Horst Stables / Thorp Dog Auction USDA Inspection Reports

Note: PLEASE Click on any photo on this page for larger view.

       Prior to September 2006, the Horst Stables Auction Company mainly sold horses, cows, hay, wood, and farm machinery and supplies. Apparently, they thought that selling dogs and small animals would be pretty much the same as selling the livestock they were used to handling. However, the USDA Animal Welfare Act does make the distinction between livestock and pets. Though normal sale of livestock is exempt from licensing by the USDA, there are a very specific set of rules for housing and humane handling of dogs and other animals sold as pets, as set forth in the USDA Animal Welfare Reguations.

       These rules spell out the bare minimums for housing, sanitation, space, vet care, transport, etc. It would seem, judging from the list of repeat violations, that the Thorp Dog Auctions had trouble meeting even these inadequate standards. The following is a history of the Thorp Dog Auctions at Horst Stables, as presented in the USDA Inspection Reports:

1. 21 September 2006: PreLicense Inspection #1

   • No noncompliances identified.
   • Record Keeping requirements reviewed.
   • Animal ID requirements reviewed.
   • Temporary and primary enclosure requirements reviewed.
   • License fee received.
   
   

2. 14 October 2006 (first dog auction) Non-compliances:

   
   • Minimum age requirements -- six dogs who were under the minimum of 8 weeks.
   • Primary enclosures used to transport live dogs and cats: space too small, affected 21 animals.
     • Adult boxers housed two to enclosure could not lie down without curling up and overlapping one another.
     • Adult Dogue de Bordeaux's head and neck pressed up agains the enclosure front when it tried to lie down, and could not sit up without holding its head and neck downward.
     • Six adult dogs could turn normally while standing, stand or sit erect, or lie down in a natural position.
     • 15 puppies housed in an enclosure that measured 2' x 4' and overlapped each other when they were lying down.
   
   

3. 2 December 2006 (small animal auction) Non-compliances:

   • Transport enclosures without adequate ventilation: 39 rabbits were housed in cardboard boxes that had no ventilation other than the gaps in the tops of the boxes where the flaps folded together.
   • Five pot bellied pigs were housed in cardboard boxes that did not have ventilation oenings.
   • Pot bellied pig in carrier with insufficient space, so that while the animal was being auctioned, his left foot stuck out of the enclosure.
   
   

4. 10 March 2007 Dog Auction Non-compliances (please see: Thorp Auction Overview):

   • Inadequate vet care: 3 dogs who were in need of vet care accepted into consignment:
     • Papillon with tongue hanging incessantly from its mouth; examination showed rotting and decaying teeth. (Note: this dog, Dooley -- shown left) was turned over to rescue. You can read about him here.
     • Cocker spaniel very thin, with pale mucous membranes, runny eyes, and excessively matted fur on ears.
     • Shih tzu had small ulcerations on each of its eyes.
   • Sheltered Housing Facilities: Insufficient light; additional level oflarge hay bales to provide a barrier betwen auction ring and holding area blocked much of the light.
   • REPEAT: Insufficient space:
     • Four 13 week old Shiba Inu Rat Terrier crosses housed in one pet carrier.
     • Two Shih Tzus were housed together on one pet carrier.
     • Two Dachshunds were housed together in one pet carrier.
     • ChowChow housed in pet carrier.
     • All of these dogs limited in movement by the size of the enclosure or the number of dogs in it.
   
   

5. 2 June 2007 (Kennel liquidation Dog Auction, please see: Another Dog Auction, Another Sad Day). No inspection report.

6. 22 September 2007 (Dog Auction, please see: Dogs For Sale at Thorp Dog Auction video) then scoll down the page for videos of the auction itself): No noncompliances identified in this inspection(!)

       USDA/AWA Inspection Reports of Horst Stables, 06-07 (pdf)   

7. 26 February 2008: Prelicense inspection (?). See 21 September 2006, above.

8. 15 May 2008: Records only, no animals present. No noncompliances.

9. 24 September 2008 Dog Auction Non-compliances:

   
   • Inadequate veterinary care:
     • Boston terrier had bright red, fleshy protrusion in the corner of his left eye.
     • Boston terrier had same condition in both eyes.
     • Both dogs were subsequently sold during the auction.
   • Procurement of Random Source Dogs and Cats: Three individuals presenting a total of 23 dogs for auction were not required to certify that they did not need to be USDA licensed [as breeders or brokers].
   
   

10. 21 January 2009: Records only, no animals present. No noncompliances.

11. 11 March 2009 (LAST Dog Auction?) Non-compliances:
    • Failure to maintain the required records
    • Cleaning of primary enclosures:
      • Primary enclosures used to contain 219 dogs had not been cleaned and sanatized prior to their use.
      • Dried bedding and animal waste seen in some enclosures
      • Dust and bird droppings on some enclosures.
    • Insufficient space: Four shetland sheep dog puppies housed in one 16" x 24" pet carrier during the auction; pups were resting their heads on one another as there wasn't enough space to put their heads on their paws or the floor of the enclosure.
    
    

        USDA/AWA Inspection Reports of Horst Stables, 08-09 (pdf)   

        Several reliable sources have told us that there will be NO MORE DOG AUCTIONS at Horst Stables! Auction organizers have been quoted as saying that running the auction is too much of a hassle because of the protests and negative media publicity! We feel that the aggravation of being forced to comply with existing USDA regulations, along with the promise of much stricter ones included in the Smith-Krietlow Commercial Dog Breeding Licensure Bill (AB-250/SB-208), were also major factors in the decision to end the selling of dogs.