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AdminPermalink Reply by LM Fowler - Admin on June 22, 2010 at 5:29pm

Reply on November 24, 2008 at 12:26pm
Puppy Mill Bill Signed in Bucks County PA!

Gov. Rendell visits Langhorne to sign law stopping dog abuse.
By Peter Ciferri; Advance Editor

It was a dog day afternoon Monday as Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA) signed the "Puppy Mill Bill" into effect at a ceremony in Langhorne.Alongside administrators from the Center for Animal Referral and Emergency Services (CARES) and Hope for the Animals, Rendell signed Act 119, which calls for the elimination of deplorable conditions in puppy breeding and commercial kennels.

"The advocates and ordinary dog owners and dog lovers made their voice clear," Rendell said. "You guys got this bill passed."

He credited State Sen. Michael Brubaker (R-36) for his continued work to see the bills through the state house and senate.

"We, the dog lovers decided that Pennsylvania's time had come to end being the puppy mill of the east, and we did that in a way that will transform us from being the puppy mill of the east to being one of the best states that has protection for dogs," Rendell said.

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He said previous legislation and a lack thereof allowed dogs to be kept in cramped, stacked cages with limited or no opportunity for exercise and proper care. The governor said these conditions don't just lead to a poor standard of living for dogs, but can also lead to physical and psychological problems.

"It's tragic when a dog comes into a family with those behavioral problems," Rendell, who owns an adopted dog, said. "No amount of love can turn it around."

The bill addressed the health and welfare needs of dogs housed in large commercial breeding kennels including physical standards for cage size and flooring within one year.

"The Bible says 'bless the beasts and the children' and today, in signing this bill, Pennsylvania takes a giant stride toward living up to that," Rendell said.

Other protections include doubling the minimum floor space for dogs, eliminating wire flooring and requiring exercise in at least double the size of the dog's enclosure. The law also requires dogs to have access to water at all times and requires veterinary exams for each dog twice per year.

A provision that allows only veterinarians to euthanize dogs in commercial breeding kennels took effect immediately, according to officials.

"We do wind up seeing a lot of puppies that come out of puppy mills," CARES Director Dr. John Rappaport stated. "All too often people set out to get a healthy puppy and instead wind up with a very ill animal."

Rappaport, who joined Rendell at the signing, stated that buying an unhealthy "puppy mill" pet is an "expensive financial and emotional proposition" that he hopes to see quelled with the new bill.

State Rep. Chris King (D-142) joined Rendell at the signing. He said it was "an honor to have the governor come to our community" to sign a bill that got "overwhelming support" from 142nd District residents.

CARES is a full service specialty and emergency referral veterinary hospital.

Hope for the Animals works with CARES to provide financial assistance to pet owners who are unable to pay the full cost of veterinary care.

AdminPermalink Reply by LM Fowler - Admin on June 22, 2010 at 5:30pm

Reply on December 12, 2008 at 12:44pm

50 dogs rescued from breeder, foster homes needed
By: Meghan Hurley

9:30 AM | Comments (2)

Dogs seized from a puppy mill in southwestern Manitoba were found living in their own feces, with urine burns and a serious intestinal disease.
About 50 Labradoodles -- a cross between a Labrador and standard poodle -- were rescued last week and now need foster homes, Winnipeg Humane Society executive director Bill McDonald said.

"It's just proof that puppy mills are still out there and we are probably just seeing the tip of the iceberg," McDonald said, noting the owners of the recently busted puppy mill will be charged. "They are out there, we know that."

The seizure follows after a Free Press undercover investigation last summer, exposing Manitoba's backyard breeding problem.

The Labradoodles -- puppies, nursing mothers and pregnant dogs -- had mites and only contaminated water to drink.

An investigation led the province's animal protection officers to the puppy mill on Dec. 5. The dogs were taken away from the owner and placed in an animal-care facility northeast of Winnipeg.

From there, the provincial veterinarian checked the dogs for serious illness. The vet found most of them had a disease called giardia -- an intestinal disease that could dehydrate the puppies, McDonald said.

"None of them were in grave danger but they weren't groomed. (They were) dirty, filthy, smelly," McDonald said. "I've been told the ammonia smell was so strong the animal protection officers had to wear respiratory gear."

The society rearranged the animals it currently has to make room for two pregnant dogs and five puppies. D'Arcy's Animal Rescue Centre took in two mothers, eight puppies and one of the pregnant dogs. The rest of the dogs are being kept at the rescue facility.

"It would be great if we had tons of space. It's a matter of juggling the space," McDonald said. "It's been a co-ordinated partnership between the provincial vet, the humane society and D'Arcy's."

