Kimbertal Kennels Closed in Oxford: What the Records Show

Breed and Identity
Written By ADW News Desk
Doberman’s nose peeking beneath a lace curtain beside a hanging “Sorry, we’re closed” sign.

ADW NEWS DESK

A Doberman’s World

Kimbertal’s Oxford operations closed after a cease-and-desist order

ADW NEWS DESK

Kimbertal Kennels’ dealer and boarding operations were officially closed when Pennsylvania dog wardens inspected them on May 14, 20261,2. The operations were listed at 875 Market Street in Oxford3,4. A month earlier, the boarding inspection had recorded a cease-and-desist order requiring the kennel to stop boarding until it obtained a license or closed5.

From the 2025 transition to the 2026 closures

Inspection dates and court plea dates

2025

  1. Compliant inspections

    The commercial, dealer and boarding inspections recorded compliance6,7,8.

  2. New license entries

    Three old license entries closed9,10,11 and three new opening inspections recorded compliance, with licenses pending approval12,13,14.

  3. Move to Oxford

    The commercial operation closed15. The dealer and boarding move inspections recorded compliance16,17.

2026

  1. Unlicensed boarding

    Wardens found 23 dogs boarding without a license18; both reports said no 2026 application had been received18,19.

  2. Cease-and-desist order

    The boarding report counted 16 dogs without a license5 and recorded an order to stop until the kennel obtained a license or closed5.

  3. Four guilty pleas

    Melody Jones pleaded guilty to four summary charges with March 12 offense dates20,21,22,23.

  4. Oxford operations closed

    The dealer and boarding closing inspections found no dogs on the kennel premises1,2.

  5. Fifth guilty plea

    Jones pleaded guilty to a vaccination-proof charge with a May 14 offense date24.

2025: New licenses, then a move to Oxford

On March 11, 2025, wardens recorded compliance at inspections of Kimbertal’s commercial, dealer and boarding operations6,7,8.

On July 2, wardens carried out closing inspections for the three existing license entries9,10,11 and opening inspections for three new ones: commercial license 18959, dealer license 18958 and boarding license 1896012,13,14. The opening reports recorded compliance and said the 2025 licenses were pending approval12,13,14. All three operations therefore have both closing and opening records for that date.

Bobbi Ann Hagnar was identified as Kimbertal’s owner in the March commercial inspection report6. By the July commercial opening inspection, Melody Jones was the person interviewed and was also listed as “Owner”12. The date and terms of any business sale remain unverified.

By the October 21 inspections, the dealer and boarding operations had moved from Phoenixville to Oxford. Their reports said the old site was vacant and the new site had been inspected16,17. Wardens viewed the 2025 licenses and recorded compliance at both move inspections16,17. The commercial operation at the Phoenixville location was recorded closed that day15.

March 2026: Unlicensed boarding and concerns about the dogs

The March 12, 2026 inspections found a licensing problem in Oxford. Both reports said the department had received no 2026 application18,19, and wardens counted 23 dogs boarding without a license18. The dealer report’s checklist marked operating without a license “No”19. It gives no explanation for that answer.

Wardens described rust on enclosures that prevented them from being readily sanitized18,19 and kennel records that were unavailable for inspection18,19. They also reported dogs being moved after they arrived, before the inspections began18,19. At the dealer inspection, bills of sale for five puppies were unavailable19. The owner told wardens that five puppies had entered the kennel a few days before eight weeks of age19.

The boarding inspection also raised concerns about the dogs’ condition. Wardens and a veterinarian observed Doberman Pinscher-type dogs with thin body condition; the owner could not provide proof of veterinary care18. The report described a Standard Poodle-type dog with mild to moderate matting and many dogs with long toenails18. Wardens ordered veterinary examinations for three adult dogs18. Those examinations were completed within the required 72 hours18.

Rabies documentation was also unavailable, so wardens could not confirm current vaccination for all 23 boarding dogs18. The March finding concerns missing proof; it does not establish that all 23 dogs were unvaccinated.

April 2026: Boarding ordered to stop until licensed

When wardens returned on April 14, they counted 16 dogs boarding without a license and again reported that no 2026 application had been received5. The boarding report says a cease-and-desist order was issued until the kennel submitted an application and obtained a license or closed5. Continuing to board dogs required the kennel to obtain a license.

The dealer and boarding reports again described rust that prevented ready sanitization5,25. Both described the kennel records as incomplete5,25.

May and June 2026: Closures and five guilty pleas

On May 4, Melody Jones pleaded guilty to four summary charges with March 12 offense dates: a kennel vaccination-proof offense20, failure to keep a kennel in sanitary and humane condition21, failure to keep proper kennel records22, and interference with a police officer or state dog warden23.

Ten days later, at the May 14 closing inspections, wardens recorded both Oxford operations as officially closed1,2 and found no adult dogs or puppies on the kennel premises1,2. The boarding report separately recorded 16 personal dogs at the owner’s residence2. It also recorded one adult dog without a current rabies vaccination2 and said a citation had been issued2.

