Inside Dog Auctions

AWAwatchdog is asking you to contact your elected officials to ensure that the Animal Welfare Act is followed and dogs are treated humanely at these inhumane dog auctions. A sample letter can be found here.

Throughout the past ten years one dog auction in particular has violated the Animal Welfare Act time and time again. Jerome Schmidt, DVM, holds the Top of the Ozarks auction in Hartville Missouri. The monthly sale attracts the worst dog breeder, the worst dog buyers, and the dogs in the worst condition. Because Schmidt is a veterinarian his "expertise" often puts inspectors at odds when contradicting whether or not a sick or injured animal can or should sell. Below are just a few examples of the defiance seen by Schmidt when questioned by USDA about the condition that animals are found at his sales.

There is one enclosure containing two adult dogs numbered 181 and 182 that does not provide the contained animals with enough head space for the animals to hold their head in an upright manner. Enclosures must provide sufficient space to allow each dog to turn about freely, to stand, sit, and lie in a comfortable, normal position, and to walk in a normal manner. (Source: Mar. 17, 2002)

The following four animals were being held in enclosures that did not provide sufficient space to allow each dog to turn about freely, to stand, sit, and lie in a comfortable, normal position, and to walk in a normal manner. The dogs numbered 29 and 30 were unable to stand in a normal position, the head of dog number 147 was hitting the top of the enclosure, and the back of the dog number 243 was rubbing the top of the enclosure not allowing the animal to raise it's head in a normal position. (Source: Oct. 13, 2002 inspection)

During the inspection there was one adult female Mastiff, auction # 21, which was extremely thin to the point of its ribs, shoulder blades and hip bones protruding. I contacted Karen Schmidt and requested that Dr. Jerome Schmidt evaluate the animal before selling it in the auction. Dr. Schmidt evaluated the animal and stated it was fine.

An adult Boston, auction #208, was sitting with its head pressed against the top of the enclosure. The animal was unable to lift its head into a normal position.

An adult Min Pin female, auction #162 standing in an eighteen (18) inch high enclosure with its head against the top of the enclosure. The animal is unable to raise its head into a normal position.

There is an adult male Pug, auction #190. The animal is on the large size for the breed, it is being housed is a transport type carrier that does not allow the animal to turn about or lay in a normal position. The animal was panting heavily with its tongue constantly distended.

There was a raised wire enclosure which measured thirty (30) inches in length twenty-four (24) inches wide and twenty-four (24) inches high. The enclosure contained two adult Beagles. One of the beagles was almost twice the size of the other. The larger dog was trying to lay down in the enclosure its head was pushed up against the back of the enclosure and it was unable to extend its legs and had to pull them up to its body.

There is one adult American Eskimo, auction #3, which is being housed in an enclosure that is eighteen (18) inches in height that is too small for the animal. The animal is sitting with its head pressed against the top of the enclosure. The animal is not able to sit or stand with its head in a normal position. (source: Nov. 2, 2003 inspection)

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During the inspection process we were in rear of the auction facility documenting and taking photos of non-compliant items. The licensee screamed at us from the auction podium to ?Stop? then aggressively approached us. The licensee stated I could not take photos of the facility. I tried to ask the licensee if he was sure this was what he wanted to do as it is a violation of the Animal Welfare Act. He interrupted me demanding I give him my camera. I firmly told him "No". He told us we were trespassing and he had not known we were at the auction. I informed him I had contacted his wife upon my arrival. The licensee's spouse is responsible for all paper work at the facility including health records. This has always been the standard practice of conducting inspections at this auction facility. The licensee has never voiced an objection to this practice in the past. I told the licensee I did not want to argue with him when he again interrupted me and yelled at us "GET OUT". I then informed the licensee that this would be documented on his inspection and we proceeded to leave the building. As we were leaving the building we heard the licensee inciting the audience against us and the USDA over the sound system. Before we were able to leave the facility an auction patron accosted us demanding to know who we thought we were that we could break the law. Because of these actions of the licensee we were unable to complete the inspection process. The licensee interfered with the course of the inspection by verbally abusing us and demanding we leave the facility. A licensee shall not interfere with, threaten, abuse (including verbally abuse), or harass any APHIS official in the course of carrying out his or her duties.

The inspection of the animals and enclosures was started at 10:50am. Both fellow inspector Jan Feldman, ACI and myself immediately noticed the heat in the animal area upon entering it. We were sweating profusely (View buyers suffering from the heat); the animals were panting heavily and behaving in a lethargic manner (view animals suffering from the heat). There were empty water receptacles in a few of the enclosures but no water had been provided to the animals. The atmospheric temperature in the building was measured at enclosure level with two separate handheld measuring devices for accuracy. The Kestrel recorder measures temperature and humidity. The temperature was recorded at 10:50 am to be 85 degrees F., at 11:10 it was 86 degrees F., at 11:14 am it was recorded at 86.8 degrees F. with humidity was at 85 percent. At 11:30 am the auction staff started giving water to the contained animals. There is no air conditioning in the building. The only fan that was seen in operation in the animal area was a small box type sitting on the floor by the ground enclosure which contained two adult Bulldogs. However this fan provided very little air movement. When climatic conditions present a threat to an animal's health or well-being, appropriate measures must be taken to alleviate the impact of those conditions. An animal may never be subjected to any combination of temperature, humidity, and time that is detrimental to the animal's health or well-being, taking into consideration such factors as the animal's age, species, breed, overall health status, and acclimation. (Source: Jun. 5, 2004 inspection)

Dogs and puppies are held eight feet in the air, and spun around for the crowd to see.