Protest held at Sportsman's Kennels in Manorville after allegations of poor conditions

Animal lovers and advocates are calling for a dog breeding facility in Manorville to shut down after an investigation by an animal welfare group alleged disturbing conditions inside — allegations the business has contested.

About two dozen people stood near the driveway at Sportsman's Kennels on Schultz Road on Saturday to protest the business and promote the "Adopt, Don't Shop" movement, according to organizer John Di Leonardo, an anthrozoologist and executive director of Humane Long Island.

Di Leonardo said the report revealed "horrible" conditions for 200 dogs at the facility and urged people who want a new pet to visit a shelter instead. "Don't patronize a puppy mill like Sportsman's Kennel," he said. "This is a very unsportsmanlike situation where animals have been suffering for far too long," Di Leonardo said.

Humane World for Animals, a global nonprofit, sent an investigator to work undercover at the site this fall. The employee documented roaches in dog food, sick puppies with a litany of ailments, crowded cages and unsanitary conditions, Newsday previously reported.

Through a spokeswoman, Sportsman's Kennels owner Helen Camlikades issued a statement strongly rebutting the allegations and said she is committed to the dogs' well-being. The Manorville facility opened in 1969 and advertises golden doodles, poodles, corgis, Shih Tzus and other breeds for sale on a sign at the entrance.

"Tens of thousands of dogs have passed through our hands and into loving families," Sylvia King-Cohen, a spokeswoman for the business, said Saturday. "Those dogs grew up to become family members, sleeping at the foot of beds, running in backyards, growing old with people who adored them."

King-Cohen said the dogs are routinely examined by veterinarians and are promptly treated for health issues and that kennels are cleaned regularly. "We're not perfect, but we are responsible," she said, adding the business fully cooperated with unplanned inspections after allegations were raised by Humane World for Animals.

The state Department of Agriculture and Markets conducted an inspection of the facility on Dec. 9 that found satisfactory housing, sanitation, feeding and health conditions at the site. The business was deemed noncompliant for lacking sales paperwork for a corgi and other documentation, according to a pet dealer inspection report.

Records show Sportsman's Kennels failed nine other state inspections since 2019.

King-Cohen said the owner has received death threats since the report was released. Several Riverhead police officers were stationed nearby during Saturday's protest.

Di Leonardo was joined by several pet owners who recalled negative experiences with Sportsman's Kennels, including Jennifer Tappe, of Centereach, who said she purchased a French bulldog puppy in 2012 that had chronic health issues and allergies.

Her puppy, Olive, had giardia and infected her other two dogs when she came home, Tappe said, holding a sign that read: "Pets are not X-mas presents."

Tappe criticized Sportsman's Kennels for treating dogs as commodities.

"It's just not right to breed them," she said. "There's so many dogs that need homes, and there's so many other ways to get a dog and give a dog a happy life."

The kennel is licensed by state and permitted to sell animals because they are bred on site and not brought in from out of state, Newsday previously reported.