On June 22, Jones pleaded guilty to a fifth summary charge, a kennel vaccination-proof offense with a May 14 offense date24.

The state database classifies the dealer and boarding closures as “Closed - Voluntarily”3,4. That classification appears alongside a history of unlicensed boarding and the April order. The records do not explain why the operator closed rather than pursued a license.

The website still lists licenses closed in July 2025

As of October 5, 2026, Kimbertal’s website still displayed commercial license CK-17571, dealer license DK-17563 and boarding license BK-1757326. These are the three old license entries closed on July 2, 20259,10,11, when the new entries described above opened12,13,14. The website numbers therefore refer to the earlier licenses, rather than the operations that closed in October 2025 and May 2026.

Five registrations remain Active; three reports are overdue

Pennsylvania’s business register still listed five Kimbertal-named registrations as Active on October 527. Three also had annual reports flagged as overdue: Kimbertal Training Ltd., Kimbertal Kennels Ltd. and Kimbertal Kennels II LLC27. Pennsylvania begins applying administrative dissolution for missed annual reports with reports due in 202728. An Active registration can therefore carry an overdue flag in 2026. Neither field establishes that a kennel is operating or holds a current kennel license.

Kimbertal Kennels Ltd.’s profile lists Melody A Jones as president, vice president and governor27. The register also includes two newer companies. Kimbertal Dog Retreat LLC was initially filed on April 17, 2025, with a principal address at 155 Ford Road in Phoenixville and Steven Austin listed as president and governor27. Kimbertal Kennels II LLC was initially filed on November 4, 2025, using the same registered-office address as Kimbertal Kennels Ltd.27.

ADW’s searches of the state kennel database under Kimbertal, Austin, Dog Retreat and Phoenixville returned no matching new entry for either LLC29. Whether either company became an operating kennel remains unverified.

The public records reviewed for this report leave three decisions unexplained: why Kimbertal left Phoenixville, why the department had received no 2026 application, and why the operator chose closure rather than licensing. ADW has not obtained an account of those decisions from the operator or the department.

