Iris, a German Shepherd puppy, was allegedly subjected to neglect and unethical treatment while in the care of Jessica and Katiebeth Brandt of Tandem Canines Training Company. When Iris was four months old, her breeder was contacted by Jessica, who inquired about evaluating her for service dog work, stating she had a client in mind. Jessica then picked up Iris and kept her for several weeks before placing her with the client. It is said that the client later returned Iris to Jessica, but the breeder was not immediately informed of this. According to multiple witness accounts, after Iris was returned, she was confined in a run at Tandem Canines’ new facility, Tandem Canines’ Pet Resort, where some claim she was severely under-socialized, neglected, and starved. Reports from individuals familiar with the situation suggest that employees at the facility observed Iris to be extremely underweight and in poor condition, both mentally and physically.
One employee stated when questioning Jessica about Iris’ health, Jessica claimed that the dog had “growing pains” and “low food drive.” However, other accounts suggest that Iris displayed incredibly high food drive and displayed no evidence of growing pains, contradicting Jessica’s claim. It was also reported that Jessica was responsible for completing Iris’ final round of puppy vaccinations, which she stated she would take care of. However, it was later discovered that Iris did not receive these vaccinations. Despite concerns that Iris was not fully vaccinated, Jessica and Katiebeth Brandt still brought her onto their property, where multiple cases of Leptospirosis had already been confirmed—potentially exposing her to a serious and fatal disease.
A couple more images of Iris post-visit with Tandem Canines’
Additionally, some claim that Iris was subjected to unethical and compulsion-based training methods, which resulted in severe behavioral issues stemming from fear. Due to the intervention of an employee who reportedly witnessed her condition, Iris’ breeder and the owner of her sire were notified. Iris was later adopted into a new home, where she is said to have recovered both physically and mentally.