'And as for every single puppy that has ever spent more than a few months in our store-- every single one has either been sold at a huge economic loss...' You sold them for less than the ususal $100-$200 that pet shops pay for mill pups? So, Monty, you keep saying that you have nothing to hide. How about giving us the actual, factual health statistics on the puppies you buy and sell? For example, how many have parasites, which, contrary to what you think, actually are of concern, both for pets and people. How many supposed 'colds' turn into pneumonia? View Comment

Supporter, please forgive me for not posting this most important reply first, as I did not realize it was you that was part of the funeral procession after the loss of a friend. I am truly sorry. I personally was among the protesters that day and put down my sign and stopped talking as soon as I realized there was a funeral procession in progress. May I politely remind you that it is a very busy intersection and busy part of Route 1 that we are on and perhaps the procession was not as obvious as it might have been had the street been emptier. I can assure you that no one would ever purposely offend anyone in a funeral procession. View Comment

'My final thoughts are this: If the Coalition had concrete evidence of their claims, this store would have been shut down YEARS AGO. It’s evident from POW’s prospering business that their noses are clean and providing the families of Norwalk and its surrounding towns with a beautiful healthy dog, just like mine' -Unfortunately, although we do have 'concrete evidence' in the form of binders full of bad USDA inspection reports, puppy mills themselves are not illegal, neither is selling them in pet shops in most states. We, the Coalition, would be happy to meet with you, as we have with many people and show you our binders full of material. View Comment

'After weeks of research, I found that there were baseless claims brought against these owners and I didn’t feel that it was fair. Therefore, my children wanted a dog and I felt comfortable enough to purchase him from POW.' Supporter, what kind of research did you do? Did you look up any breeder information or look up puppy mills and pet shops online? There is alot of information online, from many different independect sources that might make you feel differently about patronizing any shop that sells puppies. How to Find USDA Breeder Inspection Reports… 1-www.aphis.usda.gov/ 2-FOIA Reading Room -under related topics right side of page 3-Inspection Reports -under 'frequently requested documents' 4-Inspection Reports and License and Registration List 5-have to 'agree' to use site 6-put in as much info as you have on breeder, then hit 'Search'! www.savepuppymilldogs.com View Comment

'The article was more than enough to convince me that Puppies of Westport is an asset to our community but the comments are even more revealing.' Westport Mom. I think you will find USDA breeder reports more revealing of the truth than any banter you may read here. It is very easy to do, so if you see a pup you are interested, in any store, please take a few minutes to look up it's breeder. Also, try to spend 1 hour online researching pet shops and puppy mills for yourself. It costs nothing to get as much information as possible from as many sources as possible before handing over your credit card to someone who has a financial stake in having you believe them. -How to Find USDA Breeder Inspection Reports… 1-www.aphis.usda.gov/ 2-FOIA Reading Room -under related topics right side of page 3-Inspection Reports -under 'frequently requested documents' 4-Inspection Reports and License and Registration List 5-have to 'agree' to use site 6-put in as much info as you have on breeder, then hit 'Search'! View Comment

