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Kingfishers Alaskan Malamutes Joshua Hughes, Puppy Mill Con Artists Gakona, Alaska
I have been looking for an alaskan malamute puppy for about a year now. I came across Kingfisher's Alaskan Malamutes in Gakona, Alaska and thought I had found the breeder I was going to get my puppy from. Owning a giant alaskan malamute has been a long dream of mine since seeing one many years ago, but until a year or so ago was not in a position to get one. Due to a very bad experience with a horrible breeder that I got my husky Ice from I decided to research first this time because I did not want to go through the same thing again.
What I discovered was really scarey and I am so glad I did not just go ahead and impulse buy from them. I wanted to share what I discovered with others. This place is really a puppy mill and what the dogs are put through is awful. I received some very valuable assistance from my vet on how to locate a genuine breeder and how to spot a puppy mill. Following her advise is how I saved myself from making a big mistake.
They breed the dogs just to breed them, not for any other purpose but to make money. They breed them 2 times a year, I even seen 1 that had puppies 3 times in 13 months. They make false claims on their website to sell puppies. They say they rarely let other breeders buy their dogs but I have yet to find another breeder that does not have at least 1 of their dogs so that is a lie. They also say that giant white woolly malamutes are very rare and that is why they charge $3500.00 for them. That is a lie because I see them all over with lots of breeders for way cheaper then that.
They also say that you get a better alaskan malamute because it comes from alaska but they have their pedigrees on their website and they don't even get their own dogs from alaska. They buy their dogs from the southern states, so the puppy may be born in alaska but it is not better because of that because it's heritage is from other states and other breeders, not from Alaska. I can get a puppy from the same breeders they do and pay way less and not support a puppy mill.
Because of my past experience I do not take the deception of breeders lightly, I take it very seriously and I post this info because I am disgusted. Anyone who buys a puppy from these people are helping them to keep being a puppy mill. I know all the breeders love them because they bought the dogs they breed themselves (again because Kingfisher's gives breeding rights to anyone) so I am sure this post will be hit with a ton of breeders bashing me but I don't care.
I want people to know what I found out. I am posting the evidence and others can make their own conclusion. I could not in good conscious retain this information. Simply because this breeder is located in Alaska it does not mean they are not a puppy mill. The evidence below speaks for itself.
1) If any one of the hundreds of breeders who buy their breeding dogs from Kingfisher's responds to this posting it will simply confirm what I have found out. That Kingfisher's gives breeding rights to anyone who is willing to pay the money. They love to sell breeding rights to make more money, they even take payment plans.
2) Where are the CURRENT pictures of their dogs actually working, pulling, doing anything other then being in filthy kennels to breed? There are not any because they do not do anything with their dogs but breed them. Their dogs make them approximately $400,000 a year revenue and people are suckered into buying these puppies at outrageous prices because they think they are getting a "real" Alaskan Malamute because they are in Alaska. Every puppy someone buys from them is contributing to the continued existance of this puppy mill. See below for the most recent puppy output count. YES PUPPY MILL.
3) Kingfisher's Alaskan Malamutes puppy output (how can this be justified as a reputable breeder and not a puppy mill). These below figures are only of this past year. This is not counting every other previous years puppy output!!!
Pearl & River 12/26/10 (6 puppies), Pearl & Charger 7/18/11 (9 puppies)
Kima & River 1/24/11 (8 puppies)
Saphira & Avalanche 2/6/11 (5 puppies) Saphira on 6/6/10 also had a litter, Saphira & Koda 8/30/11 (5 puppies)
Tundra & Charger 2/10/11 (7 puppies)
Denali & Prime 2/12/11 (3 puppies), Denali & Prime 8/23/11 (2 puppies)
Ziva & River 4/12/11 (9 puppies)
Everest & Charger 4/18/11 (9 puppies)
Oakley & Charger 5/3/11 (6 puppies)
Klutina & Koda 5/11/11 (5 puppies)
That is a MINIMUM of 74 puppies in less then a 12 month period of time!! I repeat 74, 74, 74, 74 puppies!! There are several more litters currently on the way and even more planned before years end. Don't support this puppy mill!! Again that number 74, 74, 74 puppies is only a minimum number as there were several others litters not included in this list. Years end will be over 100.
