Laughlin Kennel (Reported Closed)

This was my first time purchasing a puppy. I got my Wheaten Terrier from Laughlin Kennels, which breeds and sells Wheaten Terriers and other kinds of dogs.They were very accommodating, kind and eager to have us spend time with any type of dog that we were interested in looking at. Their service is great, they took the time to explain about the breed and made us feel that this is where we wanted to get a puppy. I also like their guaranties and appreciate that they have a vet come every Friday to check on the health of the puppies and give them vaccinations. more

LK sold me a puppy who had to have emergency veterinary care 4 days after purchase. Puppy was diagnosed with pneumonia, Giardia, parvovirus, anemia, depression, dehydration and low protein. The dog was hacking and wheezing; vomiting , bloody diarrhea, was lethargic and not eating. The kennel refused to show any compassion and would not refund my money unless I returned the dog. My dog was too sick to travel, there was no way I'd be able to return him. He had incubated the diseases at the kennel and would have been worse off if he were returned. Bottom line=irresponsible business, sells sick puppies RESPONSE FROM Laughlin Kennel: We do a good job of sending home healthy puppies and also guarantee their health. Only 3 of the pups we sell are reported to have respiratory infections by the customer's veterinarian, as this pup was. We solicit this information via a form given to every customer, followed up by an email and/or telephone call if the form is not promptly returned. These respiratory infections are generally mild coughs and are taken care of by the customer and her veterinarian. We accomplish this disease minimization through good animal husbandry techniques and by having the pups examined by a veterinarian once a week. At the time of sale the customer and we must agree that the puppy is healthy to all appearances else we won't send it home. While it is impossible to avoid all illnesses in puppies, we do guarantee against it. We will take a puppy back for a full refund if it is found to be ill by a veterinarian. We can care for a puppy for very little cost and have great success doing so. Our customers agree that they are responsible for any veterinary expenses they incur themselves. This agreement is explicit and well understood at the time of sale and in the guarantee required by Massachusetts regulation 330 CMR 12:05. The guarantee is good for two full weeks and does not require that the puppy be incubating the disease at the time of sale. For example, if a puppy gets car sick and aspirates vomitus, the would cause a rapid onset of pneumonia even though the puppy was sold healthy, yet that pneumonia would still be covered under the guarantee. The pneumonia mentioned in the review was certainly real and reason to return the puppy if the customer so decided. But this puppy did not have parvo but, rather a false positive caused by an immunization. Veterinary costs can quickly mount up and our customers should take that into consideration when decided whether or not to return a puppy. more

I went to Laughlin Kennell to get a Zuchon Puppy. I fell in love with her when I saw her online. They were very helpful with letting me put a deposit on her until I could pick her up and they were great at explaining things to me when I got there. My puppy (Who I named Baby) did have an umbilical Hernia, parasites and kennell cough, but I took care of all that (minus the hernia which will be taken care of when she is spayed) and she is the BEST little puppy. I think all puppies have worms and parasites, and then Kennell Cough... you have to expect it.. it is a kennell. But she is a doll and I am thankful for her everyday. So thanks Laughlin RESPONSE FROM Laughlin Kennel: Greetings! We are so happy that your pup has been working out for you, because that is what we are all about. Placing puppies into loving homes. We just wanted to also say that we do disclose the umbilical hernia, and we give a pamphlet on Giardia, which is a type of parasite. Puppies all eat stuff they are not supposed to so it is tough to keep them worm free. To aid in the endeavor though, we not only de-worm them here, but we send everyone home with a broad-spectrum de-wormer just in case anything slips by! Usually it is a minor issue. (The de-wormer we send home is Fenebendazole and it is over the counter.) We also would like to say that puppies do sometimes go home and break with a respiratory infection, due to the stress of change in environment and routine. We always recommend bringing back the puppy within the fourteen day health guarantee period so we can treat them. It costs nothing but some time with the puppy. We are so glad that your new family member is now fully well, we appreciate the honest review, and would love if you could send us a picture of your new puppy. Thank you so much! more

We bought our first and only puppy from Laughlin Kennel. I looked on their website and my daughter picked what type of dog she wanted. They had tons of information online. We need one that was hypoallergenic because my daughter has asthma. She fell in love with a Zuchon. It had to be a girl, thats what she wanted. So we called Laughlin kennel up made a deposit and picked her up on the weekend. We love our dog, she is so lovable and so gentle. We call her Luna. She will be 3 in May. Recommend Laughlin to anyone. They were so nice and clean. more

