Community Corner

HSUS Puts Farmington Hills Kennel in Dog House as Among Country's 101 Worst

Animal control officer says the Chien d'Or Kennel, also known as Gabriel's Ark Kennel, has been out of compliance in the past, but has corrected problems.

The Humane Society of the United States released its “hall of shame” list of the 101 worst dog kennels in the country and a Farmington Hills dog breeding kennel was on it.

The report said the American Kennel Club-linked Chien d’Or Kennel, which is also known as Gabriel’s Ark Kennel, failed multiple county inspections. HSUS said it was alerted to the problems at the kennel, located at 28391 Rollcrest Road, by the Puppy Mill Awareness Group of Southeast Michigan, which had been investigating complaints since July.

Pam Sordyl of Clarkston, who heads the advocacy group, said one particularly disturbing inspection report in 2013 detailed “shocking conditions and recommendations for removal of the animals.”

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HSUS said photographs taken at county animal inspections show dogs with patches of missing hair, dogs confined in small, rusty cages, and dirty, overcrowded conditions. The organization also said the kennel has failed “many state inspections” since 2008 and has been the subject of buyer complaints.

However, Bob Gatt, who manages the animal control division of the large county-owned Oakland Pet Adoption Center, said Gabriel’s kennel is currently in full compliance, The Oakland Press reports. All kennels in Oakland County are inspected annually.

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He acknowledged that unsatisfactory conditions have been found in the past, including last summer,when  officials gave Gabriel two weeks to correct deficiencies. Among the complaints was that the kennel was housing more than 50 dogs in violation of county ordinances.

Gatt told the newspaper that he and officials with the Farmington Hills Police Department and Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office  were poised to shut down the kennel for that violation, “but within a short period of time, (the owner) came into full compliance.”

He said that as recently as two weeks ago, Gabriel, who breeds AKC-registered golden retrievers and sells puppies online and directly to the public, was out of compliance again. Problems have since been corrected.

Gatt said authorities will look at a “totality of circumstances” rather than the number of violations before deciding whether to take formal action to shutter the kennel.

“Our goal is not to shut people down; it’s to make sure the kennels are safe,” he told the newspaper. “That’s not what we do here.”

None of the violations jeopardized the dogs’ safety, he said.

Gabriel did not return the newspaper’s calls asking for comment.

She is the subject of a zoning ordinance complaint and a hearing will be held May 15 on whether the kennel, which reportedly has extended into Gabriel’s home, is in violation of Farmington Hills regulations.


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