It amazes me that all states do not have laws to regulate dog breeders, but they don’t. Wisconsin is one of the states with no such law, on Wednesday a hearing is scheduled to introduce a bill to change that.
There have been efforts over the last few years to try and get legislation but so far it has failed. Due to concerns over cost along with opposition from groups who worry about unintended consequences and the effect on good breeders. Not sure exactly what they mean when they say unintended consequences, for who?
State Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection spokeswoman Donna Gilson says Wisconsin has become a magnet for breeders because it has no regulations.
In Kaufman County Texas almost 600 dogs, along with some cats, were seized when the Humane Society and sheriff’s deputies raided a puppy mill.
The society said it started investigating the kennel, which is located near Prairieville just north of Mabank, when someone came to them asking for dog food donations. Representatives visited and found poor living conditions and malnourished dogs.
“If loving the animal is a criminal, then maybe I’m a criminal,” she said. “Because I work 6 o’clock in the morning until 11:30 at night taking care of these animals.
Representatives said most of the dogs were living in their own waste and many were under fed. Three dogs died after being rescued and several others have skin or foot conditions.
Deputies said kennel owner, 72-year-old Margaret Boyd, faces animal cruelty charges.
Boyd told FOX 4 she is fighting to get the animals back. A court hearing is scheduled for Friday and both she and the Humane Society plan to ask for custody of the animals.
I want to thank Debbie for sending me this story and helping to expose another animal abuser, let’s hope Clayton gets what he deserves.
WEBSTER - A Missouri man who delivers animals to pet stores was arraigned Thursday on animal cruelty charges after police rescued what they said were weak, limp and sick puppies from his van.
John T. Clayton, 44, of Missouri told authorities he left Missouri Monday night, and the puppies had not been walked since then, police said.
Police said 27 puppies were crammed into small cages, surrounded by animal waste, filth and flies, in a locked box truck parked in front of a Main Street pet store Wednesday afternoon.
In Dudley District Court Thursday, Mr. Clayton pleaded not guilty to the cruelty charges. Bail was set at $1,000.
Before his arrest, Mr. Clayton had just delivered 10 puppies to Elite Puppies, 172 Main St., and had delivered nine puppies to Laughlin Kennel in Oxford, according to police. He may have dropped off puppies at other New England locations as well.
The case unfolded after two people drove by the delivery box truck when it was parked in front of Elite Puppies on Main Street about 2:45 p.m. They heard barking dogs and feared the dogs might be distressed. They flagged down a police cruiser and called an animal rescue organization.
In Bowie, TX. nearly 500 dogs were seized from the Maggic Pets/Heddins Kennels after a complaint the animals weren’t receiving proper veterinary care.
There were several dead animals found on the premises which according to the website offers breeds including pugs, schnauzers, toy beagles, akitas and shitzus.
Cloyce Heddins, the husband of the kennel’s owner, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the dogs received proper care and authorities had bad information. He said his wife, Carol, has heart problems and was taken to a hospital by ambulance when officers arrived.
“We’ve been in this business a long time,” Heddins told the newspaper. “If you raise dogs, you’ve got to get them veterinary care, especially if you’re trying to make a living of it.”
Sandy Grambort, a supervisor with the Humane Society of North Texas, said authorities found dogs in crates double-stacked in outbuildings, as well as in outdoor pens and kennels. Some had skin conditions and open sores, she said.
Here’s a good story to start off the week, a chain of pet stores selling puppy mill dogs has finally been shutdown.
Scamps Pet Stores, a chain of five stores located in the Oregon area and known for selling sick dogs filed for bankruptcy and will not be reopening.
In Defense of Animals Northwest office is celebrating fantastic news – the recent bankruptcy and closure of Scamps Pet Stores, a chain of five puppy peddling pet stores in Oregon and Washington. For nearly a decade, IDA and other animal advocates in Portland, Oregon have been educating the public about Scamps’ scandalous business practices of selling puppy mill puppies. Using information from employee whistle blowers and former Scamps customers, IDA detailed Scamps’ reputation of selling sick and genetically “defective” puppy mill puppies, and then lying about it. IDA had an ongoing outreach campaign where advocates demonstrated outside Scamps stores.