I've been to a couple of other places and I wasn't happy with how the cleanliness and the people there were not what I was expecting. But when I came to Laughlin Kennel I was quite happy to see how everything was handled. I got a very good dog I'm very happy with. It was a great experience for me. more

Laughlin Kennel helped us get our lovely cocker spaniel puppy. We called in to put a reservation for her at about 5 or 6 in the evening and we drove there on a Sunday to pick her up. The people at the front desk could not have been any nicer. The young man explained that she had been shipped in from out of state, which we understood. They were upfront about everything. We had a bad experience with a breeder we had previously used but Laughlin Kennel stepped right up to the plate. The puppy was exactly as they described her and we are enjoying her thoroughly. I had only a pleasant experience and would recommend them highly. more

It was our first dog we were getting, so we were kind of nervous and hesitant. They made us feel comfortable, and gave us all the info we needed to bring a new dog into our house. more

Stay away from this kennel..........I bought my Cavalier from them and a week later she was in the Woburn Animal Hospital so sick that they didn't think she was going to make it... It cost our family not only heart-ache, but also $2600.00 in vet bills. We took them to small claims court and two other families were also there trying to get vets charges back from sick dogs they bought....It was a very sad experience that I wouldn't wish on anyone!!! more

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Unacceptable-Business-Practices-by-Laughlin-Kennel/104945116270844 more

Laughlin is a puppy mill, pure and simple. Puppy mills treat dogs like farms treat chickens and pigs- without empathy, compassion, appropriate accomodations or medical care. Absolutely disgusting. Millions of perfectly good mutts and purebreds are put down every year, in part due to nightmare puppy factories like Laughlin and the other breeder mills they do business with. Avoid this hellhole and the callous, greedy idiots who run it ! more

I went there yesterday and played ith some puppies. They looked healthy and happy and the guy working there was very passionate about the pups and it seemed as if he would not work there is the puppies were treated poory. There was a big yard in the back for the puppies to play, and even though there was a high quantity of dogs the people there were very sweet and gentle with them. There was a strong odor, but that is going to be the case in any place with more then ten dogs. Sigh in gets some of the pups from other breeders, but they breed some there. I do not think getting dogs from other breeders is an issue, if you would buy your dog from Massachusetts you should be willing to but it from some other state. We have not purchased for Laughlin yet, but we saw two families walk out with healthy happy puppies. That being said, if you are on the fence about a dog you look at from Laughlin's health, I would recommend going with another breeder just because of the negative reviews I have read. more

After much consideration, my husband and I decided to buy a puppy here as we wanted a Cavachon (bichon and cavalier mix) and there was nowhere else to find one. Well, now we know why no reputable breeder sells them...they are a sickly breed. The puppy we bought here was week and sickly from day one. Constantly vomiting, eating really large amounts of food and never able to be fully house trained, this puppy was sick and we just didn't know the signs. Unfortunately, it took six months until we found out what was wrong with this puppy and it was when he had a seizure from low blood sugar. Our puppy had a liver defect and died two days later. Fortunately, we had pet insurance, which covered the $4000 emergency vet bill. Laughlin Kennel took zero responsibility for this and said they wouldn't refund our money but would offer us a ""replacement dog"". AS IF!! I'm happy to report my husband and I purchased a purebred Bichon from Bichons of Boston and have never been happier. The difference in how the puppies are bred and raised is night and day compared to Laughlin Kennel, trust me! Don't give your money to these crooks. They are basically a puppy mill that brokers dogs from other unknown breeders throughout the country. You will overpay for a poor quality puppy and if you have an experience like my husband and I, you will be scarred for life. more

Dear god, what are these people selling? ""Designer Breeds"" BS. A coton de tulear sells for $2500, pet quality. This ""kennel"" is selling dogs that have NO resemblance to the breed. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Authorities will be notified. Get ready for your kennel to be highlighted on ""Animal Cops"". more

Their moto....Where you will find a healthy Puppy of your dreams....NOT! Puppy of your dreams may be true, but HEALTHY- a LIE! Laughlin Kennel knowingly sold us a very sick little morkie pup and has since refused to pay our vet bills. The day before we brought our puppy home, their vet, Cheryl Crecelius, DVM, signed off stating our puppy was FREE of contagious and infectious diseases- well nothing could be further from the truth! Our little Morkie was diagnosed with Tracheobronchitis, 103 temp and parasites! To complicate matters, our other dog now is being treated for these contagious diseases. Laughlin Kennel doesnt care....the only thing they care about is the $$$$! We do not endorse Laughlin Kennel as a reputable kennel. more