4) If you do the math (puppy output x price of each pup) those dogs should be living in professionally built kennels not the run down home made shacks they are in and the trees they are tied to. The chains are literally sawing down the trees from the constant rubbing of the chains on the trees.
5) Kingfisher's Alaskan Malamutes sold a particular breeder a female puppy in which that PUPPY was bred by the breeder at 8 months of age!! 8 months!! Kingfisher's Alaskan Malamutes CONGRATULATED this breeder on a gorgeous litter!! The poor female PUPPY was bred at 8 months of age. Not only did they congratulate this breeder they also helped this breeder sell the remaining 2 puppies and then turned around and even sold this breeder another female!!!!!!!!! How can this be justified as remotely reputable or responsible??????? I feel very sad for the female that was bred, the puppies that were born who will most likely develop congenital defects as they were conceived by undeveloped eggs, and for the puppy owners who have a very real possibility of facing numerous medical expenses and the very early loss of the puppy. Again how can this be justified as the behavior of a responsible or reputable breeder? Surely it cannot be!!
6) Just recently on their Facebook page someone asked a very serious question and that was where do puppies get their appearance/traits from, was it the Dam, Sire, or both?? Kingfisher's Alaskan Malamutes very uneducated response was "It's important to have a good looking sire and dam or you could end up with only 1/2 a good looking litter. It's hard to tell" Seriously?? WOW, I think a 10 year old could even answer that question with more knowledge of how "genetics actually work". A complete incorrect answer they responded with showing even further their complete lack of understanding what they are doing!!
7) The final kicker is how they delete comments off of their facebook page that "call them out" on what they are doing and how they delete numerous complaints from puppy buyers who receive a puppy that is extremely smaller then what they were told the puppy was and how the puppy they get is totally untrained in any form. Well what do you expect when you buy a puppy from a puppy mill that at times has 30 puppies at one time that live outside is filthy kennels. An untrained kennel puppy is what you are going to get!! There is no way to justify that high of a puppy output without being a puppy mill.
I contacted Kingfisher's themselves before posting this to try and get a better understanding of their breeding justification and purposes with that high of a puppy output count and was never contacted back. I didn't figure I would be. Perhaps with this information made public they may respond. I would really like to hear from Kingfisher's their justification for breeding so many puppies and for over breeding their female dogs so much.
As I pointed out above one female had 3 litters of pups in a 13 month period.
I am well prepared that this posting will be met with many comments, including breeders (which probably own at least one Kingfisher dog) and of course those people who own a Kingfisher dog because naturally they love their dog however, it doesn't change the fact that the dogs are bred in a puppy mill.
If you do choose to comment be an adult!! Explain the logic in that high of a puppy output and breeding females that often. Any other comments are really irrelavant nor productive. The point is Kingfisher's Alaskan Malamutes is a puppy mill and they hide behind their location to try and disquise it as I'm sure most people getting a puppy haven't done the research I have because if they would have they surely would not buy a puppy from Kingfisher's and contribute to the operation of a puppy mill.
Also their facebook page is located at http://www.facebook.com/KingfishersMalamutes of which their puppy mill business generates them sooo much revenue they spend over $200 a month to facebook simply on an entry image to their facebook page.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
.....
Detroit,Michigan,
USA
Quality breedersG
#3Consumer Suggestion
Tue, April 21, 2015
I just wanted to add another opinion, i am reserching this breeder for a friend. I myself am a quality breeder, MOST Important, I do all the health clearences on my dogs that i can! That is something that has not been mentioned once in the above comments! I breed QUALITY registered ( AKC/UKC/CKC ) Alaskan Malamutes. All of my breeding dogs are not only Show Championed, but also titled- working events, weight pulling, back packing, obidence, agility, etc. I breed in acordance to Breed Standard, not "Giants"- A giant malamute is not its own style or type of this breed. It is uneducated breeders choosing to just breed and breed the Largest dogs they come across.. Sadly most end up with hip and other health problems.
I wanted to give some advice- Looking for a quality breeder can be dificult. If you go to a "breed club".. With Malamutes, look at the Alaskan Malamute Club of America.. "AMCA.ORG" not only can they give you a list of quality breeders, but also you can find a list of Breed Standards, or "prefered traits"... as well as a list of Recomended Health Tests.. Such as OFA & Eye Clearences!
