Trail of Dead Dogs and Deception Leads to Colorado Pet Shop

In December, around 1,200 dogs were killed after an outbreak of distemper at a Kansas puppy mill. The disease was discovered after sick puppies had been shipped to pet stores in Wyoming. When puppy mill owner, Jeff Fortin, had to quarantine his kennel instead of continuing to sell dogs, he said he could no longer afford to feed them, and euthanized them instead.

This is a prime example of the USDA's failure to regulate commercial breeders. The list of violations against Fortin's kennel over the past several years include: failure to keep adequate records, failure to provide adequate vet care, allowing trash to accumulate near dog enclosures, and denying access to inspectors. Yet he was still allowed to stay in business.

But that's only half the story. Fortin didn't just operate at the back end of the puppy mill business. He's also on the front lines of puppy peddling with an Adams County, Colo., pet shop. As you'd expect, he's been caught selling sick puppies. And that's just the tip of the iceberg of alleged cruelty and deception at North Washington Street Kennels.

Former employees of the pet store observed Fortin killing "unsuitable" puppies by injecting them in the heart with dishwashing soap. There's only one kind of person who thinks this is a good idea, and that's not a person who should be allowed anywhere near animals.

Fortin is also accused of falsifying USDA and veterinarian records, and possible tax evasion. From top to bottom, supply to sales, animal care to paperwork ... something is rotten in Fortin's kingdom. Very rotten.

This isn't exactly new. Activists have been fighting to get authorities to pay attention to Fortin's practices for years. In 2008, Fortin was ticketed on suspicion of 34 counts of animal cruelty when police officers found puppies crammed into cages inside his Longmont store. That store had been fined by the state for record-keeping violations and failure to disclose a puppy's vet history.

The Longmont store, as well as another in Greeley, closed and, in January, Fortin gave up his breeding license. But North Washington Street Kennels remains open, and that's one too many.

On January 22, as many as a hundred protesters lined up outside of North Washington Street Kennels. Activists and former employees have approached the Department of Agriculture and the police with this laundry list of serious accusations, but there hasn't been any action. The Facebook group, "1200 Dogs Dead, Tell Us Your Jeff Fortin Story," is looking for people who have worked with Fortin, bought a sick puppy from him, or rescuers who ended up with dogs from his pet shop to aid the ongoing investigation.

But with only a handful of fines and warnings, you might say that Jeff Fortin has been allowed to get away with murder. Keep the pressure on state and local authorities — sign the petition calling for an investigation of Jeff Fortin and North Washington Street Kennels.

Photo credit: Hillary Kladke