An investigation by the Humane Society has discovered some disturbing facts about the puppies sold at Petland stores.  While the pet giant claims to only get puppies from reputable breeders the facts show otherwise.  The Humane Society goes so far as to allege that Petland supports puppy mills.

According to a report by the Humane Society of the United States, many stores of the Ohio-based Petland Inc. pet store chain support puppy mills while telling customers the dogs come only from good breeders.

The animal protection group made the charge at a Washington, D.C. news conference, saying it conducted an eight-month investigation of the chain headquartered in Chillicothe in southwest Ohio.

Petland Inc. did not return repeated calls from CBS News seeking comment on the report. But in a message posted on the company Web site, Petland said the company does not support substandard breeding facilities and provides each store with humane care guidelines developed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

While Petland has stated prior that the Humane Society reports surface every year around holiday time, the same time as their fundraisers.  Implying they are using “sensationalism” to help raise funds for their cause.

If you look at the facts found in the investigation it’s very hard to dispute the allegations. The Humane Society said investigators visited 35 breeders and brokers that sold puppies to Petland stores.
As well as reviewing hundreds of additional interstate import records from other breeders.

“We found very classic puppy mill condition,” the Humane Society’s Stephanie Shain told CBS News. “Dogs in small cages. These animals were living in those cages 24 hours a day, 365 days out of the year.”

In puppy mills, hundreds of breeding dogs are packed into cramped, barren cages with no socialization, exercise or human interaction, she said.

The stores investigated are perpetuating an abusive industry where dogs are treated like a cash crop instead of as pets, said Shain, director of the Humane Society’s campaign against puppy mills.

“They know that consumers won’t stand for the cruelty inherent in mass-breeding facilities, so they make outrageous claims to hide the reality that the dogs came from puppy mills,” Shain said.

Shain is right, now that consumers are aware of what goes on behind closed doors we will do anything in our power to stop it.  We, as dog lovers, have banded together to sign petitions and help change legislation.  The voice of 60 million dog owners can no longer be ignored, we will not allow it.

We are their voice, the only one they have. Take action by going to the Humane Society site where you can learn how to contact Petland’s corporate headquarters to express your concern for puppy mills and ask them to stop selling puppies.

Another story about dogfighting, but this one with a twist.

Mitchell Beasley, and live-in girlfriend Lindy Louise Andrews, were running a dogfighting ring on their property in Waynesboro, TN.  At their initial court appearance they were ordered to put up money to take care of the dogs that were confiscated.

“They have 10 days to get the bond money up,” Wayne County Sheriff Ric Wilson said.

The sheriff said bonds were also established at $25,000 cash each or $75,000 property each.

“If they do get out, they can’t go back to the property until we get the dogs properly cared for,” Wilson said.

Now that’s what I’m talking about, it’s payback time. The pair were each charged with 22 counts of aggravated animal cruelty and 22 counts of dog fighting.

The immediate need is to find a safe place for the confiscated dogs, talks with the local Humane Society will be taking place in hopes they can help.

“We hope that each one can be saved. At one time, there is no doubt they were beautiful animals,” Wilson said. “It’s just sickening to think about what has happened to them and what they have been through.”

I’ve left out some of the details because it was just to disgusting to post.  I’m glad to see that the courts have taken the extra step of ordering the couple to pay for the dogs care.  I applaud the judge for taking that step.

These people should be made to pay for the care for the lifetime of the dogs, their  property should be taken away and sold at auction, and they deserve to rot in jail.

Not just any wine, a wine with a cause.  Carivintas Winery has a special collection of wine in honor of the Pit Bulls taken from Michael Vick.

The wine labels feature beautiful paintings of  each of the dogs on front, with their story on the back.

It’s a tribute to what love and patience can do to turn a trained fighting dog around. A celebration of triumph for these dogs who beat the odds.

Best Friends Animal Society is commemorating its 25th anniversary with a special salute to 22 very special pit bulls taken from Michael Vick’s Bad Newz Kennels and now living at Best Friends.

From damaged souls to national sweethearts, these dogs inspired us to tackle the very dark world of illegal dog fighting and we could think of no greater tribute than to shine spotlights on each one of them.

So, we’ve teamed up with The Dog Lovers Wine Club to create a signature wine series - a special two case collection featuring fine portraits of each dog painted by Best Friends Founder and artist Cyrus Mejia.

Cyrus was already painting the Vicktory dogs for his latest art project, Pits and Perception, a collection of larger-than-life portraits of pit bulls, supported in part by the Culture and Animals Foundation.

“The idea behind this project is to have people confront their fears and perceptions on these dogs,” explains Cyrus. “When I was a kid, Dobermans were considered dangerous. Now it’s pit bulls. I thought if perceptions can change one way, maybe they could change back. This is my way of artistically trying to change the way people have come to think about pit bulls.”

