State Police Seize 63 Dogs From Hillsville Man, VA

Posted November 19, 2008 By aschae and has no comments yet.

Source: Carroll News, Nov 19, 2008

HILLSVILLE, Va. — A little over a year after one of the nation’s largest “puppy mill” bust in Hillsville, 63 dogs were seized from another Hillsville man on Thursday.

According to Virginia State Police Spokesman and Sgt. Michael Conroy, 63 dogs were removed from Coulson Church Road in Hillsville. The dogs were owned by David Winesett, Conroy said. He said Special Agent Brad Burnette obtained a search warrant for the residence after the state police investigated a complaint of possible animal neglect.“After we served the search warrant, we then contacted state veterinarian Dr. Dana Miller,” Conroy said. “This is an ongoing investigation so we can’t comment on specifics and the condition of the dogs, but based on consulting with Dr. Miller, all 63 dogs were removed from the property.”

Angels of Assisi, an animal rescue group out of Roanoke, picked up most of the dogs in conjunction with Dr. Miller and offered assistance in taking care of the animals, Conroy said. The majority of the dogs were terriers and small toy breeds, he said.

Conroy said no charges have been placed against Winesett as of yet.“Our first priority was to make sure to take care of the immediate needs of the canines and that was done through the state, the state veterinarian’s office as well as Angels of Assisi,” Conroy said. “We will take our findings along with the state vet’s findings and they will be turned over to the Commonwealth’s Attorney for his decision.”Conroy said a civil hearing will occur in Carroll County General District Court within 10 business days in regard to the placement of the dogs.According to county officials, Winesett was an animal control officer in Carroll County from 1979-1989.More than 880 animals were rescued from Horton’s Pups in Hillsville beginning on Nov. 1, 2007 after owner Junior Horton agreed to surrender the dogs after a five-month investigation by the Humane Society of the United States. That particular rescue operation has been called the largest of its kind in the United States, which led to legislation regarding the puppy mill industry.

Categories: Abuse/Neglect, Puppy Mills, Recent News, Rescue
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Dear President Elect Obama,

Posted November 18, 2008 By aschae and has no comments yet.

Source: The American Chronicle, By Susan Thixton, The Trust About Pet Foods, Nov 17, 2008

The near future is bringing many changes to your family, including the addition of a family dog. Becoming a new dog owner adds another responsibility to your family, including deciding on which dog food is right for the ´First Dog´. The dog food decision might be more of a challenge than you think; before you select a dog food, the following will provide you with some necessary information.

Not that the first family is going to walk into a Petsmart or Petco to purchase their first bag of dog food like other new dog owners across the U.S., but if you did, you´d find aisles and aisles of dog foods to chose from. You and your beautiful family would wander down the aisles to find hundreds of different brands, varieties, and price ranges; everything from kibble, canned, frozen, to dehydrated.

Being a very intelligent man, and caring about the nutrition your new family member will receive, you´ll probably carefully read the labels. On each dog food you´ll notice reassuring words like ´Premium´, ´Choice´, and ´100% Complete´. Some dog foods will also mention health promoting benefits on the label such as antioxidants and omegas.

Before you make your dog food decision however, there are some things about dog foods, cat foods, and pet treats that you need to know.

As you read the reassuring words on the dog food labels, you should be aware that pet food regulations allow “Unqualified Claims, either directly or indirectly” on the pet food label. It turns out that those reassuring words such as ´Premium´ or ´Choice´ can be ´unqualified´ or misleading to pet owners. As an example, a dog food labeled as ´Premium´ might contain cow intestines as a source of protein and risky chemicals to maintain freshness.

Should you, like millions of other pet owning families, decide to give your children some pet care responsibilities, you might want to think twice before allowing your girls to feed the new dog. Sadly, it is currently acceptable practice for diseased animals and euthanized animals to be processed into pet food. Should you give your girls this responsibility, they could be handling a dog food that contains the remains of a diseased animal, possibly even the remains of a cow suspect of spreading BSE or mad cow disease. While the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act firmly states no food, including animal food, can contain a diseased animal or an animal that has died other than by slaughter, the FDA (soon to be your FDA) has been ignoring this law with regards to pet food.

Another consideration is the country of origin of your pet´s food ingredients. Even though you did not have a dog at the time, in 2007 thousands of U.S. pets became ill and died from contaminated grain proteins imported from China. When you face the decision of what food to provide to your new dog, you´ll be at risk of your dog consuming contaminated Chinese imported pet food ingredients, just like millions of other U.S. pet owners. Sadly, country of origin of ingredients is NOT provided to pet owners on any dog food, cat food, or pet treat label. Your children´s new dog could be poisoned without your knowledge because existing pet food regulations don´t feel it is necessary to provide country of origin information to pet owners.