"...the Coalition that proudly takes credit for the 2010 CT law that REQUIRES evey CT pat store to obtain puppies exclusively from USDA licensed breeders!..." -We, the Coalition, are proud to have supported and worked hard to help pass the law in 2009. We do not take full credit for it. "Missouri is home to the majority of all USDA licensed breeders..." -the 'delicate and fragile pups' (direct quote of Mr Kaufman) are packed in crates and shipped hudreds or thousands of miles all over the country, like vegetables. See article below for an example of puppy transports... July 09. 2009 10:24PM Delivery driver faces animal cruelty charges MISSOURI MAN IN DUDLEY COURT By Linda Bock TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF lbock@telegram.com These two puppies are shown in the back of a delivery truck that authorities say was unfit for the dogs. (Courtesy Webster Board of Health.) WEBSTER — A Missouri man was arraigned today on animal cruelty charges after police said they rescued weak, limp and sick puppies from his van. John T. Clayton, 44, of Missouri, told authorities he had left from Missouri Monday night, and the puppies had not been walked since then, police said. Police said the puppies were crammed into small cages surrounded by animal waste, filth and flies in a locked box truck parked in front of a Main Street pet store yesterday afternoon. In Dudley District Court today, Mr. Clayton pleaded not guilty to the cruelty charges. Bail was set at $1,000. Mr. Clayton's lawyer, Peter C. Lamarine of Southbridge, said in court that Mr. Clayton is being unfairly labeled as an animal abuser. Mr. Lamarine told Judge Neil G. Snider his client comes to Massachusetts each Tuesday and Wednesday to transport animals. Mr. Lamarine said a U.S. Department of Agriculture inspector recently gave clearance for the shipment of animals. He said the animals were naturally distressed given the commute from Missouri. Mr. Clayton “has been doing this for one and a half years and grew up on a farm,” the lawyer said. “We're vilifying this gentleman when, frankly, we don't have all the facts yet.” Assistant District Attorney Scarlett Scannell, noting Mr. Clayton lives out of state, asked for $10,000 bail. She said he is serving a three-year probation term that began this year. His previous offenses include endangering a child and a drunken driving arrest from the late 1980s. Ms. Scannell told the judge the case is more significant than the dogs lacking water. She noted paramedics transported seven puppies to Webster Lake Veterinary Hospital. Before his arrest, Mr. Clayton had just delivered 10 puppies to Elite Puppies, 172 Main St., and had delivered nine puppies to Laughlin Kennel in Oxford, according to police. He may have dropped off puppies at some other New England locations as well. The case unfolded after two people drove by the delivery box truck when it was parked in front of Elite Puppies on Main Street about 2:45 p.m. The two people heard barking dogs and sensed the dogs might be distressed. They flagged down a cruiser in the area and called an animal rescue organization. Police Sgt. Michaela N. Kelley went to Elite Puppies and spoke with employees. “From there it went downhill for Mr. Clayton,” Sgt. Thomas V. Ralph said in an interview this morning. Swarms of flies surrounded cages filled with puppies in poor health, according to police reports, and there was animal waste in and around the small cages. Some puppies appeared to limp, and one puppy was completely unresponsive, according to police. There appeared to be about five puppies in each cage. When she saw the condition of the puppies, Sgt. Kelley contacted the Animal Rescue League of Boston and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to assist in her investigation. She also called Webster EMS and paramedics to check on the puppies. About half the puppies were initially taken to the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in Grafton, and the others were taken to Webster Lake Veterinary Hospital on Thompson Road. The 10 puppies delivered to Elite Puppies remained in quarantine in the back of the store, according to police. The owner of Elite Puppies, Jennifer Gardner, said in an interview this morning the store does not bear responsibility for the condition of the dogs. She said the incident has led to death threats against her. Ms. Gardner said the puppies in her store were healthy, and she had no problems with the puppies delivered yesterday. Elite Puppies is a family-run business that deals with private breeders, according to the company's Web site. “My puppies are fine,” Ms. Gardner said. She has owned the store for three years. She said she has not had problems with the delivery driver and the puppies came with water. “None of my dogs were sick.” Ms. Gardner declined the Telegram & Gazette's request to have photos taken of the puppies delivered yesterday. Board of Health officials inspected the store yesterday, and officials from the state Department of Agriculture are conducting an investigation of the store today, according to authorities. Sgt. Kelley said Mr. Clayton last night declined to answer questions about the puppies without a lawyer present. MSPCA Officer Christine Allenberg was the first to arrive at the scene. Lt. Alan Borgal, director of law enforcement for the Animal Rescue League of Boston, later mobilized a team to respond, including Dr. Martha Smith, who performed onsite veterinary evaluations, according to Animal Rescue League spokeswoman Jennifer Wooliscroft. She said all 27 puppies were transported overnight to an undisclosed Animal Rescue League hospital in Boston, where they will remain for the time being. The puppies are primarily designer and toy breeds, according to Ms. Wooliscroft, and there was one Weimaraner. She said the condition of the puppies is still being assessed. Most of the puppies appeared to be about 5 weeks old, according to authorities. “It's too soon to tell their condition,” Ms. Wooliscroft said. “No water, no sanitation — they seemed weak and dehydrated.” A clerk magistrate went to the scene and a search warrant was issued, according to police. There were at least 51 tags in the van, and Sgt. Kelley said there may have been 51 puppies when the van left Missouri Monday night. Police seized 24 puppies yesterday that had not yet been delivered. The puppies came from different states, according to the information on the tags. Mr. Clayton allegedly told Sgt. Kelley that he had been on the road since Monday night, and the puppies had not been walked since then. Puppy Ship is the name of the Missouri-based company that brought the puppies to New England, police said. A manager at Laughlin Kennel in Oxford, who would only identify herself as Christine P., said nine puppies from the same van were delivered about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. She declined to give her last name. “The driver really does a great job for us,” Christine said. “We haven't ever had any issues with him.” She said he brought a huge water jug for them to fill Tuesday night. The manager said the Oxford kennel typically gets a delivery of puppies from Puppy Ship every week. “As far as I know, he picks up puppies from Missouri,” Christine said. “Wow, it freaked me out when I heard this; we never have any issues with him.” The manager said any dogs delivered to the kennel are quarantined for two days and a veterinarian checks them before they are put up for sale. Todd Davis, a representative of Puppy Ship, was in court this morning awaiting Mr. Clayton's arraignment. In a telephone interview, Mr. Davis said he planned to post bail for Mr. Clayton. Puppy Ship is a USDA-licensed company, according to Mr. Davis. He said there are strict guidelines for providing animals with adequate water, food, ventilation, adequately-sized cages and clean conditions. He said Mr. Clayton is a longtime driver for Puppy Ship. “All these things we followed and we try to go above and beyond,” Mr. Davis said. “We are inspected on a regular basis and we have never had an issue.” Mr. Davis said he was treated hostilely by the animal rescuers, and not permitted to go near the truck to care for the puppies. “I think we are a target of a very sensational group of folks who are offended with anything to do with puppies,” Mr. Davis said. “I am really disappointed in what went on here.” Authorities took custody of the truck. “We'll fight this on the grounds of an illegal search,” Mr. Davis said. “All of us care very much for the welfare of animals.” Brian Lee of the Telegram & Gazette staff contributed to this report. "Much of the information relied upon by the activists is from the Humane Society of the United States which is primarily a lobbying group that contributes less than one-half of one percent of the more than 100 million dollars it raises annually to dog shelters and rescue groups. For more information about the HSUS, which is committed to giving animals the right to sue people and whose number two officer has stated that "the life of an ant is as important as the life of my child" please consult www.humanewatch.com where you will be most unpleasantly surprised." -Link to NEW YORK TIMES (6/10) on Center for Consumer Freedom, whose logo is on the home page of Mr Kaufman's recommended humanewatch website. -www.nytimes.com/2010/06/18/us/politics/18berman.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=berman%20ccf&st=cse "...gone after groups like the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine and Mothers Against Drunk Driving..." Monty, what kind of people go after MADD? -Link to Charity Navigator for people who do not believe that the Humane Society of the United States & the ASPCA are not reputable charities. ***www.charitynavigator.org/ Google Search Results-Charity Navigator - America's Largest Charity Evaluator...on HOME page, BROWSE by Category, ANIMALS,then Animal Rights, Welfare, and Services (241)...HSUS & ASPCA both rated 3 out of 4 stars). Monty, please provide website/link/anything-at-all that shows that anyone related to the HSUH ever made that ant comment, which is obviously nowhere to be found on the HSUS site as it was never said. View Comment

"home enjoyBest in Show View Track Best in Show by Jacqueline Burt03/05/10 9-week-old Golden RetrieverShe's not Sadie the Scottie, the new Westminster winner, but she sure is cute! This 9-week-old Golden Retriever is winning hearts at Puppies of Westport on 420 Post Road West for her gentle, cuddly nature--and she's looking for a home. For the price (which includes shots) and more info, call 203-222-5400." Just saw this with a pic of a cute puppy. Thought it was an add. Can you please tell us who the breeder is so we can look it up. Thank you. View Comment

Can you please tell me who her breeder is so I can look it up for myself. Thank you. View Comment

Norwalker, I too appreciate your suggestion about changing the laws. The Westport Coalition Against Puppy Mills (www.savepuppymilldogs.com), of which I am a proud member, fought hard to help pass the updated puppy lemon law in 2009. However, the public needs to be made aware of the truth about pet shop puppies, which is that they are puppy mill puppies. Many of these puppies become ill very soon after purchase and can develop genetic and behavior problems later in life that can cost it's new family hundreds or thousands of dollars to treat. These are the things pet shops don't tell you. We have found that once people learn the truth, most, if not all of them decide not to buy a puppy from a pet shop. Thus, by reducing or someday eliminating the demand for pet shop pups, the cruel puppy mill industry will finally be stopped. Every time a pet shop puppy is purchased, it opens up cage space for another one, and further ensures that it's parents will spend the remainder of their lives in cages, never feeling the grass beneath their feet. You don't have to just take my word for it, but google 'pet shop puppies' and take an hour to learn about puppy mills and their connections to pet shops......"Members agreed the store is a great place to take children – there are puppies everywhere" Correction: we do not think the store is a good place to take children because we want them to eventually be taught the truth about puppy mills. Also, pet shop puppies commonly carry parasites that are transmittable to people. They are called zoonotic diseases and can be read about online at the CDC's website.... View Comment