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.

Read the rest of this entry »

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

I received an email from a member sharing the news with me that PETA is encouraging the  USA Network not to air  the Westminster Dog Show .

The reasoning, the breeds that are bred for show endure inhumane treatment, bad breeding, and health issues.

The BBC has already decided to pull their version of the Westminster, Crufts Dog Show, from the air. The BBC pulled Crufts after an expose was aired, “Pedigree Dogs Exposed,” raising concerns over the health of dogs bred for the show ring.

In a letter to USA’s president Bonnie Hammer, PETA founder and president Ingrid Newkirk writes, “Since dog breeders routinely use incestuous inbreeding and genetic manipulation…it’s not surprising that as many as one in four purebred dogs is plagued with a serious genetic problem.”

Beagles like last year’s Westminster winner, Uno, are susceptible to a wide variety of genetic health problems like hypothyroidism, epilepsy and demodectic mange, according to PETA.

“Countless dogs suffer painful cosmetic surgeries and millions of wonderful dogs die in animal shelters because of the AKC’s inhumane policies…USA Network can take a stand against the cruel treatment of animals simply by denying air time to the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show,” said PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch.

If you would like to express your opinion to the USA Network, letting them know how you feel, go to their feedback page.

Do you think the Westminster Dog Show is good television viewing, that PETA’s questions about health and safety are unfounded?  Or, do you think there is something to what they say and it should be pulled?

* Uno picture courtesy Timothy A. Clary / AFP – Getty Images

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

Best Friends Animal Society has scored another victory in the war against puppy mills. Their Puppy-Store-Free L.A. campaign has helped close down another less than reputable pet store.

Pet Love which is located at Beverly Center,  an upscale shopping mall, will have its lease terminated within the next few months.

Since last July, Best Friends staffers and members have been at the Beverly Center educating potential customers about where those cute puppies in the Pet Love store really come from.

Mall shoppers saw documented proof from a Best Friends investigation that Pet Love acquires its puppies from puppy mills across the country. They learned that many of these puppies suffer from physical ailments caused by the horrible conditions in puppy mills and being taken from their mothers too soon. They saw a video of a KCBS Los Angeles undercover report that shows a Pet Love worker, who didn’t sanitize the syringe or his hands, pumping puppies full of antibiotics that hadn’t been prescribed.

“It helps people understand the connection between puppies they see in the pet stores and the cruel and inhumane conditions under which they are bred in these puppy mills,” says Elizabeth Oreck, Best Friends’ Los Angeles programs manager.

People listened – and hundreds of Beverly Center patrons and employees signed a petition expressing their concerns about Pet Love’s practice of selling sick dogs. Many of them shared their own heartbreaking stories of having bought a Pet Love dog – costing as much as $3,000 – and then losing them to illness.

In the beginning Best Friends’ didn’t start out trying to close down Pet Love, they were just trying to get them to stop selling animals from puppy mills. The owners refused to change their business model and threatened litigation.

Once again, it was the power of the people, the residents of Los Angeles County saw what Pet Love was doing and would no longer tolerate it in their community. The Beverly Center also listened, they terminated their lease with Pet Love, effectively closing down the business.

Best Friends’ continues to hold peaceful protests, and to educate potential customers about where these dogs come from.

In you would like to help Best Friends’ put cruelty out of business you can make a tax free donation to the cause.

*Photo courtesy Bob Long of Long Photo.

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere: