WOW, Alsip claims to only purchase from small breeders, yet they purchase from Heritage which has 458 adult breeding dogs??? Last year I saw puppies being delivered to Alsip Nursery in Frankfort, hand carried in by a very large man and he was accompanied by a woman, also carrying 2 puppies, by hand. Just the sight of these 2 individuals screamed PUPPY MILL, so I inquired at Alsip and I was told they only deal with local small breeders. Guess the proof is in the documentation.
I will never understand WHY anyone would BUY a puppy from a store. There are so many wonderful puppies and dogs in shelters that will give you more love and appreciation then you could believe.
Please if you are considering a pet in your future, go to a shelter and save a life!!!

I agree with you Kimberly---never buy an animal from a store.

Stop shopping Alsip Home Nursery! This has been going on there for decades! This is not the first report of this. Call the store and complain...expect them to deny everything. 815-469-1044

Wow sounds like I won't be shopping at Alsip anymore. I have heard this before but gave the store the benefit of the doubt, guess I was wrong to do that... maybe instead of using a puppy mill Kris Shepard could work with local pounds and animal shelters and help readopt homeless dogs.. He could save so many dogs just by allowing those that have "ran out of time" to be placed in his store... I guess he would lose profit though since he wouldn't be able to make $850 - $1200 for a pure bred puppy mill pup. Well I am one Frankfort resident that will no longer be shopping at Alsip Nursery:(

I'm not surprised at all...its all about the profit. I reported them a while back because I saw one of the employees throw a puppy into its cage, hit the window and was unconscious for a few seconds before finally getting up. They said they'd look into it, but the employee is still there. Go to PAWS or a shelter, we have two beautiful dogs that we rescued, as puppies, for $200, as opposed to the crazy prices at pet stores.

This story is absolutely true! In May 2010 we bought a golden retreiver puppy from Alsip. After a week of a sick dog, I went back to Alsip pet department and demanded to know where she came from. I was given a name of a husband/wife - nothing else. An organization named petshoppuppies.org tracked down where she came from for me - this couple ran a puppy mill in Iowa. Another organization named Iowa Voters for Companion Animals also confimed for me that the people ran a puppy mill. In fact, they are one of top 5 puppy mills in the state of Iowa for USDA violations! Are you still buying puppies from Spires family in Taylor, IA, Mr. Shepard? The last USDA report said they had 96 dogs on the premises. And that's not a puppy mill? All this information is true and verifiable. How do you sleep at night, knowing that your business supports an industry as horrible as this? I wish someone would send you a copy of "Madonna of the Mills" for Christmas. I've heard that you make a lot of money in your pet department, but its time to do the right thing and stop selling puppies.

It is a shame that animals coming as a result of puppy mills or other unlawful breeders are the ones who suffer. Our "flagging" of them does not help.

And at the same time, my wife and I are in agreement that if we ever do purchase a dog, it will likely be from an animal shelter, not from a store -- especially Alsip.

It's just a crappy situation all round. The people who exploit animals for the sake of profit are simply not human.

I know someone that used to work at Alsip and said that a wide variety of dogs would come from the same breeder and address, obviously demonstrating a puppy mill. I don't like shopping at Alsip Nursery as things their are very expensive and the entire pet section is just so, so sad. I hope this expose shuts down their pet business!

I want to know if this is true....I've heard that when dogs reach a certain age, and their cost has been discounted to about 1/2 of their original ridiculous cost, they are sent to a kill shelter in IN???? I know I will NEVER shop here and encourage everyone else to stop!

I have shopped at Alsip in the past and on several occasions have noticed sick dogs in their kennels. I had also witnessed a man and a woman push a shopping cart full of a variety of dogs into the store to meet with a kennel employee. The conversation was definitely related to bringing in the dogs to sell. There were over 8 dogs in that cart of different breeds. That left a sour taste in mouth and along with their poorly maintained fish department, I have never purchased any pet related items since. After hearing about this investigation I will most definitely not be shopping there any more as it confirmed my suspicions all along.

If the allegations are definitely true, then Alsip's pet department is no different than Happiness is Pets. They both need to be closed.

I'm ill after reading this article. When i bought my puppy, I inquired about where they purchase from and I was told they visit the breeders regularly and locally. No puppy store (that sells in bulk) is safe, apparently. My next dog will MOST CERTAINLY come from a shelter....and NEVER a puppy mill storefront. SHAME ON ALSIP NURSERY!!!

I heard most Alsip's flowers come from a plant mill.

What a piece of trash... it's very simple, do not breed or buy while shelter animals continue to die. When people stop supporting these establishments it will stop...the consumers are to blame as are the millers for patronizing establishments that sell puppy mill dogs.