On Monday, the society, D'Arcy's and the province met to create a game plan to get the dogs into foster homes over the holidays.

As a puppy foster parent, the only responsibility is to care for the dogs, socialize and train them.

The food and vet bills are covered by the province. To become a foster parent to a dog, call the Winnipeg Humane Society at 982-2049.

The scope of Manitoba's puppy mill problem was chronicled earlier this year when reporter Selena Hinds went undercover with a photographer and answered more than 15 ads for dogs for sale, most of them online -- a venue favoured by puppy mill owners. There are about 119 licenced breeding operations across the province.

meghan.hurley@freepress.mb.ca

AdminPermalink Reply by LM Fowler - Admin on June 22, 2010 at 5:38pm

Reply on August 28, 2008 at 8:55pm

From PACASHCROP.ORG

IT IS LEGAL IN PA FOR PUPPY MILLS TO KILL THEIR UNSOLD PUPPIES ANDSPREAD THE REMAINS ON THEIR FIELDS!

Exterminated, composted and spread as fertilizer on the fields
And let us not forget that every year, the bodies of the thousands of dogs and puppies destroyed are often used as fertilizer by the farmer/dog breeders in Lancaster County. If these animals were destroyed because they were sick or diseased, would you want your family to eat produce grown from their remains? It is no secret that the bodies of unsold puppies, and breeding females who can no longer produce litters, are being used as fertilizer. Farmers wishing to expand their kennel operations or build new kennels have stated repeatedly at numerous zoning meetings that they planned to compost the bodies of dogs no longer used in their operations and spread them on their fields.

Read the following article from Lancaster's New Era. David Zimmerman, a self-described representative of the Pennsylvania Pet Breeders Association, speaking on behalf of farmer Henry U. Stoltzfus at a zoning meeting in West Hempfield Township, stated that "unsold puppies will be exterminated, composted and spread as fertilizer on his fields." Article The fact that these words are so often spoken with such casualness, shows a staggering disregard for not only the poor animals senselessly murdered, but for the health of consumers throughout Pennsylvania and its surrounding states who consume the food grown from their graves.

One State Veterinarian we contacted actually explained how to dispose of deceased dogs and offered the following advise..."Prior to spreading the remains on your field, you should first decompose the dead animals by placing the dead on a 4" bed of sawdust which will absorb the fluids running out of their bodies."

And what about the waste created by the tens of thousands of live dogs interned in these facilities? This is also often spread on the growing fields of Pennsylvania. Even though the Centers For Disease Control strongly warns against the use of large quanities of dog feces as a fertilizer. Common pathogens such as the Campylobacter bacteria, as well as parasitic worms, can infect humans (children are particularly vulnerable). According to the Center for Disease Control, composting and sun light are not reliable as far as destroying these viruses which can "aerosolize" (float in the air) and attach to leaves of edible plants, fruits and vegetables.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that a single gram of dog waste can contain 23 million fecal coliform bacteria which are known to cause cramps, intestinal maladies, diarrhea, eye infections, and serious kidney disorders in humans. The E. coli bacteria is only one of many coliforms that can be found in dog feces. If the Centers For Disease Control and the EPA strongly discourages the use of dog feces as fertilizer, why is this practice so common among so many farmer/commercial dog breeders in Pennsylvania? And why hasn't the appropriate agencies not stepped forward to protect our health and the health of our children? Those consuming produce grown in dog feces on farms in Lancaster and its surrounding counties, should be made aware of the possible health risks.

And just how much feces is being spread on the fields of farmers who also breed and sell large numbers of dogs and puppies? The average dog produces 265 pounds of waste every year. Commercial dog breeders can have over 1000 dogs in their kennels (this is easily determined by looking at the Department of Agriculture's Online data base which lists the number of dogs in every licensed kennel in Pennsylvania in any given year). That amounts to 135 tons of dog feces spread on just one field of corn, for instance, in just one year. That is the equivalent weight of 67 Ford Explorers. On one field, in one year.
Contacts:
Please contact Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection Kathleen McGinty kmcginty@state.pa.us and ask her to help stop the contamination of our fields by Pennsylvania’s Puppy Mills. Be polite but resolute. She can also be reached by calling 717-783-2300.

Also, call The Environmental Protection Agency (Region 3) is 215-814-5000. When calling within the region dial 1-800-438-2474.
The Centers For Disease Control, ask for Tai Chen 717-787-6436 or Enzo Camagnolo 717-787-3350 and urge them to act today to protect our food supply from dangerous pollutants. Above anything else, find out how and where your families’ food is grown and whether or not it is safe to eat.

