Puppy mill - 64 German Shepherds seized - Gardena, CA

Wednesday, Mar 3, 1999

County: Los Angeles

Disposition: Convicted

Defendants/Suspects:
» Gregory Allen Bartmess
» Janice Lynne Bartmess

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

Gregory and Janice Bartmess owners of South Bay Pet Inn, 18116 La Salle Avenue were booked Saturday at Gardena jail on suspicion of cruelty to animals. They were later released on their own recognizance.

Veterinarians in Carson are working to save 64 German shepherds that were living in squalid conditions at the Gardena kennel. Most of the animals were kept in tiny crates that were filled with excrement.

An officer was called to the kennel because of loud and continuous barking coming from the South Bay Pet Inn. Many of the dogs were living in carriers that were just 2 x 3 feet wide.

"They couldn't move around for exercise. Three was no food or water in most of the cages. Inside the living room of the house was a female German shepherd with five little puppies in one of those carriers."

Janice Bartmess denies the allegations that were made on Thursday. She thinks the problems of the kennel are being exaggerated. "I say it's exaggerated and there's a lot of lying going on. I'm not saying everything was perfect. I think the situation between my side and what they are saying is absolutely bipolar ...."

An emaciated German shepherd was found in the front yard, the dog was in a small dog carrier. The animal was so ill that veterinarians had to euthanize it.

They then found dogs in the backyard and in the garage living in horrible, filthy conditions.

"The ground was covered with feces over a foot high in some places."

Carson shelter manager said the problem with most of the dogs was, they were very hungry.

"Right now they are doing pretty good. We've been feeding them regularly and checking them regularly. They are in a lot better shape than they were in Saturday."

Bartmess said she bought the kennel 4-1/2 years ago to breed dogs for sale. The business has not done well and costs her approximately $10,000 a year. The more dogs, the more problems they were having trying to take care of them.

"This is kind of like a dream that turned into a nightmare. We've never made a living off the dogs, I don't know who could."

The dogs will be kept at the shelter until the case has an outcome. Bartmess said she doesn't know if she wants the dogs back.

Bartmess also had criticism for the animal control department which never offered her any help.

Case Updates

According to court records, on July 18, 2000, Gregory and Janice Bartlett each pleaded guilty to one of eight counts of violating Penal Code Section 597t, mistreatment of a confined animal, a misdemeanor. 30 counts of cruelty to an animal were dismissed as part of the plea agreement. On October 19, 2000, they were each sentenced to one day in jail, and a $200.00 restitution fine. Both were placed on 3 years' formal probation and prohibited from owning animals during that period.

Source: Los Angeles County Case # YA041361 & YA040334 Update posted on Mar 14, 2007 - 7:40PM

References

• Daily Breeze - Apr 9, 1999

« CA State Animal Cruelty Map
« More cases in Los Angeles County, CA

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.