Urgent: I need help to get this place closed down

[SemiCharmedQuark]

Last week, I took a four day trip down to Texas to visit my uncle. While there, he took us flea marketing. He mentioned that he bought his dog from this flea market. I knew that this particular dog had almost died after it turned out that it had parvo. So I asked to see this pet store.

In the far corner of the flea market, we found it. Calling it a pet store is generous, to say the least. They had dogs lined up in cages with no bottoms, just ceder chips below to catch the urine and feces. It was over 80 degrees and they had some dogs outside with no shade. The whole place smelled of urine. They were selling most of the dogs for 150-300 dollars. I took some pictures





I emailed PETA. What else can I do?

[LeftyMom]

1. Well, here's what I can think of. Hopefully we'll get more from flvegan, he's good at this...

1. Contact the local animal welfare authorities. Let them know that you have pictures, that you know this operation is selling sick animals, that the animals were out in the hot weather, etc.

2. Can you get your uncle to take them to small claims court for the medical costs of the dog with parvo? Anything you can do to impact their profitability or create a paper trail is good.

3. Dog breeders who sell more than I-forget-how-many animals a year (ie business people, not hobbyists) have to be registered in APHIS (a USDA thing) and are subject to regular inspections. There's no way this operation is listed and legal.

4. Based on 3, they're probably not paying taxes (I'm guessing that at the flea market this is a cash operation?) Sic the IRS and/or state tax people on them.

5. Do they have any vet papers for the dogs? If they're not forged and a vet is signing off on this operation generally or on the sale of dogs with parvo, make a complaint to the state vet board about the vet.

6. Contact the flea market owners and see if you can get them to stop allowing these people a stall. I would suggest to the owner that a regular picket might be in the offing otherwise. The idea is to make it too onerous, difficult or unprofitable for them to do business, however, unless it's in conjunction with some of the above they'd probably just relocate. This would be very low on my list of priorities for that reason.

7. Contact local AR groups, see about getting a picket of the flea market set up if all else fails. I would go for that option last, because again I suspect if they have to leave the flea market they'll just relocate.

8. Contact local media. You have a great visual story, it's local and cheap to shoot, and everybody loves puppies. You'll have no problem getting somebody to pick it up.

[flvegan]

2. Whereabouts in Texas?

First thing we need to know for immediate action is what their city/county laws are regarding the confinement, care and custody of pets.

On edit: also, does your dad still have any of the paperwork when he bought the dog? Receipt or health guarantee? If so, I'd love to know what it says.