I would like Kris Shepard to tell us how many dogs a breeder should have on premises to be considered for Alsip to do business with. Also, maybe Alsip shouldn't be dealing with brokers. As much as people would love it that stores would never be able to sell puppies/dogs - reality is that they will. Lets face it, it is ALWAYS best to purchase a dog direct from the breeder or to rescue one from a shelter, however, most people will simply buy one from the store due to convenience. The State (& I hate big Government) needs to step in & mandate some laws to protect the consumer & most importantly, the animals! Make it illegal for stores to deal with brokers, have a maximum number of dogs on the breeders premises, make it a law that the dogs that are being breed have so many square footage to be able to be exercised & cared for. At the grocery store, we have the choice to purchase free range animal products. The consumer should also have the right to know what they are purchasing, where they are purchasing it from, and should be protected by those who are only out there to make a buck & who don't care about the welfare of animals.

ADOPT!!! Don't SHOP!!! Too many of these "boutique" dogs are given up and end up in shelters...

Thank you Frankfort Patch for publishing this article exposing another puppy mill ...

"Don't forget to spay and neuter your pets." Bob Barker

Almost no credible breeder will sell to a retail pet store. Only deal with an AKC recognized breeder, or better yet, save a life and get your dog or cat from an animal shelter. There are so many unwanted pets who need homes and are just as wonderful as pure breeds.

about time a local newspaper shares the truth with the general community. I have told people this for years, it is pretty easy once you know how, to look up where dogs in pet stores come from...99.9% are from mills -that other.1% is from a backyard breeder who sells or gives them to a pet store to sell. Alsip has been LYING to everyone for years-about time the truth is FINALLY out and in the open!

I am so guilty of buying my dog from Alsip Nursery. I am highly allergic to dogs so I never expected to buy a dog again. After a death in the family and at Alsip to buy some fish tank supplies, my son discovered the cutest little white dog. After much begging and playing with the dog the employee told me that I would not be allergic to this breed. Well, the next day we returned and bought the dog. We have not had any health or negative issues with our dog (just lucky i guess). However, In the last 6 years, I have learned about puppymills and their practices. I now belong to several groups that help find foster families and homes for dogs in the area and rescued dogs from other states. Since I cannot really adopt more dogs, I donate to these organizations and sponsor one at the Welfare league. Currently, I have my dog and one foster now that I truly love. However, I will not shop at Alsip Nursery any longer and would also support in a picketing session on Lagrange Rd if this should happen.
I really think people just do not realize how bad puppy mills are and the treatment of the dogs. I know I'm trying to repay my debt to puppy mill dogs after adopting one myself.

The 2011 giardia complaint was in regards to the dog my ex and I purchased from them... I believe her efforts at pursuing this further finally exposed the practice. Proud of that and hope it leads to further changes in policies.

I bought a miniature dachshund from them about 6 years ago....5 trips to the vet (they paid for it too) and he was better but never "really" a good dachshund; never bouncy, fun, running around or playful...always sickly. From some place in Missouri and their number is disconnected....(should I assume it too was a mill?) OH!, by the way, it took me over 4 YEARS to get the dogs papers !!! All the calls, complaints and letters did absolutely no good.....they just suddenly appeared this past summer in the mail.....had gotten rid of the dog about 2 weeks before the papers came....

The Patch needs to post this on the front page of the New Lenox and Mokena Patch pages. It is pretty well hidden in the business section that I am sure most don't read. Please get the word out about Alsip Nursery.

We bought a chihuahua from Alsip and it had an upper respiratory infection years ago. Took several vet visits to get him on his feet.

Just need to keep sharing to get the word out! The more we share the more the pressure!

If Heritage Puppies isn't a puppymill but a broker, who do they sell their puppies to? They are a broker alright, for their own puppies. What a play on words and laws Alsip Home Nursery! Sounds every bit suspicious to me!

Either way dogs will be killed! Sorry to break it to you! If they aren't taken from the shelter, they are killed, if they aren't taken from the mills, they are killed... So why bash Alsip? Why not just bash the mills? I bought 2 dogs from Alsip and I have not had a problem... Luck? Sure... It is a kennel people! GERMS EVERYWHERE!! So the dogs might get sick! But Alsip doesn't just shove the dogs out! They have guarantees for those upper respiratory infections you are all complaining about.. And they don't force those dogs on you... It was your choice to buy them, it was your choice to take on the responsibility... If you expected everything to be perfect with the dog then you are very unrealistic. Those dogs need loving homes just like the ones from the shelters and that is what alsip tries to do.
-Someone who isn't as bias as you are

Ps. Alsip doesn't send their dogs back to the breeder if they get too old... They make sure the dog is sold. If the dog gets too big for a cage he lives in one of the playrooms until he is sold....

