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?

Here are the details from the Chicago Tribune.

State Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection spokeswoman Donna Gilson says Wisconsin has become a magnet for breeders because it has no regulations.

The bill requires any person who sells more than 25 dogs in one year, from at least three litters, to be licensed. Unlike previous proposals, it only applies to dogs and not other animals.

Let’s hope because the bill has been changed so it only applies to dogs some of the opposition will be eliminated.  It’s not like this is some crazy bill asking for outrageous things, it simply talks about licensing, which all breeders should be. If they’re a good breeder they should not have any issues with this.

Over the last few years we’ve come so far, but we still have a very long way to go.

*IMAGECHEF.COM

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.

Watch FOX 4 reporter Fil Alvarado’s story.

If you can’t see the video click here.

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.

* Pic MyFOXDFW

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.

Police Sgt. Michaela N. Kelley went to Elite Puppies and spoke with employees.

“From there, it went downhill for Mr. Clayton,” Sgt. Thomas V. Ralph said in an interview Thursday. Swarms of flies surrounded cages filled with puppies in poor health, according to police reports, and there was animal waste in and around the small cages.

Some puppies appeared to limp, and one puppy was completely unresponsive, according to police.

There appeared to be about five puppies in each cage. When she saw the condition of the puppies, Sgt. Kelley contacted the Animal Rescue League of Boston and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to assist in her investigation. She also called Webster EMS and paramedics to check on the puppies.

About half of the puppies were initially taken to the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in Grafton, and the others were taken to Webster Lake Veterinary Hospital on Thompson Road. The 10 puppies delivered to Elite Puppies remained in quarantine in the back of the store, according to police.

The puppies were being delivered via Puppy Ship, a Missouri-based company.

Puppy Ship is a USDA-licensed company, according to Mr. Davis. He said there are strict guidelines for providing animals with adequate water, food, ventilation, adequately sized cages, and clean conditions. He said Mr. Clayton is a longtime driver for Puppy Ship.

“All these things we followed and we try to go above and beyond,” Mr. Davis said. “We are inspected on a regular basis, and we have never had an issue.”

According to authorities the puppies appeared to be about five weeks old. I could not believe dogs that young are being driven across the country to be delivered to pet stores.  I personally don’t believe that pet stores should sell puppies and find it appalling that they accept dogs so young. As for Laughlin Kennel’s, all you need to do is search online to read about the controversy surrounding them.  Not only are they breeders they also broker 30 different kinds of dogs, which may explain the puppies they were buying.

It sounds like the authorities should be investigating more than just Mr. Clayton.

* Pic courtesy WEBSTER HEALTH BOARD

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.

While not all the dogs appeared to have health problems, she said those in the poorest condition were discovered at the back of the property, where customers are not allowed.

Almost 500 dogs is a huge number, one which seems too large for any one kennel to handle. While not all the dogs were found to be in bad condition I find it very disconcerting that the ones in the worst condition were in an area not open to customers. Let alone the fact that a few dead animals were found on the premises.

The dogs are being housed at a warehouse until a Montague County justice of the peace determines if they should remain in custody of the HSNT or be returned to the kennel.

* Photo courtesy AP Photo/The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Ron Jenkins

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.

All this hard work and outreach has finally paid off and consumers have sent a clear message, similar to a slogan that was printed on an early IDA t-shirt: “Scamps Pet Stores, I’m Not Buying It!” Scamps demo

News of the stores closure is spreading fast and local news outlets KOIN 6 and KGW Channel 8 have both done stories highlighting IDA’s victory. They also reported IDA’s Matt Rossell’s wrongful arrest last February while peacefully educating shoppers about puppy mills outside the Lloyd Center Mall Scamps Pet Store.

There are still many disreputable pet stores in business  but at least we can subtract five from this number. And that is very good news.

* Photo courtesy IDA’s website

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.

Detectives, deputies and about 50 specially trained volunteers from various animal rescue groups seized more than 400 dogs.

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.

“The lack of smell will be fabulous. Just knowing this has come to an end is fabulous,” said Helen Richardson, whose daughter has lived next door to Stewart for 20 years.

A couple of neighbors thanked a group of deputies as they walked by.

“I’m greatly relieved. Words can’t describe the joy and relief,” said Richardson. “… This is like the Holocaust, only with dogs.”

Richardson said the family has been saddened by what they’ve witnessed over the years and frustrated that nothing was done sooner.

It’s heartbreaking to think about the thousands of dogs who have suffered over the years at the hands of this woman, Ella Stewart. All because authorities looked the other way. What’s even more amazing to me is the fact that she was arrested not because of complaints, but when a deputy was responding to a call at a neighbor’s home and found deplorable conditions at the kennel. The dogs were left there for two weeks because the county doesn’t have an animal control facility.

Stewart was arrested May 12th and pleaded innocent to one count of second-degree animal cruelty. To add insult to injury, this charge is only a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and up to a $1,000 fine. What a joke, if this doesn’t prove the laws need to be changed I don’t know what does. Prosecutors are looking into other charges.

Community members can donate money to the sheriff’s office that will be designated to specifically help cover costs of food and medical care for the dogs. Checks made out to the Benton County Treasurer can be sent to Sheriff Taylor at 7122 W. Okanogan St., Building A, Kennewick, 99336.

*ADOPTABLE: Wouldn’t you like to adopt a King?

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.

* Photo of pup courtesy North Shore Animal League

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.

The Chicago Sun Times reports that since the Obama’s didn’t adopt from a shelter, they plan to make a donation to a Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) instead. So perhaps it’s not surprising that the HSUS issued a statement today that simultaneously thanks the Obamas’ for taking in a “second-chance” dog and warns of disreputable breeders who may take advantage of the public’s increased interest in Portuguese water dogs.

“There are reputable breeders of these dogs,” says Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the HSUS. “Yet sadly, we expect disreputable puppy mill operators to start producing them as well, intent on cashing in on the heightened awareness of this breed. President Obama can do even more for animal protection, helping us enforce existing animal welfare laws and cracking down on the national shame of rampant puppy mills in America.”

While I realize the Obamas needed a hypoallergenic dog, about a quarter of all dogs at shelters are purebreds. Over three million dogs and cats are euthanized every year because they don’t have homes. That is a number almost beyond comprehension, but we can make a difference one animal at a time. Adopt from a shelter, save a life.

*SOUZA/The Washington Post

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.

* Pic courtesy Nightline site