GREENWOOD — On Feb. 20, after hearing dogs “barking, fighting, and crying,” a FEMA representative who was taking a break in his car on the side of the road, called Greenwood Town Manager Kim Sparks to file a complaint.

He told Sparks he also planned to call Animal Welfare to file a complaint against High Horse Stables and AlphaK9 Kennel.

The kennel is at 15 West Paris Road on the corner of Greenwood Rd. on Route 219 and is owned by Mindy Sweetser Osgood and Elizabeth Hoison Osgood.

Maine Humane Agent Will Muggle of the Animal Welfare Program in Augusta said the case was open and therefore he could not comment. According to Sparks, Muggle visited the kennel on Feb. 20 and once the previous week.

Director of Communications for the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry Jim Britt also said he could not comment but would be in touch with a finding when the case is closed.

At a Feb. 20 selectboard meeting, Sparks said the kennel has been licensed for about 10 years and she has received half a dozen calls over the years but thought that things were worked out between the buyers and the kennel owner.

On the weekend preceding that meeting, Sparks said she had received several emails asking if the Town could cancel the kennel license issued to Mindy Osgood. The complainant, Jacie Leopold, had purchased a puppy from High Horse Stables and Alpha K9 Kennels.

Leopold alleged her service puppy had severe health issues. “I wish to share my experience with High Horse Stables & AlphaK9 Kennel in Greenwood Maine, hoping to provide insight for others in similar situations. As someone with a developmental mental disability, seeking a service dog to assist with my daily needs, I approached this business with hope and trust.

“I was advised to purchase a 14-week-old Labrador, assured of her health with a one-year guarantee and up-to-date vaccinations. Unfortunately, this assurance fell short when, soon after purchase, she exhibited severe health issues, including parasites and a critical heart defect that she was born with, later diagnosed by professionals, contradicting the breeder’s initial assurances.

“Despite conveying these developments and the escalating costs and emotional toll to the breeder, Mindy Osgood, my concerns were met with dismissiveness. The suggestion that the puppy would ‘grow out of’ such a severe condition felt misleading, and the subsequent offer of a ‘free puppy’ upon her passing did not align with the support and understanding one would expect in such circumstances.

Upon returning the puppy, in hope of resolution, I was faced with further disappointment. The refusal to reimburse any veterinary expenses and the suggestion that the puppy would be isolated and euthanized, unless I relinquished any claims, left me not only financially strained but also emotionally devastated.

This experience, compounded by the breeder’s response to my sharing of these events on social media, including blocking and accusations of spreading lies, has been incredibly distressing. It’s disheartening to learn others have faced similar situations with animals from this establishment, suggesting a pattern of behavior that prioritizes profit over the well-being of the animals and the needs of their clients,” said Leopold.

Leopold’s Facebook post then elicited several negative comments about the kennel, as well. Complainants on the Better Business Bureau website, written in 2021, 2023, and 2024 talk of receiving sick animals, too. A few complained of not having their money returned when health issues were identified.

Sparks said she had also heard from Lisa Palmer, several months ago. Palmer called asking for the Animal Control Officer’s contact information. She told Sparks said she purchased a kitten from AlphaK9 Kennel, said it wasn’t healthy and questioned their vaccine records. Palmer called more recently having seen the Facebook posts and wondered if the town could shut the kennel down.

Sparks told the selectboard on Feb. 20 she had contacted the State Animal Welfare office and found that unless the Town has an ordinance that would prevent the Town from issuing kennel licenses the Town has no reason to not issue the license.

A possible future town ordinance regulating kennels and how the Town would enforce such an ordinance is something the selectboard touched on at the Feb. 20 selectboard meeting, said Sparks.

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