President elect Obama, it is apparent you love your children and truly care about their future. Your children are about to fall deeply in love with a four legged, tail wagging best friend; a friend they will fondly recall for the rest of their lives. Can you imagine how broken hearted your girls would feel if their dog was poisoned by imported Chinese pet food ingredients unknowingly fed in the pet food? Should your children and millions more U.S. children be denied the life lesson of pet care responsibilities because the dog food or cat food might contain diseased animals?

Millions of unknowing parents, whose children have the responsibility of feeding the dog or cat, are not aware the pet food can contain rendered diseased or euthanized animals. Millions of U.S. children every single day are handed the chore of feeding the family pet; these children handle pet food that despite Federal Law against it, is the dumping ground for useless, risky animal remains. You should also be aware of a pet food rumor that has existed for years; that some pet foods contain euthanized dogs and cats. The FDA attempted to disprove this rumor; however their test results only proved that pentobarbital, the drug used to euthanize dogs and cats, is found in many popular brands of dog food. The FDA testing found no positive evidence to disprove that millions of euthanized shelter dogs and cats are rendered and become a pet food ingredient. The rumor remains.

Millions of unknowing pet parents feel they can trust and believe pet food labels that state ´Premium´ or ´Choice´; they are unaware regulations allow pet food to make ´unqualified claims´ on the label. They are unaware that pet food labels, despite Federal Law against it, can be misleading. They remain unaware that risky Chinese imports could be included in their pet´s food.

As you will soon discover, your new dog will become a member of your family. He or she will steal a tiny bit of your heart the day you bring them home, and everyday following they will become more and more a part of you. He or she will become your children´s beloved friend, and if you are lucky, your friend and confidant as well. Unlike average parents, you perhaps will have your staff feed the dog or even have your staff prepare your new dog´s meals. Most pet parents don´t have these options. Most pet parents hold their breath every time they open a new bag of dog food or cat food, hoping this bag of food will be safe. Hoping their children won´t become sick from handling a dog food or cat food. This is America, this shouldn´t happen here. We can only hope that once you are President, and once you have decided upon and adopted your new family member, you will become aware of the challenge 74 million U.S. pet parents face daily. We can only hope that you´ll care enough, not only about your daughter´s dog, but the dogs and cats of all others in the U.S.; and that you will do something to protect everyone.

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Categories: Children & Dogs, Feeding, Homemade Pet Foods, Pet Food Recalls, Rescue, raw food
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Humane Society Warns Against Buying Puppies From Pet Stores

By aschae and has no comments yet.

Source: ConsumerAffairs.com By Lisa Wade McCormick, November 18, 2008

If a new puppy is on your wish list this holiday season, don’t buy one from a pet store. It may have come from the billion-dollar puppy mill industry, and supporting that store could lead to continued cruelty against animals.

That’s the message from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), which launched its second annual Puppy Mill Action Week on Sunday. The goal of this campaign, HSUS officials said, is to encourage pet stores to stop selling puppies and support animal shelter adoptions instead.

While retail pet stores defend their industry, saying they’re committed to animal welfare, HSUS disagrees and warns consumers that pet stores simply fuel the demand for puppy mills.

“The bulk of puppies sold at pet stores come from puppy mills,” said Stephanie Shain, puppy mill expert and director of the HSUS’ Stop Puppy Mills campaign. “If you’re in the business of selling puppies, you need a constant supply of different types of breeds. Puppy mills fill that demand for pet stores.”

Puppy mills–mass commercial breeding operations–churn out two to four million puppies each year, the HSUS said. Those puppies are raised in horrible conditions and often have health problems, genetic defects, and behavioral issues.

The HSUS has documented scores of deplorable conditions in puppy mills, including crowded cages, poor food and shelter, over-breeding, and inbreeding. Puppy mill dogs, HSUS officials say, receive minimal veterinary care, little social interaction, and those kept for breeding suffer for years in continual confinement.

The driving force behind this inhumane industry, HSUS officials say, is money. “They (the dogs) are bred as often as possible and then destroyed or discarded once they can no longer produce puppies,” according the HSUS. “Mills only look to make a profit; commonly disregard the dog’s physical and emotional health; and do not adhere to sound breeding practices.”

“The end result: Hundreds of thousands of dogs who will spend their entire lives in cages for their entire lives, suffering from cruelty and neglect every day.”

How it happens

Pet stores, for example, may claim their puppies come from breeders — not puppy mills.

“If a pet store manager tells you this, ask to see documentation that shows exactly where their breeders are located,” HSUS officials say. “In most cases, you will find out that the breeders they ‘know’ are in distant states.

Some pet stores also claim they don’t sell puppies from local breeders because their state doesn’t regulate that industry.