Not all farmers in Pennsylvania breed dogs. Not all dog breeders grow food. But there are enough farmers breeding dogs and unhealthily disposing of large quantities of dead dogs and fecal matter to cause concern.

AdminPermalink Reply by LM Fowler - Admin on June 22, 2010 at 5:39pm

Reply on August 29, 2008 at 12:19pm
Lynne,

Ginger is beautiful girl!....I have tears in my eyes from reading about her..especially that she cries and whimpers in her sleep. You are lucky to have found each other......Believe it or not Blake was from a "leftover" rescue like the ones you speak of....This farmer had about 100 leftover Doodles that were farmed out to various Humane Society Shelter locations throughout PA and NY state....All were young males........Can you imagine so many?...and all destined for a date with a bullet....If bullets are too expensive to "waste" on dog euthanization, this particular farmer actually bragged to HSUS that he drowns them in a water barrel instead....I"M HORRIFIED!!!! and OUTRAGED!!! How can we do more to help and make a difference?.....Now that I share my life with this amazing, wonderful little survivor who I swear, seems to KNOW he was rescued and graciously says thank you in his own little ways every single day, I want to do more....

It seems that people cannot/will not be educated on the consequences of purchasing a puppy from a pet store.....They only see the cute little doggie in the window with no thought or regard for it's origins...They refuse to acknowledge it's murdered siblings and it's abused, neglected mother living life somewhere in a tiny dark, dirty cage doomed to producing litter after litter until she is spent by the age of seven and murdered for her "uselessness" by what are supposed to be good, salt of the earth, God fearing people...There are upwards of 2500 Amish owned and operated puppy mills throughout Lancaster County alone!..The irony is that these are the same people who attract thousands of tourists each year with their "quaint" lifestyle and old-fashioned ways.....Well, it's time to take on the Amish!

I am a writer/editor and in publishing..( although, I should try spell checking and proofreading my posts before hitting that send button..lol) yikes!....I had the the honor of editing a very revealing book written by a young man who relinquished his Amish upbringing, and Amish practices choosing instead to become part of the modern world. He felt it was his calling to write this book and reveal the truth to the world about Amish life and values especially in regards to their treatment of women, children and animals. It's called "Amish Confidential" written by Chris Burkholder. It's not an easy read...In fact it's extremely disturbing....But I encourage anyone interested in knowing how the Amish operate to read it.......

Have you seen the Billboards off the PA Turnpike? I give Main Line Rescue a lot of credit for the undertaking......I'll post the article and pictures on Rescue News.......

Lynne, your Ginger is a beautiful little soul...and as dog lovers, we are just as lucky to have them as they are to have us. I often tell people when they respond to Blake's story with a sigh and a " Oh-You saved him!" comment that it's really the other way around...He saved me..... I'm grateful to have him in my life and I'm sure you feel exactly the same way about Ginger.

Thank you again for everything. I look forward to hearing from you.

AdminPermalink Reply by LM Fowler - Admin on June 22, 2010 at 5:40pm

Reply on August 29, 2008 at 12:37pm






Dutch Oven: Billboard Turns Up the Heat on Puppy Mills in Lancaster County, PA
Blazing red barns, quaint horse-drawn buggies, and breathtaking landscapes greet the thousands of tourists who come to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania each year. But this picturesque patch of what is commonly referred to as Pennsylvania Dutch Country has a dirty secret: puppy mills—and lots of them.

“Many people believe that Lancaster County has the highest concentration of puppy mills in the country. It's estimated that there are hundreds of operations,” says Bill Smith, founder of Main Line Animal Rescue in Wayne, Pennsylvania.

Now, that dirty secret is being exposed in a very public way—by a billboard on the busy Pennsylvania turnpike. The board, funded by Main Line at a cost of $500 a month, can be seen near the Lebanon/Lancaster exit. The eye–catching sign was installed in February and has been educating people traveling to Lancaster County to purchase a puppy—as well as residents who may be unaware of what their neighbors are up to.

“We thought a billboard would be the best way to reach as many people as possible and to educate them about the conditions in the mills and the plight of these poor dogs,” says Smith.

In addition to directing people to www.MainLineRescue.com for more information, the billboard also advertises www.StopPuppyMills.com, the HSUS web site devoted to educating people about puppy mills. “We contacted The HSUS and asked if we could list their web site, which has a lot of state–by–state information on puppy mills. They have been extremely supportive,” says Smith.

