Breeders approved for kennel licenses

ALBION, Ind. (WANE) - Dogs with eye infections. Puppies living in their feces. Ignored vet visit requests. That's what animal advocates in Noble County want to stop but met a roadblock Wednesday night.

I was pretty appalled and shocked," said Lori Gagen, the Executive Director of Black Pine Animal Sanctuary. "I mean I was born and raised here in Noble County, and I've never heard talk of puppy mills in my hometown or this home community."

Wednesday night the Noble County Zoning Board met to hear the requests of six petitioners or dog breeders. In a meeting that lasted over four hours, board members approved all six requests for kennel licenses.

Pam Sordyl works at one of the largest pet store chains in Michigan. She filed a complaint with the Noble County Zoning Board after finding out information that concerned her about where her puppies were coming from which caused the meeting Wednesday night.

"I track shipping records to see where they're coming from, so families know if they are buying an animal out of cruelty," Sordyl said.

Sordyl looks at the USDA inspection reports when she does her tracking and saw problems with one breeder present at the meeting, Marlin Bontrager.

"There's a lot of violations coming out of the Bontragers' farm," Sordyl said.

Sordyl said Bontrager runs one of the five largest kennels in Indiana. Even though he's not supposed to have more than four dogs. He supplies puppies to a chain of pet stores in Michigan, some in Illinois, and in Fort Wayne.

However, residents aren't letting Wednesday's decision stop them.

"We're going to take the lead in Noble County and make sure that our ordinances are beefed up," Gagen said.

Gagen said the next step is continuing to educate people and working on strengthening laws in Noble County.