I am affiliated with Alsip as a frequent shopper. why would that matter anyway? Of course the dogs dont stay at Alsip... Do they stay at shelters? I don't think so.... Instead They go to loving homes just like they would at shelters. Except unlike shelters, Alsip makes sure those puppies get homes. Which brings me back to the original point of my last comment. Why bash alsip? What good will that do? It won't do any good... All it will do is prevent some wonderful puppies from having a nice loving home. Way to go...

@ Anna Schier...
LMAO at "local hobby breeders", as if that is okay.

There is not one responsible breeder that would deal with a pet store.
local puppy breeder, aka backyard breeders are just smaller scale puppy mills.
These breeders rae out for the money, breed the dogs to often and have no concern for them. It's all about quanity not quality.

drive into Amish areas in indiana and Illinois... those are true backyard puppy mills. and yes I guess they are local :/

@ Sandra....

You dear are clueless....

1>) puppymill dogs are the only ones that can supply a store with dogs> dogs only go into heat twice a year, so a mill has many, many dogs so they have the supply for the demand.
2>) there is demand because people like you purchase a dog from a store, putting money back to the puppy mill.
3>) buying one puppy may save that one puppy, but in reality it just opens up space for the next dog, again.. supply & demand.
4>) The government is aware of these puppy mills... do you really think some people are not paid off to look the other way ?

So what can someone do?
First.. stop buying anything from a store that sells pets..
Next.. demand the government close down all mills.

Do you know how many Il. state investgators there are for pets stores & shelters & breeders ?
5 years ago it was 4... that is 4 people for the entire state of Illinois. No wonder the animals suffer, no one in our government gives a damn.
How about you frankfort? Doesn't Alsip need a licence to sell live animals?
DO NOT ALLOW THIS TO CONTINUE> residents of frankfort, demand it to stop.

I should post my latest foster dog.. a shelter called us, as a man dropped this dog off at a shelter to be put to sleep... he said "I would kill her myself but I ain't got nothing to do it with and I got others I might be bringin in too".

she is 10 years old, under weight, deaf, fleas, ear mites, blind...
she will have one eye removed because it is to far infected...
although she is sickly, she is trusting and loving.....
Maybe I should show her to Alsip nursery, so they can see first hand the results of the puppy mills.

this explains how everything works

http://www.petshoppuppies.org/psppuppymills.htmnderstand how it works.

http://www.petshoppuppies.org/psppuppymills.htm

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) licenses and inspects wholesale dog breeders and brokers, as well as those that make it part of their business to transport puppies in the wholesale market.

Pet store puppies usually originate at USDA puppy farms where the pups will be booked with a broker shortly after their birth. The breeder calls the broker and tells them what breed, color and size of puppies they have. The puppies are then sold to brokers (middle men) when they are 8 weeks old. Broker vans, cars, trucks and SUVs book an appointment with the breeders, usually meeting them in one centralized location in their area, such as a truck port alongside the interstate. The broker vehicle then moves on to the next stop, usually another truck port 20 miles or so down the road. The broker vehicle spends the day picking up puppies, and then transport them to the broker's facility.

After the broker books the puppies, shortly after their birth, they begin contacting pet stores they are contracted with and faxing them a list of puppies they will have available in the near future. The pet store places their order, and when the broker's pick-up vehicle arrives, packed full of puppies, the pups are settled in, checked by a vet, and held for a minimum of 24 hours, as required by USDA. The broker arranges the transport of the pups ordered by pet stores, and the puppies are then shipped to the pet stores that ordered them.

Broker facilities, like pet stores, range from small "mom and pop" type companies to very large corporations that deal in 800-1000 puppies each week. Smaller brokers normally work with just a few select pet stores, and often have a transport van that drives the puppies to the pet stores. The puppies are often in crates and on the road for several days before arriving at their destination. Some brokers use only the airlines (which are also regulated by USDA) and the pet stores have someone that drives to the airport to pick up puppies -- usually weekly. The larger brokers have their own transportation, such as large tractor trailer units that hold hundreds of puppies. Because these semi-trucks stop at dozens of locations along the way, puppies are often caged for 2-3 days, depending on their destination.

Once the puppies arrive at the pet store, they are either put on display almost immediately, or in some states, they are required to be quarantined for a short time before being offered for sale. For most puppies in pet stores, they have been shuffled around between dozens of hands and travel thousands of miles, exposed to hundreds of other puppies -- many sick with various diseases. All of this occurs between their 8th and 9th week of life. This stressful time, and exposure to diseases, often leaves pet store puppies with virtually no natural antibodies against viruses, bacteria, and parasites.

Sad, way to start out! Makes me sick. All people care about is their selfish self. They will pay someday for their behavior. What a proud profession.

Sandra is your last name by any chance Shepard?

My comment is that Sandra Sheperd did state that she bought 2 puppy mill dogs. To me that screams out - future backyard breeder. Hmmm, I think Sandra Shepard should herself be investigated