The creation of the wine labels grew out of that undertaking. Ten percent of all sales from the Vicktory Dog Wine Collection will benefit Best Friends by funding community programs such as legislative campaigns to end dog fighting and combating breed-specific legislation.
To order from the Vicktory Dog Wine Collection, click here.

Key in VDOGS for a special 10% discount when checking out. Limited time discount ends December 31, 2008.

If you enjoy wine, or are looking for a gift to give this holiday season, here’s the perfect choice.  You get a great bottle of wine, and at the same time give a little something back to help go towards bringing awareness to the cause.

It’s hard to believe this stuff goes on, unfortunately it does.

HOUSTON - State officials said late Friday that they had begun dismantling one of the largest dogfighting rings in the country that night, arresting eight people and seizing 187 dogs used by a sophisticated network of bettors throughout eastern Texas. Investigators continued to search for suspects Saturday.

In all, 55 people were indicted after an undercover investigation that lasted 17 months. Officials said the network’s matches drew crowds of up to 100 people, who placed tens of thousands of dollars in wagers on a single fight.

Gamblers commonly placed bets as high as $500 to $1,000 on the matches. The fights took place weekly or twice a month, they were by invitation only. That’s one invitation I never want to receive.

An undercover investigation started after receiving a tip from someone in a different state. The investigators gathered evidence, even managing to video tape a few of the fights. Authorities stated that during raids to seize the animals, state troopers also found firearms, marijuana, cocaine and stolen property.

The indictments charged the defendants only with engaging in dogfights, a felony that carries up to two years in prison, or misdemeanor charges of being a spectator at a dogfight, which carries up to a year in jail.

This is a despicable crime and the laws need to be changed to reflect the severity of the crime, stricter punishments need to put into place.

At least a bite has been taken out of one more dogfighting ring.

In Jay, Oklahoma a puppy mill was raided and 98 dogs were rescued from horrendous conditions.

The owner of the puppy mill had left town for more than a week, leaving the dogs without food. Many did not have access to water, nine of the dogs were already dead.

The owner of the puppy mill lived in a tent next to her puppy mill, Wehr said. She is expected to be charged with more than 100 counts of cruelty to animals, a felony, Berry said.

The uproar over the puppy mill in Oklahoma has been overwhelming, Wehr said. Oklahoma has the dubious distinction of ranking No. 2 nationwide for puppy mills - behind neighboring Missouri, she said.

Delaware County is a poor area, and some people there start raising puppies in hopes of selling them. But they are soon in over their heads - hardly able to support themselves, much less the dogs, Wehr said.

The dogs were rescued thanks in part to Darlene Wehr, a veterinarian from Delaware County, and the staff of the Denver Dumb Friends League.  The dogs were driven from the puppy mill to Denver, Colorado where they will be available for adoption.  Before the drive the dogs got their first taste of freedom.

Before the transfer, the dogs visited Salina’s dog park. They were overjoyed.

Unaccustomed to anything but dirt and filth, the miniature poodles and springer spaniels sniffed the grass. Then they had the time of their lives romping around the park, said Wehr, laughing.

If you’re interested in adopting encouraged to visit the Dumb Friends League Web site, or call (303) 751-5772, to find out when these dogs are available.

This is a very disturbing story, not easy to post. Even harder to read.

The purpose of putting this on the blog is to bring attention to this case and help get these people prosecuted.

FOREST GROVE, Ore. — A man and woman under investigation for allegedly attempting to euthanize their 13-year-old dog with a hammer have been arrested on animal abuse charges.

Long and his daughter, Susan, were charged after they hit their Labrador mix, Molly, on the head with a hammer and then buried her up to her neck in their back yard.

Long told KGW Monday he thought the dog had cancer.

Family members previously told KGW they didn’t have the money to pay to euthanize their dog.

But on Monday Long said his daughter had been afraid to take the dog to a veterinarian due to concern she would be accused of animal abuse.

He said they were trying to put it out of its misery and that when they buried Molly they thought she was dead.

But a neighbor later heard the dog yelping and called 9-1-1.

Forest Grove Police responded Friday afternoon to a report of a dog buried alive at a house on Laurel Street. The father and daughter were not at the home when police arrived; they had gone out to dinner.

Capt. Ashbaugh said police entered the back yard and found the dog buried up to its neck with an obvious head injury.

Long and Johnson claimed at the time they’d buried Molly in a hole “in an apparent attempt to limit the amount of blood on their property,” Ashbaugh said.

Molly ended up being euthanized because it was too late to save her.  Dogsters, we need to make sure there is never another Molly, this story is tragic and should never have happened. We are now the voice for Molly, the only one she has.

I urge everyone to contact the Washington County District Attorney, Robert Hermann, and demand justice for Molly.  Contact the D.A.’s  office at 503-846-8671 or via email at webmaster@co.washington.or.us.

In Riviera Beach, FL  Pit Bulls were taken from a home where suspected dog fight training was taking place.