Like many animal shelters and rescue organizations across the country, Main Line, a non–profit that specializes in the rescue and placement of abused, unwanted, and abandoned companion animals, has accepted hundreds of sick puppies over the years from people who have purchased their dogs either directly from puppy mills or from pet stores.

“These dogs often require extensive and costly medical care or have behavioral problems caused by a lack of socialization and indiscriminate breeding. It can be a huge burden on our shelters and rescues,” says Smith. “Many of the dogs are given to Main Line Rescue because the owners can't afford their medical expenses. Recently we’ve seen five month old Lab puppies with ‘papers’ from Lancaster with severe hip dysplasia, a Bulldog puppy bred by an Amish farmer with severe respiratory and eye problems, and a four month old Yorkie who will need expensive surgery to repair a genetic defect in her heart.”

Rather than forever absorb the hidden emotional and monetary costs of puppy mills in Lancaster, Main Line decided to proactively target the operations’ main sources of revenue: potential puppy owners. The billboard is both a warning to consumers and a startling wake–up call for puppy mills that often operate beyond the reach of the law.

“We decided that we were no longer going to bear the financial and emotional responsibility for these poor animals without telling as many people as we can about the puppy mills who bred them,” says Smith.

The problems of puppy mills are not confined to Lancaster County. “Thousands of breeding operations exist in the United States,” says Stephanie Shain, director of outreach, companion animals for The HSUS. “And many of these puppy mills still operate despite repeated violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act.”

The goal of eliminating all puppy mills is a large one—but the word about puppy mills is spreading. Originally, Main Line’s goal was to educate people in Pennsylvania and to put pressure on the puppy mill operators in Lancaster County. But heartened by the overwhelming popularity of the billboard, Main Line is now hoping to encourage animal welfare organizations in other states to put up boards in their own communities.

Smith hopes that the increasing amount of publicity will help people understand where puppy mill puppies come from—and the kind of cruelty that buying a puppy can reinforce. “I wish that when people saw that cute little puppy in the pet store window that they could also see that puppy's mother and father. If they could, they'd realize that these dogs are living lives of isolation, deprivation, poor health, and fear.”

Want to help stop puppy mills? The best thing you can do is to tell others why they should adopt a pet from a shelter or a reputable breeder instead of at a pet store, over the Internet, or through a newspaper ad. “Educating others is the most important thing you can do,” says Shain. “If no one was buying the puppies, there'd be no reason for puppy mills.”

Visit the HSUS action center at www.StopPuppyMills.com and learn how easy it is to educate your friends, family, legislators, and community.

AdminPermalink Reply by LM Fowler - Admin on June 22, 2010 at 5:41pm

Reply on August 29, 2008 at 5:58pm
From Lancaster Online

Legal Killing of 80 Dogs Outrages
Advocates Push for New Legislation

Two Berks County commercial kennel operators shot and killed 80 dogs after dog wardens ordered some of the animals be examined by veterinarians, state dog law enforcement officials said Tuesday.

And because they broke no current Pennsylvania law by slaughtering the dogs, animal advocates and some lawmakers are outraged.

Elmer Zimmerman of Kutztown shot 70 dogs after an inspection last month, officials of the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement said.

His brother, Ammon Zimmerman, operator of a kennel next door, shot 10 of his own dogs, officials said.

"We went out on July 24 and inspected Elmer's kennel. There were various kennel violations we said we'd be citing them for, and the warden ordered vet checks on 39 dogs," said Jessie Smith, deputy secretary of the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement. "(Elmer Zimmerman) told the warden, 'I think I'm going out of business.' We suggested that he surrender the dogs, but he was not agreeable to that. Then he called the warden back over the weekend and said he shot the dogs."

Wardens had ordered vet checks for dogs with flea and fly bites. They also issued citations for keeping the dogs in extreme heat, with insufficient bedding and in cages with floors that could allow their paws to fall through.

Elmer Zimmerman told The Philadelphia Inquirer he feared the state was trying to close his kennel and said a veterinarian recommended destroying the dogs.

"They were old, and we were hearing that (officials) don't want kennels anymore," he said. "The best thing to do was get rid of them."

Ammon Zimmerman told a reporter the decision to destroy the dogs was "none of your business."

The incident has outraged animal advocates and strengthened resolve of backers of House Bill 2525, which seeks to improve life for dogs living in the state's commercial breeding kennels. H.B. 2525 includes a provision that would prohibit commercial breeders from shooting their own dogs by requiring euthanization by a veterinarian.