Many news stories over the years have chronicled Scamps’ unethical practices, like Channel 8, KGW’s Ann Yeager who did an investigation late last year into Scamps knowingly selling sick puppies, educating the public to adopt companion animals from shelters rather than buy from Scamps.
According to the Humane Society one of the largest and worst puppy mills in the nation has finally been shut down.
In Kennewick, WA after more than 40 years in business the Sun Valley Kennel will no longer be allowed to abuse and mistreat dogs, they have finally been stopped.
The animals were found living in wooden crates, shopping carts and other makeshift kennels caked with feces and soaked with urine.
“The conditions were not only shocking, but also heartbreaking to veteran deputies,” he said.
Inga Gibson, state director with The Humane Society of the United States West Coast Regional Office, said they’ve rescued animals from more than a half-dozen operations in the past couple of months.
“This is definitely one of the worst cases we have seen because of the conditions they were kept in,” Gibson said. “It’s one of the largest in Washington state and close to one of the largest in the country.”
Neighbors gathered across from Stewart’s home and on an adjacent property happily watching. They said it’ll be nice when it’s quiet and they can spend time in their yards without the foul odor.
After years of being used for breeding, 200 dogs are finally getting their chance at life. Thanks to a coordinated effort between Utah based Best Friends Animal Society and the National Mill Dog Rescue, located in Colorado.
More than 200 dogs that were rescued from certain death at puppy mills in the Midwest arrived Monday at North Shore Animal League America in Port Washington.
The dogs, purebreds that had been used for mass breeding of puppies, which are then sold to pet stores, had reached the end of their natural breeding lives and were about to be euthanized, rescue groups said.
Monday, an air-conditioned truck carrying dozens of cages pulled into the parking lot at North Shore Animal League America, where volunteers opened the cages and carried the dogs into the treatment building.
The dogs, including everything from shih tzus to Labradors, had suffered from neglect while at the puppy mills, rescue workers said. Most had matted fur and rotted teeth. Some had nails that had grown more than an inch long, and most had spent their entire lives in wire cages.
The dogs will be treated for medical conditions, spayed or neutered, and groomed at North Shore and several other area shelters before becoming available for adoption. The league plans to charge a $200 adoption fee for each dog.
I hope all the dogs are adopted and get a chance to live the life they were meant to live. Our boy Logan was in the same situation as the dogs above, a stud dog at a puppy mill who was used and abused. He may not have many teeth, and the ones he does aren’t pretty, but he’s the most beautiful Bernese Mountain dog in the world to us.
If you’re interested in one of the rescued dogs you can sign up for the North Shore’s e-mail alerts to be notified when they are available for adoption.
Washington had no statewide laws to crack down on puppy mills, things are about to change. The impetus behind a new bill was the discovery of horrific conditions in local puppy mills that were raided in January.
State lawmakers corrected this oversight with a strong bill passed by the Legislature this week. The bill prohibits breeders from possessing more than 50 non-neutered dogs older than 6 months at one time. It sets standards for kennel size, exercise and sanitary conditions.
The bill’s language is a clarion call for basic humane treatment of dogs. Breeders will have to provide clean food and water, keep cages clean and allow dogs to leave their cages for at least an hour a day. Violators could be charged with a gross misdemeanor.
Commercial dog breeding requires standards and state oversight to monitor against unsanitary conditions and to protect consumers from the sale of sick and dying animals. There are environmental and public-health reasons to regulate these businesses, including the potential for soil and groundwater contamination and the spread of infectious diseases by poorly cared-for animals.
This is great news, but it’s sad there need to be laws so that these animals are humanely treated, you would hope that’s a given. The legislation now goes to the desk of Gov. Chris Gregoire, where it should be quickly signed into law.
*ADOPTABLE: Beautiful Lilly needs a home, she’s currently be fostered near Glen Ellyn, IL
Articles abound on the internet about Bo, the new First Dog. I chose to comment on the Tails Of The City post because author Amelia Glynn seems to share my feeling of disappointment over the choice of a non-shelter dog.
Bo is adorable, and I’m happy there is a dog in the White House, but I can’t help feel an important opportunity was missed here. One that could have had great impact for other rescue dogs.
While this new, cute (and hypoallergenic) First Bundle of Canine Joy prepares to move into his new home at the White House this Tuesday, some shelters and rescue organizations across the country including Adopt-a-Pet.com are expressing disappointment at the Obamas’ choice to acquire a dog from a breeder – a decision that is in sharp contrast to the President’s earlier pledge to adopt from a shelter.
