Golden Retriever breeder under investigation in Farmington Hills

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (WJBK) - A Farmington Hills breeder is under investigation for its treatment of animals. But, exactly what's going on there depends on who you ask.

"The police are always here. Animal control is here every 10 days. But, somehow, she always gets away, as long as there's water in those bowls and there's food," says Linda Racey with Poochie Pals Small Dogs Rescue.

She's one of several neighbors who say they've spent years complaining about the Chien d'Or Golden Retriever breeding business, which is run out of a home on Rollcrest Road in Farmington Hills.

"The dogs are barking continually, 24 hours, 7 days a week. And the neighbors have been very patient with it but we all know what's going on," she says. "She never lets people who are buying into her home; all her sales of her dogs are conducted in the front lawn, in a really well-manicured, delightful-looking presentation of the outside."

The inside is a different story, according to one prospective adopter who says they managed to take some pictures last week. Farmington Hills Police were called Saturday afternoon, and spent hours inside investigating. You can see the photos in the video player above in the report from FOX 2's Hannah Saunders.

Police tell us after searching the house they didn't find any animals in immediate danger, but that Oakland County Animal Control does have a larger, ongoing investigation.

Afterwards, FOX 2 caught up with the owner, Mary Gabriel. She told us she blames all the negative attention on what she believes to be extreme opinions from animal rights activists.

'She mistreats these animals and sees them all as dollar signs," Racey says.

"They lie," Gabriel says of her neighbors. "You wouldn't believe what they tell people; I wouldn't put it on the news."

A former employee of hers, Karen Irwin, still cares for a dog born in the kennel, who she says has some health issues.

"You're not going to go wrong with the puppies, but what about the adults breeding those puppies?" Irwin wants to know. "That's where my concern is."

She says she's also been filing complaints for years. 

"There was always dirty laundry, always poop and pee and everything all around. It was just, you could smell the facility from the road and it's just disgusting the animals are house this way," Irwin says.

"They're happy," Gabriel assured us. "They run around."

Gabriel would not let our cameras inside to see the dogs and puppies, and won't say how many are there. FOX 2 has reached out to Oakland County Animal Control and is waiting for a response.