The governor is very, very upset by this," Teresa Candori, spokeswoman for Gov. Ed Rendell, said. "He is a dog lover, and he's outraged by this news. He believes this is evidence that House Bill 2525 is desperately needed."

For Smith's part, she believes money was at the root of the Zimmermans' actions.

"That someone would shoot 70 dogs rather than spend money to do a vet check is extremely problematic," Smith said.

Still, she said she doesn't know why the Zimmermans chose to kill their breeder dogs rather than turn them over to any of the dozens of shelters, rescue groups and others willing to take even sick and ailing animals discarded by commercial breeding kennels.

Asked if she thought the Zimmermans were sending a message to the bureau that dog law enforcement will not be tolerated by kennel operators, Smith replied, "I sure don't want to say that. But I wouldn't say I think you're wrong in analyzing it that way."

An insight into the Zimmermans' actions might lie in what happened last month to Limestone Kennel owner John Blank, who also said at the time that he was closing down his Cochranville kennel.

Blank, 54, offered free breeder dogs in a Lancaster newspaper ad and unknowingly gave nine dogs to members of Main Line Animal Rescue. Based on the dogs' ailing condition, MLAR tipped off Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which sent an undercover agent to the kennel.

Blank illegally sold the agent a sickly 3-week-old puppy that died from dehydration a short time later. Pennsylvania law prohibits puppies younger than 7 weeks from being sold.

Within days, PSPCA raided Blank's kennel — with a film crew from a national television show in tow. They seized dogs with eyes missing due to untreated disease, severed ears, abscesses, skin conditions and splayed feet from years of standing in wire-floored cages.

Within a matter of days, the Bureau revoked Blank's license to operate Limestone Kennel, a move Blank didn't contest.

A crew from Animal Planet's "Animal Cops: Philadelphia" filmed Blank being led away in handcuffs to face three misdemeanor counts and 23 summary charges of animal cruelty for the condition of his dogs.

As part of a plea agreement, Blank surrendered 66 dogs to PSPCA. He pleaded guilty to eight summary counts of animal cruelty, two summary counts of failing to maintain a sanitary and humane kennel and one summary count of harassment.

He was fined $576, placed on 2 years' probation and forbidden from ever operating a kennel.

Blank was permitted to keep two pet dogs. He also agreed to unannounced inspections by bureau wardens and officers from Chester County Adult Probation.

"Unfortunately, under current law, kennel owners may kill their dogs for any reason, even if it is simply to save money," H.B. 2525's prime sponsor Rep. James E. Casorio Jr. of Westmoreland County wrote in a Friday press release in response to the Zimmerman killings.

"In just the past few weeks, we have been reminded of the horrors that take place in some of these commercial kennels. It is clear that the people who want my bill blocked view the dogs in their care simply as livestock — an expendable commodity … ," Casorio wrote. "Dogs continue to suffer and die in Pennsylvania because this group of legislators has chosen to protect irresponsible kennel owners at the expense of thousands of dogs who are sick, suffering and even being killed."

Ken Brandt, lobbyist for the Pennsylvania Professional Dog Breeders' Association, which opposes H.B. 2525, said his group didn't support the Zimmermans' actions. He said there were other ways to resolve the situation, "like in a court."

Both Zimmermans surrendered their kennel licenses. Elmer Zimmerman pleaded guilty to four dog-law violations, Smith said.

Slain Dogs Honored
Berks Breeders Shot 80 Canines Last Month

Under a full moon, more than 100 people gathered on a country road here Friday night for a somber candlelight vigil to remember 80 dogs shot to death by two Amish farmers late last month.

The farmers, Elmer Zimmerman of E&A Kennel, and his brother, Ammon Zimmerman of A&J Kennel, operated large-scale breeding kennels on adjacent properties at 15416 Kutztown Road and 201 Kohler Road, respectively.

On Friday night, Elmer Zimmerman parked a tractor across his lane to block the crowd from his property. Animal advocates representing Lancaster's United Against Puppy Mills, Main Line Animal Rescue in Chester Springs, North Penn Puppy Mill Watch in Montgomery County, New Jersey Consumers Against Pet Shop Abuse, Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and various other organizations sang "Amazing Grace" and left 80 chrysanthemums and 80 dog biscuits by Zimmerman's tractor in memory the 80 dogs shot to death by the brothers.

"These were dogs with no names. These were dogs that none of us ever knew," said Jenny Stephens of North Penn Puppy Mill Watch. "These were dogs who never knew the kindness a human hand can offer and these were dogs who died a violent and terror-filled death with no one to comfort them."

