The Case of Judy Hulett

If there is one case that exemplifies the complete worthlessness of USDA licensure, it is breeder Judy Hulett. A 3/5/19 USDA inspection found a number of dogs with major injuries and health problems, including an “excessively thin” pregnant dog, two dogs with severe dental problems (none of the dogs on the property ever had their teeth cleaned), two dogs with ear lesions, one dog with fur loss, one dog with feces caked on her back, and two dogs with major eye problems. Dogs were kept outside without bedding in temperatures under 35 degrees. A “very large number” of cockroaches were seen crawling around in one enclosure called “Mama House 2”. Some of the injured dogs were “examined” or “evaluated” by the “attending veterinarian”, whatever that means.

A “focused inspection” was conducted the next day on four dogs, even though nine dogs were experiencing problems. Read how vague and abrupt the report is:

Three months later, on 6/4/19, the same inspector returned. One of the dogs with major eye problems was still having problems. The dog suffered for three months. The dog was then “removed from the breeding colony”. Who knows to where. This is a clear example of how the veterinary treatment was shoddy, unreliable, or just nonexistent. Three other dogs had eye issues. This begs the question of what exactly this inspector observed on 3/5/19 during the “focused inspection”. One indoor housing facility had a strong ammonia odor, and in a primary enclosure the “entire leg of a puppy was observed to slip through the wire in two different cages of two pups with their moms.” Unfortunately, wire flooring is actually USDA permitted in these mills.

There was not another inspection by a different inspector until 11/12/19. The inspector wrote two sentences: “No non-compliant items identified during this inspection. This inspection and exit interview were conducted with the facility representative and licensee.” There has been no inspection since, and Judy Hulett is still licensed.

The Case of Raymond Lawson

Raymond Lawson/The Silver Spur is on the Humane Society’s Horrible Hundred 2020 list, and for good reason. Missouri inspections from 2016 through 2020 show repeated violations involving dilapidated and dangerous housing and outright neglect for the dogs. Let’s start with the 4/9/18 Missouri inspection. This inspection occurred almost one year after the previous one. The inspector cited this breeder for allowing dogs to drink from severely chewed water bowls with sharp edges. The breeder has no regard for providing a safe, clean experience for the dogs when they drink their water. The inspector also issued a citation for “a large amount of excreta in most of the primary enclosures on the floors and on some of the walls”, a clear indication that this breeder has no concerns about the dogs living in filth. The facility wasn’t re-inspected until a year later on 4/10/19.

On 10/8/19, the inspector found a significant number of serious violations, including dogs in enclosures that were too small and a limping German Shepherd with an abnormal gait.

The facility was not inspected again until 3/11/20. The inspector found that the German Shepherd was euthanized and wrote “This item has been corrected.” We have no idea why the German Shepherd had an abnormal gait and was limping nor whether something could have been done to improve his condition. This matter-of-factness and nonchalance is very disturbing. There also continued to be issues with dogs in enclosures that were too small, a dog without water, no solid resting surfaces for some of the dogs, and “two Pomeranians that had fecal matter caught in the fur and around their tails.” The inspector suggested this be corrected a week from the inspection, rather than in the moment. Apparently it was ok to leave the Pomeranians like this for another seven days. The inspector issues a “letter of warning”, which stated the breeder would be charged $100 if the violations were observed at the next inspection. A small price to pay for severe abuse and neglect of multiple dogs.

The same inspector went back on 4/16/20 and encountered the same issues for which she issued the warning letter, but it didn’t matter. Even though there was still a dog in an enclosure that was too small, a vet letter somehow made it ok. A Pomeranian had “fecal matter caught in the fur and around their tail” again. The same inspector issued another warning letter, rather than imposing the $100 fine as stated in the previous warning letter, giving no consequence for the breeder’s continuous neglect of dogs.

The last state inspection took place on 6/24/20, at which once again the inspector observed dogs without water. Since the state inspection on 4/9/18, the USDA inspected the facility only twice, once on 6/18/18, in which the inspector marked two “teachable moments” that cannot be viewed on the report, and another on 8/15/19, at which no violations were documented. 8/15/19 was the last USDA inspection, yet Raymond Lawson’s USDA license is good through 8/19/21.