living area and nutrition...plus love !!
I laugh out loud at her losing her livelihood. And I would equally dance on her grave.
How could you have given that dog back to her???? How, how, how???? Have you no heart?
hear, hear.