And IF you dont Feel a breeder is questioning you, and making sure that you will offer a wonderful home for that puppy,, well chances are they are in it for the money.. A breeder that has that many brood bitches (Breeding bitches) chances are- they are just looking for money.
Also Breed Standard- Giants are not a sought after- or should they be worth more!
Also LONG COATS or WOOLY MALAMUTES are NOT a desired trait!!!!! ???
A malamute is a "sledge" dog, they are bred to carry heavy loads by sled, or pulling, at a steady pace.. They should be solid, and well balanced... A malamute should have a course, dense, coat, that REPELS snow, ice, and water!! ( a woolys coat will NOT do that!)
I have no idea what KING FISHER ALASKAN MALAMUTES does or does not do with their dogs, or puppys.. BUT they blatenly advertise the extreme breeding practices or having not just a lot of litters each year,, but an EXTREME amount of litters each year!! As a breeder the hardest part is making sure you find quality homes for the puppies you produce.. I gaurentee & put precautions in place ( micro chip to myself as well as new owner) that ALL of my pups can and will always be returned to me in the event of a mis hap. With that being said- I dont want to ever have to take a puppy back, so when i find homes, i make sure i am finding a quality home so the chances of puppy ending up in a shelter are so minimal... and IF it does happen I will be there to rescue it!!
If you are looking for a malamute puppy...... PLEASE PLEASE do your homework... Even go on Facebook sites... Ask how to find a quality breeder!!!
Serum25
Willow,Alaska,
United States of America
Uneducated and Misinformed
#3Consumer Comment
Tue, January 08, 2013
I am responding to the complaint against Kingfisher Malamutes posted on October 26, 2011. I know that I am writing this almost 15 months Later in January of 2013, but the post is way off base and misinformed.
The first question I have for the guy is have you ever been to the kennel you claim is a puppy mill? Well I did go the kennel not once, but three times and two times it was unannounced. I am a kennel owner myself with a small number of Alaskan Huskies and I keep my yard very clean and orderly. I also use my dogs for mushing expeditions and some limited racing and recreational activities.
On my first trip to Kingfisher's I did not know what to expect. I was amazed at the size of the kennel, the cleanliness of it, how much room there was for every dog and how careful and humanely they treated their pups and dams that were preparing to have puppies. Only in a remote Alaskan location like at Kingfishers could you dedicate acres and acres just for your dogs. They had huge 50'X50" pens where the dogs could freely run and jump around and dig holes if they wanted. If you know anything about Mals you will learn one of their favorite things to do is dig. The second great thing I saw was the care they gave to the mother and her pups. They were in a beautiful, isolated, large, protected kennel area away from the ruckus of the other animals. They would not even allow me near the pups until I thoroughly washed my shoes off, disinfected my shoes and hands and slipped on covers over my shoes. It was one of the cleanest places I had ever been. They had many people help with the handling and care of the dogs and these animals had more opportunities to exercise 24/7 than most of the domesticated animals people own.
I was so impressed with the way Kingfisher's set up and managed their very nice kennel facility that I chose to make some significant design changes to mimic several of the nice things about theirs. I eventually did purchase a dod from KIngfisher's and did so mainly because I could go and see the kennel and I knew the dogs were coming from real working class animals. That is how I currently use my Mal today. He is 8 months old and is already working. He pulls light sleds of 10 to 15 pounds right now and goes on 7 to 8 mile jogs with me daily. We also go on hikes in the hills through the snow to hunt winter Ptarmigan and he wears a small pack to carry the birds.
This guy is a complainer and has no idea what he is talking about. If you see photos of dogs chained up why don't you ask the question of why is that dog on a chain? You might be surprised to learn the answer. When I was at Kingfishers there were only two Mals chained up outside of the enclosed kennel areas. One was the mama of my pup (Abby) why was chained for 5 minutes while I visited her pups. The other was chained because he was having his kennel cleaned.
The accusations about the dogs wearing trees down to nubs is a joke. Mals love to chew and also have powerful legs and long nails. When they jump, scratch, chew or play with stuff it often takes a beating. My 8mth old Mal can destroy the best Kong in 15 minutes flat. He can chew a 6 inch log in half in about 30 minutes.
Kingfisher's is a nice place and they have some great dogs. Do your homework and stop basking people because you just like to complain.