After a July 24 inspection of his kennel, Elmer Zimmerman faced several citations for poor kennel sanitation and maintenance, and was ordered to seek veterinary care for 39 of his 85 dogs.

Jessie Smith, deputy secretary of the state Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, said Elmer Zimmerman told the inspecting dog warden that he planned to close his kennel, but he did not want to surrender his dogs to an animal rescue organization or shelter as the warden suggested.

Smith said Elmer Zimmerman contacted the inspecting warden several days later to say he killed 70 of his dogs.

Although Ammon Zimmerman's kennel had not been inspected and he faced no citations at the time, he also called a dog warden to say he shot 10 of his dogs and was going out of the breeding business.
The shootings shocked the well-organized world of animal advocates, as well as state officials endorsing House Bill 2525, which proposes sweeping changes to state laws governing breeder dogs who spend their lives in the state's hundreds of large-scale commercial breeding kennels.

"The decision by commercial breeders to kill healthy dogs instead of paying to repair a kennel and seek veterinary care is alarming and will likely outrage many people," state Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff said in a statement released earlier this week. "Until our state's outdated dog law is changed, kennel owners may continue to kill their dogs for any reason they see fit, even if it is simply to save money."

On Friday night, people at the vigil expressed horror at the fate of the Zimmermans' dogs. Some saw the Zimmermans' actions as a spiteful retaliation against Gov. Ed Rendell's initiative to curb the lucrative puppy mill business.

"It absolutely sucked the wind out of me when I heard," said Libby Williams of New Jersey Consumers Against Pet Shop Abuse. "Is there no end to the depravity of these people? I do think it was spite. But they did the state a favor. People are now learning the truth about the 'gentle' Plain people. And this has been in every newspaper across the country."

Howard Nelson, CEO of PSPCA, cut short his vacation by a day and drove straight to the vigil after he heard the news.

"It's not uncommon for puppy millers to shoot or drown their dogs instead of spending money on medical care," Nelson said. "There may have been some spite in this case, but I'm just calling it pure evil."

Rendell, who pushed for legislation to improve breeder dogs' living conditions in an effort to dissolve the state's reputation as a puppy mill hub, also is aware of the Zimmermans' actions.

Rendell scheduled a news conference for 2 p.m. today in Philadelphia's Schuylkill River Dog Park to comment on the Zimmerman incident and the need for H.B. 2525.

"The governor is very, very upset by this," Rendell spokeswoman Teresa Candori said this week. "He is a dog lover, and he's outraged by this news. He believes this is evidence that House Bill 2525 is desperately needed."

Also reacting to the story was Stephanie Shain of the Humane Society of the United States.

"This shooting highlights the rampant problems with commercial breeding in Pennsylvania," Shain said. "This industry is in desperate need of reform and oversight."

The state may have more to lose than breeder dogs if H.B. 2525 dies.

Author, psychologist and animal welfare advocate Jana Kohl has vowed to wage war on Pennsylvania's Amish tourism industry by exposing inhumane treatment of breeder dogs by the Amish and Mennonite communities.

"Two thousand of the country's 10,000 commercial breeding kennels are owned by Amish and Mennonites," Kohl said earlier this month. "One of the ways to impact (this industry) is to shame and embarrass them by putting as many billboards and ads in as many places as possible. We can point the finger to Pennsylvania as aiding and abetting this horrific business that is nothing more than legalized torture."

On Friday night, people at the vigil called out the names of "the guilty," legislators who opposed or failed to endorse amending current dog laws. Included were Lancaster County state Reps. Dave Hickernell and Gordon Denlinger, who last year called Lancaster dog breeding "an issue of farmland preservation" and said, "There's a certain question about the removal of a person's livelihood. Should an animal enforcement officer be able to throw a person out of their occupation on a given day?"

For her part, Kohl, whose family founded Kohl's department stores, promises her clout isn't the only force behind the coming campaign.

"A lot of people with a lot of money and resources are prepared to venture into a campaign like this," she said. "It's going to be a bigger and more embarrassing campaign than people expect, and it's going to shock."

AdminPermalink Reply by LM Fowler - Admin on June 22, 2010 at 5:42pm

Reply on August 29, 2008 at 6:11pm
With Shootings in Mind, Rendell Touts Kennel Bill

He took his own dog, Maggie, who was rescued from a puppy mill, to the Center City news conference.
By Amy Worden

Inquirer Staff Writer

With his puppy-mill-rescue dog by his side, Gov. Rendell made an impassioned plea to the legislature yesterday to pass a bill that aims to make sweeping improvements in the state's commercial kennels.
Rendell said the "brutal killing" of 80 dogs at two licensed kennels in Berks County had shed light on the horrible but legal practice of euthanizing dogs by shooting them.