A phone call about a dog in distress led officials to the home, Animal Care and Control were the first to respond.

At the house they found enough evidence to get a warrant for a full search.

Four pit bulls were taken from 446 West 14th street. Frank Huggins was arrested for a felony violation of animal fighting. The house belongs to his brother who could also face charges.

The dogs have multiple scars on their bodies and some had open wounds on their face and neck.

Deputies also removed a treadmill used to run dogs, weights, chains and needles. Investigators say the heavy weights are put on the dogs collars to strengthen them. They say there were other signs the dogs were being trained such as being individually tethered and their lean physique.

The training operation at Huggins house is considered to be an isolated incident.  However, officials are investigating to make sure it isn’t part of a larger ring.

* There was no pic with the article. The adorable girl above is Dogster member Vega, a rescue.

In North Wales, UK two officers living together are facing possible jail time for cruelty against their pet dogs.

A neighbor who had noticed some disturbing behavior called the RSPCA, when they came out to evaluate the situation they found no evidence of abuse.

Now comes the award for good neighbor (to dogs) of the year, she took it upon herself to set up a camera to get the abuse on film.

Prosecuting, Glenn Murphy said: “To her credit this lady purchased a camera and she took many hours of video footage.”

A DVD, about 15-20 minutes in length, was played to the court.

In one scene Mason was filmed hitting the pup’s head and kicking her.

Later the dog was seen pulling washing from a line before Macleod emerged from the house and chased it to a corner of the yard. Out of shot of the camera the dog could then be heard yelping.

Officers Anja Mason, 29 and Craig Macleod, 34 now face losing their jobs.  Both have been removed from frontline duty pending the outcome of the case.  Thanks to the caring neighbor these two will hopefully get what they deserve.

An accused animal hoarder who skipped bail on two cruelty cases has finally been arrested after two years on the run.

The arrest of Barbara Ryan ends a two-year odyssey that took her from Hemet to Tehachapi to Fillmore, among other locations, and involved more than 100 dogs and cats.

Authorities say she adopted several aliases, and they now suspect that an animal-rescue group aided her while she was on the run.

Ryan, who also uses the name Anita Gilbert, was in custody without bail at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood.

Ryan was originally arrested back in September 2006 after a neighbor complained of the smell coming from her home.

Inside, authorities found 23 cats and 15 dogs tied to cupboards and in closets, said Rita Gutierrez, field services commander for the Riverside County Department of Animal Services.

The animals had suffered burns from living in their own waste, and they were covered with cockroaches, Gutierrez said. Urine and feces had saturated drywall in one room and caused it to disintegrate, and the building was deemed uninhabitable, she said.

That October, Ryan failed to appear for a Riverside County court hearing on felony animal cruelty charges, and the case went cold.

This story just keeps getting worse.  In July animal officers were called to investigate a warehouse that was occupied by Anita Gilbert, a.k.a. Barbara Ryan.

The warehouse windows were covered with plywood and the floors coated with fecal sludge, said Guy Shaw, director of animal services.

Inside, officers found dead cats in the freezer and crates housing sickly animals sitting in piles of filth and food cans, Shaw said. In all, there were 15 dogs and 37 cats.

The officers suffered nausea, dizziness and headaches from the foul air in the building, according to the animal control department’s case file. One veteran technician said the conditions were the most horrendous she had ever seen.

Now, thanks to Bob Herman who was Ryan’s bail bondsman she has been caught. Ryan skipped out on her bail and Herman spent hundreds of hours to track her down. Not only does this woman deserve jail time, I think some psychiatric care may be in order.

One of our Dogster member’s responded to the Barking Mad article with a question regarding a neighbor who neglects their dogs.

They are in a very difficult situation and looking for some much needed advice.

I’m posting the letter in hopes that a fellow Dogster may have dealt with this issue and will have some helpful advice to dole out.

The neighbors next door have seven to nine children (ranging in age from six months to eight years),plus two dogs.

These dogs are utterly unloved, and most nights they can be found outside, one loose and one on a chain. These folks don’t have a fence, so the one that is loose ends up running the neighborhood and coming over to me and whoever else happens to be outside of my house at the time. This dog is not to be trusted due to the years of neglect, and she carries herself in such a way that you don’t know what her next move is.

Heaven is an absolutely gorgeous American Bulldog. These folks “rescued” her from the pound, and for a few weeks gave her love and walked her about the neighborhood. She was well-fed, sheltered, and kept outside in the daytime on her chain. At this point, three months later, she never leaves the chain. She never gets any attention from her owners. She does not have food or water available for her most of the time.

It’s disheartening to think forward to the future months and years, and how this animal’s already negative disposition toward humans is going to decline.

They have called animal control to report the situation but no action has been taken.  They are not sure of the next step and want to make sure they contact the appropriate officials.  So Dogsters, what would you do?