References

  1. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Dog Law Enforcement Office. (2026, May 14). Kennel inspection: Kimbertal Kennels, license 18958 [Inspection report, record 141754]. Cited p. 4. https://www.pda.pa.gov/PADogLawPublicKennelInspectionSearch/Reports/Report.aspx?id=141754
  2. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Dog Law Enforcement Office. (2026, May 14). Kennel inspection: Kimbertal Kennels, license 18960 [Inspection report, record 141788]. Cited pp. 1, 4. https://www.pda.pa.gov/PADogLawPublicKennelInspectionSearch/Reports/Report.aspx?id=141788
  3. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). Kimbertal Kennels: License 18958 (dealer) [Kennel detail entry]. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://www.pda.pa.gov/PADogLawPublicKennelInspectionSearch/KennelInspections/Details/18824
  4. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). Kimbertal Kennels: License 18960 (boarding) [Kennel detail entry]. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://www.pda.pa.gov/PADogLawPublicKennelInspectionSearch/KennelInspections/Details/18826
  5. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Dog Law Enforcement Office. (2026, April 14). Kennel inspection: Kimbertal Kennels, license 18960 [Inspection report, record 141213]. Cited p. 4. https://www.pda.pa.gov/PADogLawPublicKennelInspectionSearch/Reports/Report.aspx?id=141213
  6. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Dog Law Enforcement Office. (2025, March 11). Kennel inspection: Kimbertal Kennels, license 17571 [Inspection report, record 134079]. Cited pp. 1, 5. https://www.pda.pa.gov/PADogLawPublicKennelInspectionSearch/Reports/Report.aspx?id=134079
  7. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Dog Law Enforcement Office. (2025, March 11). Kennel inspection: Kimbertal Kennels, license 17563 [Inspection report, record 134080]. Cited p. 4. https://www.pda.pa.gov/PADogLawPublicKennelInspectionSearch/Reports/Report.aspx?id=134080
  8. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Dog Law Enforcement Office. (2025, March 11). Kennel inspection: Kimbertal Kennels, license 17573 [Inspection report, record 134081]. Cited p. 4. https://www.pda.pa.gov/PADogLawPublicKennelInspectionSearch/Reports/Report.aspx?id=134081
  9. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Dog Law Enforcement Office. (2025, July 2). Kennel inspection: Kimbertal Kennels, license 17571 [Inspection report, record 136093]. Cited p. 5. https://www.pda.pa.gov/PADogLawPublicKennelInspectionSearch/Reports/Report.aspx?id=136093
  10. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Dog Law Enforcement Office. (2025, July 2). Kennel inspection: Kimbertal Kennels, license 17563 [Inspection report, record 136092]. Cited p. 4. https://www.pda.pa.gov/PADogLawPublicKennelInspectionSearch/Reports/Report.aspx?id=136092
  11. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Dog Law Enforcement Office. (2025, July 2). Kennel inspection: Kimbertal Kennels, license 17573 [Inspection report, record 136091]. Cited p. 4. https://www.pda.pa.gov/PADogLawPublicKennelInspectionSearch/Reports/Report.aspx?id=136091
  12. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Dog Law Enforcement Office. (2025, July 2). Kennel inspection: Kimbertal Kennels, license 18959 [Inspection report, record 136096]. Cited pp. 1, 5. https://www.pda.pa.gov/PADogLawPublicKennelInspectionSearch/Reports/Report.aspx?id=136096
  13. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Dog Law Enforcement Office. (2025, July 2). Kennel inspection: Kimbertal Kennels, license 18958 [Inspection report, record 136095]. Cited p. 4. https://www.pda.pa.gov/PADogLawPublicKennelInspectionSearch/Reports/Report.aspx?id=136095
  14. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Dog Law Enforcement Office. (2025, July 2). Kennel inspection: Kimbertal Kennels, license 18960 [Inspection report, record 136094]. Cited p. 4. https://www.pda.pa.gov/PADogLawPublicKennelInspectionSearch/Reports/Report.aspx?id=136094
  15. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Dog Law Enforcement Office. (2025, October 21). Kennel inspection: Kimbertal Kennels, license 18959 [Inspection report, record 138344]. Cited p. 5. https://www.pda.pa.gov/PADogLawPublicKennelInspectionSearch/Reports/Report.aspx?id=138344
  16. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Dog Law Enforcement Office. (2025, October 21). Kennel inspection: Kimbertal Kennels, license 18958 [Inspection report, record 138343]. Cited p. 4. https://www.pda.pa.gov/PADogLawPublicKennelInspectionSearch/Reports/Report.aspx?id=138343
  17. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Dog Law Enforcement Office. (2025, October 21). Kennel inspection: Kimbertal Kennels, license 18960 [Inspection report, record 138342]. Cited p. 4. https://www.pda.pa.gov/PADogLawPublicKennelInspectionSearch/Reports/Report.aspx?id=138342
  18. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Dog Law Enforcement Office. (2026, March 12). Kennel inspection: Kimbertal Kennels, license 18960 [Inspection report, record 140675]. Cited pp. 4, 5. https://www.pda.pa.gov/PADogLawPublicKennelInspectionSearch/Reports/Report.aspx?id=140675
  19. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Dog Law Enforcement Office. (2026, March 12). Kennel inspection: Kimbertal Kennels, license 18958 [Inspection report, record 140660]. Cited pp. 3, 4. https://www.pda.pa.gov/PADogLawPublicKennelInspectionSearch/Reports/Report.aspx?id=140660
  20. Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System. (2026). Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Melody Jones [Magisterial District Court docket sheet, MJ-15305-NT-0000120-2026]. Retrieved October 5, 2026. Cited p. 2. Official docket sheet.
  21. Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System. (2026). Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Melody Jones [Magisterial District Court docket sheet, MJ-15305-NT-0000121-2026]. Retrieved October 5, 2026. Cited p. 2. Official docket sheet.
  22. Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System. (2026). Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Melody Jones [Magisterial District Court docket sheet, MJ-15305-NT-0000122-2026]. Retrieved October 5, 2026. Cited p. 1. Official docket sheet.
  23. Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System. (2026). Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Melody Jones [Magisterial District Court docket sheet, MJ-15305-NT-0000123-2026]. Retrieved October 5, 2026. Cited p. 1. Official docket sheet.
  24. Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System. (2026). Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Melody Jones [Magisterial District Court docket sheet, MJ-15305-NT-0000185-2026]. Retrieved October 5, 2026. Cited p. 1. Official docket sheet.
  25. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Dog Law Enforcement Office. (2026, April 14). Kennel inspection: Kimbertal Kennels, license 18958 [Inspection report, record 141211]. Cited p. 4. https://www.pda.pa.gov/PADogLawPublicKennelInspectionSearch/Reports/Report.aspx?id=141211
  26. Kimbertal Kennels. (n.d.). Home. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://www.kimbertalkennels.com/
  27. Pennsylvania Department of State. (n.d.). Business register: Kimbertal search and entity profiles [Search results and profiles for entities 743948, 764633, 14327544, 14969842 and fictitious name 2295874]. Screenshots supplied to ADW, October 5, 2026. Official business-register search.
  28. Pennsylvania Department of State. (n.d.). Annual reports in Pennsylvania. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business/types-of-filings-and-registrations/annual-reports.
  29. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). Public kennel inspection search [Searches under Kimbertal, Austin, Dog Retreat and Phoenixville]. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://www.pda.pa.gov/PADogLawPublicKennelInspectionSearch/.
ADW News Desk

Our mission is to inform, engage and empower Doberman People.

Next

So You Are Thinking About Buying an E-Collar for Your Doberman