"Dogs who live in this type of kennel are valued only for the sale price of their offspring," he said at a news conference at a Center City dog park. The owners "would shoot the dogs rather than pay for vet care."

Sometime between July 24 and July 29, Elmer and Ammon Zimmerman of Kutztown shot their small-breed dogs - most of them poodles, cocker spaniels and shih tzus - and threw them in a compost pile after veterinary exams were ordered on 39 animals for fleas, according to officials with the state Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement.

Elmer Zimmerman said in an interview last week that he felt he had no choice because the warden had told him the state was trying to close down commercial kennels, an assertion the bureau denies.

"The warden said to them that if they would like to surrender dogs, we would make arrangements with the Animal Rescue League to surrender those dogs," bureau director Sue West said.

The case has stirred public outcry to ban the killing of dogs by gunshot. On Friday night, about 200 people turned out for a candlelight vigil organized outside Elmer Zimmerman's dairy farm by animal-welfare groups including North Penn Puppy Mill Watch, Main Line Animal Rescue, and Lancaster County's United Against Puppy Mills.

House Bill 2525 would make it illegal for anyone but a veterinarian to euthanize a dog in a commercial kennel housing 60 or more dogs a year. First-time violators would face a maximum fine of $500 and up to 90 days in jail.

The bill also would increase cage sizes, ban wire cage flooring, eliminate cage-stacking, and require outdoor exercise areas and annual veterinary exams.

It stalled in the House Appropriations Committee last month, just before summer recess, after Republicans loaded it up with more than 100 amendments.

Rendell, who also yesterday announced plans to increase the dog-law enforcement staff by 13, including a veterinarian, had strong words for Republican House members, especially Rep. Art Hershey (R., Chester). Several of Hershey's 17 amendments would strip out major provisions of the bill, including cage size and access to water.

Hershey did not return a call seeking comment.

But Rep. Dan Moul (R., Adams), sponsor of an amendment to keep the shooting of dogs legal, said he believed shooting a dog was a humane way to destroy it.

"There are all kinds of ways to euthanize an animal. . . . A bullet to the head is instantaneous," he said.

After the news conference, Rendell paused to let Maggie, his adopted 3-year-old golden retriever, play with other dogs, and then governor and canine posed for pictures on a bench.

He said Maggie, who last year went from a rabbit hutch in Lancaster County to the governor's mansion, could have suffered the same fate as the Berks County dogs.

"She was destined to spend her life in a small cage and give birth to litter after litter until she was 8 or 9 and be discarded or shot like the dogs in Berks County," Rendell said.

"To think nothing could happen to the people who did that is a disgrace."

AdminPermalink Reply by LM Fowler - Admin on June 22, 2010 at 5:43pm

Reply on September 7, 2008 at 11:44am
From The Sun Sentinel

Customers of an Alleged Keys Puppy Mill Speak Out.

Posted by Diane Lade on August 15, 2008 at 7:15 PM

Last month, I blogged about an alleged puppy mill in the Florida Keys that was raided by police and an animal welfare group. They found dozens of dogs, with five to seven of them pregnant, shut in a windowless warehouse near the Marathon airport that stank of urine. Six adult dogs were locked in a room the size of a closet.

“The rooms were awful,” said Katie Bentley, of Stand Up For Animals, the organization that took in the dogs. One of the pregnant females had her litter that night.

Marni and Tom Jones, who had come to Marathon when Tom was hired there as a firefighter, agreed to turn over 42 dogs to Stand Up For Animals. The nonprofit rescue group works with Marathon’s animal control officials.

And then yesterday, I get an e-mail from Mollie, of Tampa. What has happened, she asked, over the last month to the Joneses and their dogs?

It turns out Mollie had bought a Goldendoodle puppy from the couple, who called their breeding operation the Sixth Day Ranch, over the Internet. And her experience shows why shopping for dogs online is just a bad idea.

Mollie, who is 22, says “I’ve definitely learned my lesson.” I am going to post her full note below because her description of the process lays out exactly how eager prospective pet parents get sucked in by unscrupulous breeders.

Fortunately, Mollie’s dog, Rugby, is almost 4 months old and so far seems OK. But puppy mill dogs often are born sick or with congenital deformities, or are not socialized as pups so they have behavioral problems. Jeffrey Wellinger, who started a Web site to expose Sixth Day Ranch, posts photos of his dog Ernie, purchased from the Joneses. Click here and you can see video of poor Ernie limping painfully across the floor; Jeff says its due to hip problems caused by poor breeding.


