HomeMy WebLinkAboutAshly Dale 8-18-21Hello Commissioners, Mayor Pavone, and Councilmembers
I greatly appreciate the opportunity to speak at the public hearing on Wednesday and the
opportunity to provide additional comments.
I wanted to first address Commissioner Alberson’s question about JAKS and the brokering
process since you did not get a clear answer from the store. Records received from the
Washington Department of Agriculture show that Puppyland Renton has exclusively sourced all
657 puppies from JAKS located in Britt, Iowa since they opened. Please see the attached CVIs.
I have also attached a document that further explains the brokering process. As Mr. Kerr stated,
the broker provides all of the commercial breeder information so they have it at the time of sale.
It is not obtained by Puppyland. This transfer of paperwork is all done through an online
program called the PetXchange.I have also attached a pedigree from Puppyland that indicates
it was produced from the PetXchange. I am also happy to provide you with copies of the
customer documents we have received linking Puppyland to multiple Midwest puppy mills. Pet
stores would not be successful if they were honest about where their puppies come from as few
people would knowingly support a puppy mill.
As for the claim from Ms. Kerr that they do not source from breeders with over 1200 dogs on
site, I have attached documentation obtained from a Puppyland customer showing that they did
sell a puppy that came from AJs Angels (operated by Angie McDuffee) who has over 1200 dogs
on site. She has also been named one of the worst puppy mills in the country twice. Either the
store is blatantly being untruthful or they do not know what breeders their puppies come from
because they use a broker. Neither provides transparency to the customer.
Ms. Sardinas claimed that customers can Google pet financing prior to purchasing a puppy from
Puppyland. The problem is that Puppyland does not disclose what companies they finance
through on their website and does not provide what percentage of interest will be charged to
customers. A Renton resident recently purchased a puppy from Puppyland and her interest rate
was 98.98%. This practice is incredibly predatory and is setting families up for financial
hardship.
A Renton resident raised concerns about the people testifying in opposition to a humane pet
store ordinance and their ‘stake’ in all of this.I would like to provide more insight into that. Kayla
& Justin Kerr own Puppyland and have chosen to continue this dying business model instead of
converting to a humane business model, even after 2 cities (Olympia & San Antonio) have
passed ordinances requiring their stores to stop selling commercially bred puppies. Paula &
Albert Sardinas are lobbyists, hired to represent Puppyland. Ms. Sardinas receives $10,000 a
month from Puppyland.Sabrina Nasalroad is Ms. Kerr’s sibling. Michael Hecht stated at the last
meeting that he is an employee of Puppyland. It is important to note that Puppyland employees
receive commission for every puppy sold. Those speaking in favor of a pet store ordinance do
not have a financial stake in this. We simply love animals and believe they should be treated
with kindness and that people should not be taken advantage of by unscrupulous pet stores.
As I mentioned during the public hearing, the city of Renton cannot regulate out of state
breeders. The USDA does not require dog breeders to provide an additional 4” of cage space.
They do not require dog breeders to have less than 50 adult breeding dogs. They do not prohibit
dog breeders from stacking cages. Because of this,it will not be indicated on USDA inspection
reports if breeders are not following these guidelines so there is no way for the city of Renton to
ensure Puppyland’s breeders meet Washington state standards.
Lastly, to clarify what the state bill (HB 1424) does,it did not grandfather in stores who
previously sold cats and it does not prohibit local municipalities from passing humane
ordinances. No pet store in Washington is legally allowed to sell cats as of July 25th 2021 and
the state bill does not include preemption. I have attached the state bill for your review.
I am happy to answer any questions you all may have.I hope that the city of Renton will
become the next city to cut off the puppy mill pipeline and protect families and their pets.
Thank you.
Ashly Dale
Director of Operations - Bailing Out Benji
adale@bailingoutbenji.com
253-797-0688