Who is the ""licensed vet?"" Stevie Wonder or Hellen Keller? And the state is cracking down on rescues yet give this place a clean bill of health, saying that upon their inspection, everything was ""fine."" Which state employee wizz kid genius was that??? Pros: n/a Cons: everyhitng more

Almost bought a bassett hound puppy from this place. The place was dirty and stunk to high heaven.Gave a deposit and was going to pick up a few days later after the vet check. Got a call that the puppy was sick (kennel cough and god knows what else. The girl we dealt with was down right rude and was not going to give us our deposit back. A friend of mine just bought a puppy from this place. She brought it to the vet and she was fine, other than a lot of behavioral issues. I don't recommend buying a puppy from this place.\r \r more

I currently own a dog, obtained from Rescue that was originally sold by Laughlin. He has a serious underbite, hip, elbow and eye problem, and his disposition could use some work. I have also met seven other Laughlin Kennel dogs and not one of them is sound from a health standpoint. We're not talking about defective toaster ovens, but rather creatures who become beloved members of our families. There is no excuse for this kennel churning out geneticly flawed dogs. more

I actually did get a puppy from Laughlin kennel. She is absolutely beautiful, people stop me when I am walking her just to tell me so. The puppy I took home is a yorkie, and my kids and I named her Ella. Laughlin kennel was very helpful, and truthful. I was informed Ella's past health issue. She had a cold before. The young man working there basically said, ""that this is a kennel, and that all these puppies are at some risk of getting cold much like a child in school or daycare. This made me a little nervous at first, but then I read their contract. They have a 14 day health guarantee that would allow me to return the dog for any health issue with a written vet statement. This agreement seemed completely reasonable to me. I could take the puppy to my vet, and if she found anything wrong with the puppy, I could just bring her back. Besides, the puppy seem perfectly healthy to me. I did, however, believe the puppy needed a bath, but so did the kennel because they strongly suggested she get one before we took Ella home. Upon my visit to the vet, she found Ella to be completely healthy! So, for my visit to Laughlin k, I received a clean healthy puppy that my family truly loves. I have personal statement to those of you posting about how you love your puppy, but Laughlin k. is a ""bad place"". I found it to be as clean as I would think a kennel would be. I saw that the kennel is regulated by the state, and has been in business for 15 yrs +. I am telling you that I think it is ok that you got a beautiful puppy from Laughlin kennel. Thanks Laughlin From Ella and fam more

I went to Laughlin Kennel last weekend. I went there because my dog, I had for her for fourteen years passed, away. The house was so lonely! I needed a pup. Just not any pup but a real good one. One just like the last one I bought from Laughlin! They had a new litter of Wheaten Terriers they were beautiful! We went home with our new bundle of joy. I took her to the Vet she and the Vet said she was a well cared for puppy. My whole family is as happy as we can be. I will shop there again when I need a pup and I highly recommend Laughlin to any and all who need a pup. They told me they get a lot of repeat business, It's no wonder why. The service is great and the dogs are great! more

I bought a dog at Laughlin, Golden Retriever, male. I got him at a lower cost because he was 3 months old. He was not socialized at all, and very afraid. It took about 8 months to get him to keep his tail up. I hired a trainer and he was trained by my daughter and the trainer at our home. That is just to tell you that he was part of the family and not an outside dog. Then he started loosing weight, after many trips to the vet it was determined he had kidney failure. Well, this couldn't be so I took him to the Spca hospital in Springfield, MA . Yes, it was true. I work in the medical field and the vets showed me how to give him fluids under the skin, that had to be done 2 times a day. I had to purchase the fluids and needles and tubing. I did that for a year, because we couldn't let him go. We finally had to euthanize because he stopped eating. I spent in excess of $10,000. on this dog. I had all vet records and Laughlin refused to return my calls. The teenager in the office\r just said I didn't buy the extended warrenty on the dog. His cost was $600. and I didn't think I would need to spend more money for a warrenty. I just wanted to get him out of the kennel he was so scared of everything. I certainly hope something can be done about Laughlin. Her kennel reminds me of a kennel I visited once in the Midwest. Cons: Angry... very angry more