Ephrata woman helps shut down puppy mill; Kennel owners must pay $30,000 in restitution.

BYLINE: Carrie Caldwell

An Ephrata woman was among the 62 victims of a Lycoming County puppy mill that sold sick puppies. Tammy Daufer, however, has the last laugh. With her help, the state Attorney General's office shut down Oakridge Kennels and Oakridge Shepherds in Williamsport, which sold sick, diseased and/or genetically flawed puppies.

Daufer, who couldn't be reached by telephone, is one of dozens of buyers in 18 Pennsylvanian counties and five states -- New York, New Jersey, Colorado, Maryland and South Carolina -- who will receive restitution. The owners of the kennel, Keith and Dee Ann Chambers, will pay nearly $30,000 in restitution, civil penalties and investigation costs. "This case is unusual because (the kennel) was on the Internet," said Barbara Petito, deputy press secretary for the attorney general. "That's why we suspect there are victims in different parts of the country." The permanent injunction and required payments were part of separate consent agreements that resolved two lawsuits the state filed against the Chamberses.

The lawsuits, filed in July 2000 and February, were the first legal actions to be taken under the state's Dog Purchaser Protection Act or the "Puppy Lemon Law." The suits accused the defendants of selling sick and genetically flawed puppies and engaging in numerous other violations of the state law. Fisher said the suit, filed in July 2000, accused the defendants of knowingly selling nearly two dozen puppies for $374 to $610 that were sick, diseased and/or falsely characterized as purebreds. In addition, the defendants allegedly sold dogs without the proper health guarantee, warranty and notification provisions required under the state law. Many of the dogs either died or had to be euthanized a short time after they were purchased, Petito said.

In other cases, consumers paid exorbitant veterinarian bills to treat the dogs for a variety of serious illnesses. Several consumers said the defendants failed to grant refund requests, offer replacement dogs or reimburse them for veterinarian expenses as required by law. The suit filed in February asked the court for an immediate injunction prohibiting the defendants from selling puppies after 37 additional consumers came forward with claims similar to the first suit's victims. Several puppies required extensive veterinarian care, hospitalization or surgery to treat illnesses. The suit also asked the court to freeze the defendants' bank accounts and close the kennel. In nearly all of the cases, consumers claimed the defendants ignored their calls for medical history information, refunds or reimbursements of medical expenses. Several consumers said they paid between $200 and $4,700 in veterinarian costs to treat the dogs purchased. Others continue to pay for expensive surgeries or medications to keep their pets alive.

The second suit included additional claims the defendants falsified American Kennel Club (AKC) registration documents or failed to file or release the documents to conceal inbreeding or other medical problems with litters. Investigators said dogs also were allegedly sold while the kennel was under quarantine by the state Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement. The Chamberses will pay $21,770 in restitution, which represents the cost of some dogs who died, veterinarian expenses and compensation for registration papers that weren't delivered. The consent agreements also require the defendants to pay more than $6,000 in civil penalties and nearly $2,000 in investigation costs.