“This is a missed opportunity to set a pet-adoption trend among Americans,” says Abbie Moore, executive director of Adopt-a-Pet.com. “With pet relinquishment up 20 to 30 percent due to the poor economy, pets in shelters can use all the help they can get.”
So, now there is a purebred in the White House, perpetuating the myth that rescue dogs aren’t good enough, have too many issues, or that you won’t be able to find the dog you’re looking for. I am happy that Bo was at least a re-homed pup, things didn’t work out at his first place of residence.
Bo was born in October, along with nine littermates. His breeder was already a big Obama supporter and gave the litter a “Hope and Change” theme. Consequently, all of the puppies had registered names that had something to do with Hope or Change. Bo’s registered name is Amigo’s New Hope – perfect for President Obama’s dog, don’t you think? Senator Ted Kennedy, who also got a puppy from this litter, has a puppy with the registered name Amigo’s Change to Believe In.
When he was old enough Bo was sold to a woman in Washington DC who had just lost her old Portuguese Water Dog. But she still had another old Portie. She thought that the puppy, whom she named Charlie, would be good company for the old girl. Unfortunately, Charlie proved a little too much. For one thing, he tried to nurse on the other dog, which some puppies will do. The other dog was not happy about this situation. And, sometimes bringing a puppy into a home with an old dog, especially if they may be grieving, can be a problem. So the owner decided she couldn’t keep Charlie.
Although Bo is technically re-homed, he is by no means a rescue. He was sent back to the breeder she bought him from and would have been sold again, he is an AKC-registered purebred dog from champion breeding.
I just got word from Anna Nirva, founder of Sunbear Squad, that Nightline is having a very special show tonight. Most of you recognize Anna as the person who brings us our tip of the week, but she also dedicates all her free time to help save animals lives’.
This Friday night, March 27, ABC’s Nightline will be investigating puppy mills!
ABC Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi and investigators from Nightline travel the byways and back roads of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania – visiting numerous puppy mills and filming Main Line Animal Rescue’s volunteers as they rescue breeding dogs and puppies from Lancaster County’s notorious Amish commercial breeding facilities.
This promises to be a very special program. If you are involved in rescue, advocate on behalf of the millions of puppy mill dogs interned in our nation’s commercial dog breeding facilities, or if you just simply love animals, you will not want to miss this.
Sharyn Alfonsi interviewed, on camera, an Amish breeder while touring his facility – a first for network television. With approximately 500 dogs housed on his property, this commercial breeder speaks openly about an industry cloaked in secrecy and suspicion – the cruel factory farming of man’s best friend.
PLEASE tell your friends, your family, your coworkers – ABC Nightline investigates puppy mills – this Friday at 11:35 pm (Eastern Standard Time). Please take the time to forward this to all the rescues, shelters, and legislators in your area.
It has been almost one year since Oprah’s puppy mill show aired. That program received the highest viewer response of any Oprah Show in years. Now we need to spread the word about this very special Nightline. Only by educating as many people as we can, will we be able to help these animals. And after you watch the program, please don’t hesitate to contact ABC and Nightline to thank them for casting such a strong light on the plight of our nation’s puppy mill dogs.
If you’re going to around tonight this is definitely worth watching, or DVR it if you can. We need to make sure the word keeps getting out about the horror of puppy mills, more laws are put into place, and that the breeders won’t be able to hide their dirty little secrets behind closed doors anymore.
Take a look at Nightline’s site to find out more information about tonight’s show, and to watch a short video preview clip.
The Dogster Dog Blog is committed to tracking every story related to all foods recalls. You can count on us to keep you completely in the nose of every detail.
We're pet-lovers like you who want to keep you up-to-dog about everything canine. From news to expert advice to fun stuff, we sniff out the best squirrels of doggie happenings for you. The blog is brought to you by Dogster, Inc, makers of the hydrant-famous Dogster and the unnecessarily-feared Catster.
Subscribe
Many of this site's readers do so by subscribing to our RSS feeds. Some are quite popular
It amazes me that all states do not have laws to regulate dog breeders, but they don’t. Wisconsin is one of the states with no such law, on Wednesday a hearing is scheduled to introduce a bill to change that.
