Busting illegal backyard breeders: The grassroots group investigating behind the scenes

By Darcy Spears

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    LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — As the animal over-population problem in Clark County overwhelms shelters and local rescue groups, 13 Investigates uncovers what many believe to be the primary source of the problem: Illegal backyard breeders. And they’re operating in plain sight.

Dave Schweiger runs the Bunnies Matter animal rescue, but he and a grassroots group of volunteers also have another mission: busting illegal dog breeders.

He combs through hundreds of ads every day on websites like Craigslist, where unlicensed people peddle puppies of every breed, ranging in price from $300 to $10,000.

“They don’t care about the animals,” Schweiger said.

Dogs and cats in Clark County must be spayed or neutered. If you want to breed them, the law varies depending on where you live.

The county requires a breeder/show permit. In the city of Las Vegas, you need a breeders permit and business license. Henderson mandates a breeder permit, city and state business licenses, registration with the Nevada Department of Taxation, and a home occupation permit if you’re operating at a residential property. In North Las Vegas, all dogs must be fixed. There’s no breeding allowed, period.

Although the law is clear, Clark County Code Enforcement Chief Jim Andersen says most people advertising puppies for sale are doing so illegally.

“They’re not allowed to breed or sell the animals, give them away. They can’t do anything with animals on those advertisements,” Andersen told 13 Investigates.

Because animal control agencies are short-staffed and primarily complaint-driven, they can’t properly police the problem. That’s where Schweiger’s group, Illegal Breeder Busters, comes in.

He and his volunteers act as potential buyers, confirm the person is not a permitted breeder, and save screenshots of the original ad, text and instant message chains — including address, phone number, breed and price.

“We get all that information and turn it in to Animal Control,” says Schweiger. “It’s really not hard.”

One case in the county’s jurisdiction involving Frenchies and English bulldogs stands out.

“We had seen the ads on Facebook that said they were selling dogs for $10,000 each,” Schweiger explained.

And they connected the dog sellers to another business.

“They were selling illegally bred dogs and shipping them out of Las Vegas to all over the country,” Schweiger said.

The ad in the complaint Schweiger filed with animal control reads “…free delivery as we are located in Spanish Trails in Las Vegas, we own a trucking company, so we travel weekly to all 50 states.”

Illegal Breeder Busters connected the ad to an 8,000-square-foot home worth about $3 million, according to Zillow. Mahikumakani Crabbe owns the home and trucking company Hi-9 Transport.

County records show Animal Control spoke with Crabbe at his house in Spanish Trail on Jan. 5. He denied he was breeding, but when the officer advised him of animal violations on the property, Crabbe asked how it was a violation to do what he wants in his own home.

Records show he refused to provide his identification and went back inside.

When Animal Control called Metro for assistance, police saw Crabbe had a felony warrant on an unrelated incident.

Crabbe refused to sign Animal Control’s $500 citation for breeding/selling without a permit. Police handcuffed him when he became argumentative, and records show he “struggled some with Metro officers.”

A woman in the house was handed a notice for too many dogs, vaccinations and sterilization requirements.

13 Investigates tried to reach Crabbe by email and phone, but he did not respond.

“Every complaint we turn in, we put on a form, and we date it,” Schweiger said.

In another Breeder Busters case, Animal Control cited local realtor Roberto Partida with five misdemeanors for offering Great Dane puppies, at $800 each, on Craigslist. The charges were later dismissed, presumably after Partida came into compliance. Partida did not return our call for comment.

“There’s a ton of ads out there,” says Andersen. “There’s obviously a huge market for people to buy animals from these backyard breeders. And it’s a big concern for us.”

Even so, the county, like the other jurisdictions, does not take a heavy-handed approach.

“We’re not punitive in nature. We don’t want to issue a citation for every violation, but we want them to stop,” Andersen said.

He also says investigating illegal breeding is time-consuming, and it can be difficult to collect all the evidence they need.

“An advertisement alone is not enough for us to respond and do an investigation to determine where they live,” Andersen said.

“Sometimes we’ll go to a property and there’s no puppies there at the time anymore,” he added. “The puppies are gone.”

He says they’re looking at ways to address the problem and points to the new county law banning pet stores from selling dogs and cats.

“Also in that ordinance was an increase for the fine amounts for illegally selling animals,” Andersen said. “The minimum fine for that is $500, and the maximum fine is the sale price or advertised sale price of that animal.”

The county also started a pilot program about a year ago with other animal advocates doing the same kind of sleuthing as Schweiger’s Illegal Breeder Busters.

“They’re doing all the research on the internet that takes so much time that our staff doesn’t have time to do,” Andersen said.

There’s a grassroots group working behind the scenes to help animal control officers bust illegal backyard breeders in Clark County. Dave Schweiger runs Illegal Breeder Busters, a group of online sleuths who gather evidence against unpermitted dog breeders. Andersen says the community can have the biggest impact, because supply subsides without demand from would-be pet owners.

“They shouldn’t be buying animals from backyard breeders,” he said. “They should be going to a shelter or rescue to obtain these animals, and stop the market that allows these people to sell them.”

Schweiger hopes local governments can fund public service announcements like those warning about watering restrictions or not driving through flooded areas. In the meantime, we are tracking a new City of Las Vegas code that Councilwoman Victoria Seaman is introducing. It would include mandatory jail time for repeat offender breeders.

Clark County provided this additional information in response to questions from 13 Investigates:

“Animal Protection Services is dedicated to public safety, animal safety and welfare through comprehensive education, support initiatives, and a commitment to enforcing the law. With each case carrying its own unique importance, we strive for resolution with full compliance of all relevant laws. If a person is caught breeding animals illegally, several enforcement actions may be taken depending on the situation. These include issuing “fix-it tickets”– granting owners five weeks to spay/neuter the pets before their court appearance. If they fail to do so, fines may be imposed by judges upon review of each individual case in accordance with applicable county ordinance. Additional enforcement actions also include administering citations for sales and possession without a permit and issuing fines when too many animals are present. Ultimately, which course is taken depends on the circumstance.”

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