The Jones family
Jeff and others also posted some scathing comments on a Webshots site, where the Joneses posted this photo of themselves and their dogs, promoting their business. Click here to read ‘em.

Bentley said Stand Up For Animals also has received calls from other Sixth Day Ranch customers who say their dogs are sick or crippled as well.

And the Joneses? The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office did not file neglect charges against the couple, as they surrendered their animals in exchange for not going to court. Animal neglect also is often tough for law enforcement to document to the point that it can be prosecuted.

“I don’t know if malice was involved (on the Jones’s part),” said Marcy LaHart, a West Palm Beach attorney who filed Stand Up’s petition for custody. “Just stupidity and greed.” LaHart fostered eight of the rescued puppies.

The Joneses, who previously lived in the Florida Panhandle and Colorado, quickly left the Keys. LaHart, looking at a FaceBook page maintained by their son, believes they are back in Woodland, CO.

Mollie says she found what she thinks was a link to them this week on Next Day Pets, a Web portal for online breeders, and reported it to the Web master. Apparently, the link has been removed.

So here is Mollie’s story. You’ll see all the red flags that she sees now:

* The Joneses wouldn’t let Mollie see the puppies in their home.
* She had to pay in advance.
* They wanted to “drop the puppy off” on their way to the Keys and met her in a parking lot to give her the health certificate – signed by a vet Mollie didn’t know.

There is a simple way to avoid all this:
Don’t buy puppies online or from strip-center puppy stores claiming to specialize in "celebrity" dogs. Reputable breeders do not sell their animals this way.
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This from Mollie:

I have allergies and really wanted a goldendoodle because they are better for people with allergies. I was looking online and found (Sixth Day Ranch), and I thought it was great they came from a "religious" background. At the time they were still in Destin, FL and had pictures up of apparently where the puppies played, etc.

I did some research on the breeder and really couldn't find anything bad so I went with them. I've never bought from a breeder, especially an online one before.
Now that I look back on it, there were definitely suspicious signs.

Because I live in Florida, I wanted to go to the breeder and pick out the puppy I wanted, but they said I couldn't because the pups were still young and they didn't want any of them getting sick and "that's just not how they did things." They said they would send pictures and video of the pups.

After I picked a pup I put down a deposit and then paid the rest not when I got the dog but three weeks before (I'm sure you're shaking your head. I'm 22 and I've definitely learned my lesson.)

By the way. even though Marni and Tom Jones are a part of this, so is their oldest daughter Destini, who Marni told me was in charge of the puppies. Anyway, I was suppose to drive up to Destin when the pup was old enough, but then the situation changed when Tom said he got transferred to the Keys for the fire department and they had to move.

He said since they were moving the same week I was to get the puppy, they could drop the pup off on their way down. Then the story changed again...they had to move immediately and I would have to meet them in Miami to get my pup.

Weeks past and I scheduled to get the dog the weekend he turned 8 weeks. I got a random phone call during that week saying Marni and the kids were driving back up to Destin and she could drop off the pup that night. I was in a movie and didn't answer my phone until an hour later which was too late.

By the way, there is also a vet involved.. apparently a "traveling vet" that makes his way around the Keys for check ups, etc. My health certificate is from that vet. Marni said that she had his health certificate in the car and she could give it to me on the way to Destin that night. At 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, I met her at a service station to pick up the health certificate because I had to pick up my puppy in Miami later that day or else I couldn't get him until the following week.

Every time I called I asked how the pup was doing. When they moved to the Keys, Tom said that they had bought a warehouse that was air-conditioned and perfect for the dogs to play in. He said since they were in the warehouse, when they were let outside they didn't want to stay long because they loved the air-conditioning. The kids still played with them and everything and he made it sound like a great place for the dogs. I pictured pretty much a giant play room...not what the authorities found.

When I got my puppy, he was really skinny, you wouldn't know with all the fur, but you could definitely feel his ribs and spine. A few weeks ago I wanted to see how the other pups were doing but couldn't find the website anymore, so I started doing research and found out they had been busted. I cried and felt terrible.

Some people believe I saved my pup, Rugby, and I guess I did, but I also contributed to an epidemic that's getting bigger. Now, I want to help and do something about it. Unfortunately, they wouldn't give me the rest of his papers until he is neutered, so the health certificate is all I have. They were busted a week or two after I got Rugby.

I know you asked a simple question, but I had to tell you the whole story. I want to be on the look out for them on other websites. I really hope they are arrested, no one should get away with that.

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