April 12, 2016 update to story: Border collie breeder Thurman "Randy" Sanders Jr. guilty of neglecting dogs
Concerns about animal cruelty, but county cites Sanders Border Collies with public health risks
INDIANA -- One month of formal complaints, video evidence and informal site visits came to a head on Sept. 26 when a number of officials — from police, animal control and humane society agencies — arrived at Randy Sanders’ front door.
The 64-year-old breeder from Clarks Hill has raised border collies since he was 13, and bred his first when he was 21.
His technique has drawn the attention of fellow breeders, potential buyers, animal control and law enforcement for what has been described as animal cruelty.
“They want a farm kennel to look like a PetSmart,” Sanders said. “When people don’t understand, they criticize.”
This isn’t the first time Sanders has been in the spotlight for animal cruelty. For the past four years, animal control has received a number of complaints about Sanders. Capt. Brian Sterner of the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office estimates that roughly 80 percent of the calls made to county animal control are related to Sanders’ facility.
In July 2011, Sanders was charged with two ordinance violations. The first was because of a lack of water; the second was for a lack of shelter in 95-degree weather with a heat index of 112.
Both charges were dismissed in a Tippecanoe Superior Court and then filed as criminal charges at the request of the State of Indiana, Judge Michael Morrissey said. In March 2012, Sanders was tried and found not guilty on two counts of cruelty to animal charges.
The current round of complaints was filed by another border collie breeder, an interested buyer and a woman who had visited Sanders Border Collies and purchased a puppy.
Kenny Shuck, a breeder from Seymour, spoke in detail about his two visits to Sanders’ farm. Shuck visited Sanders after he had heard about the conditions of the facility from people who had gone to Sanders with the intent to buy a puppy.
Shuck wanted to see if what he heard was true. His first visit confirmed his suspicions.
“The dogs were living in mounds of feces 2 to 3 inches tall. There were 43 dogs that day, and only three had water,” he said.
Leanne Fried, a Florida native now residing in Kalamazoo, Mich., had a similar experience. She stopped by Sanders’ farm with her husband on July 1 after being in contact with Sanders about buying a puppy.
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| This is Sander's website, which shows the dogs doing ability and seemingly well cared for |
"We are focusing more on adequate water and sewage,” said Ron Cripe, health department administrator, “and the facility has none of that. The overall condition lends itself to harboring potential diseases.”
The next step will depend on Sanders and how he responds to the order he received from the health department.
The order reads, “The inspection of your business ... confirmed the existence on the premises of an unsanitary condition that generates or prorates disease presenting a risk to the public that enter the structure and the animals housed in the facility.”
“The dogs were covered in feces, and there was a dog in a 15-by-15 (foot) cage in the sun with no shelter,” she said.
Fried purchased a puppy from Sanders. Shortly after, she found Shuck and expressed her concerns.
Karen Newhall, a friend of Shuck who has 20 years experience in developing drugs for animal health, had received a number of emails from Shuck about Sanders leading up to their first visit.
Newhall and Shuck went to Sanders’ farm in mid-August, posing as potential border collie buyers.
“There was a dog tied outside in the heat with no water or shelter and one inside on a very short chain,” Newhall said.
Newhall filed a complaint with animal control and emailed the Tippecanoe County prosecutor’s office, American Border Collie Association and animal rescue organizations.
Most of the complaints have concerned animal cruelty, but an order delivered Wednesday morning to Sanders is from the Tippecanoe County Health Department. It states that the facility poses a hazard to public health.
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| One of the puppies for sale. Look at how dirty the pup looks... |
It then outlines four conditions to be corrected by Oct. 17.
Sanders was born with cerebral palsy and is mobile by wheelchair. He hires help through Craigslist and has had consistent assistance from his neighbor’s children.
Arline Sprau moved in next to Sanders in 1999, and all six of her children have worked for Sanders.
“He does an outstanding job and goes beyond what he is capable of,” she said. “He feeds his dogs better food than most pet owners do.”
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| Another puppy for sale. Look at the filthy wall behind him. Would you want to buy a puppy from this man? |
Sprau said people harass Sanders constantly. She calls them “PETA shills,” meaning people who pose as potential buyers and are actually undercover from animal control or the humane society.
Sanders underwent surgery on his right index finger a few days ago, and his doctor instructed him not to use his hand. Now that he’s facing an order from the health department, he doesn’t know what he is going to do.
“None of these violations were included in February,” Sanders said. “We beat them (then). It’s just revenge.”
(jconline.com - Oct 4, 2012)
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