“Commercial breeders in all states who sell wholesale to pet stores are required to be regulated by the USDA,” HSUS officials say. “Some states, such as Missouri and Pennsylvania, also require a state kennel license and state inspections.”

That, however, doesn’t mean puppies from Missouri or Pennsylvania are healthier than dogs bred in other states.

“These states have two of the worst concentrations of puppy mills in the United States, with some of the worst conditions,” HSUS officials said. “This is due in part to the very small number of qualified inspectors, infrequent inspections, and the fact that even facilities that are found to be substandard during the inspections process are rarely penalized.”

Some other examples of pet store double-speak, HSUS officials said, include:

“Our store’s puppies are healthy and have a health certificate from a licensed veterinarian.” “A health certificate only means that the puppy has had a very brief ‘wellness’ examination by a veterinarian,” HSUS officials said. The certificate does not mean the puppy or its parents have undergone any testing for genetic disorders or other diseases.

“Our puppies come with a health guarantee.” HSUS officials say these guarantees often protect the store’s interest — not the consumers. Be sure to read those guarantees carefully.

“Our puppies are registered and come with papers.” Purebred registration papers — from one of many “kennel clubs” or other dog registries– are only a record of a puppy’s parents and sometimes its lineage. “Puppy mills routinely sell puppies with papers from prestigious sounding ‘kennel clubs,” HSUS officials say. “Registration papers do nothing to ensure that an individual puppy (or his or her parents) is healthy or free of genetic defects, or that they were raised in a humane and sanitary environment.”

“We’ve never had a problem with any of the puppies.” “Even facilities with mostly healthy puppies and problem-free inspection reports are keeping dozens or even hundreds of breeding dogs in cages for their entire lives,” HSUS officials said. “These parent dogs live behind bars from birth until death…they are bred repeatedly until they can no longer reproduce, and then they are discarded.”

“All our puppies come from USDA-inspected facilities. “Being USDA-inspected does not mean that the business is not a puppy mill,” HSUS officials says. “There are hundreds of USDA-licensed puppy mills in operation that have long lists of violations and problems associated with them.”

Those involved in the retail pet industry, however, say they’re in the business of promoting healthy animals–not puppy mills.

“The health and well being of our pets comes first to all of us,” Lacey Clever, a spokeswoman for Petland, Inc., told ConsumerAffairs.com. “Healthy puppies are truly our #1 priority.”

Clever said Petland gets its “registerable” puppies from professional and hobby breeders and licensed professional pet distributors “who have years of experience in raising quality pets.”

Company representatives also inspect their distributors’ and breeders’ facilities, she said. “In addition, these facilities are licensed and inspected by the federal government (USDA). We require that our franchisees buy only from Petland, Inc. associated facilities. We even encourage our franchisees to visit facilities for themselves.”

Petland even has a “Do Not Buy List” of breeders that operate substandard facilities, Clever said.

And the company encourages its customers to adopt from local animal shelters.

“We have an Adopt-A-Pet program that enables our stores to partner with local shelters and rescue groups on whatever level works for them,” Clever said. “Some stores have fundraisers and donation drives for their local shelters while others have a more intense partnership, providing kennel space for shelter animals.”

Slaughterhouse

But pet stores aren’t the only places where puppy mill dogs are sold, HSUS officials warn.

“Classified listings and Web sites are also selling puppy mill dogs,” Shain said. “We see puppy mills selling through classified ads and they do a good job of making their postings look like they’re small breeders with a litter of puppies and not huge breed operations. We also see many savvy looking Web sites (by puppy mill operators).”

Consider the Pine Bluff Kennels in Lyles, Tennessee, which the HSUS raided in June — an effort that rescued nearly 700 dogs.

“If you went to that (operator’s) Web site, you’d see many beautiful comments about how the dogs lived on a 92 acre farm,” Shain said. “But when we went there, there were nearly 700 dogs stuck in tiny cages.” Many of the dogs had no food or water, HSUS officials said. They were stuck in wire cages–that made it impossible to stand–and surrounded by their own feces.

Scores of dogs found during the raid had eye injuries and broken bones, HSUS officials said. Some were even dead.

During the raid, HSUS officials discovered the grave site of a pile of dogs that had multiple gunshot wounds in their decaying bodies.

Tennessee authorities charged the kennel’s operator, Patricia Adkisson, with 24 felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty, nine counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty, one count of unlawful sale or transport of dogs, one count of unlawful administration of rabies vaccine, and one count of paraphernalia.

Despite her kennel’s deplorable conditions, Adkisson sold many dogs online for as much as $400 each. Most of those dogs were smaller breeds, like Chihuahuas, miniature pinschers, and terriers.

HSUS officials say consumers are often duped by sophisticated Web sites–like the one Adkisson had–that sell puppies.

“We hear all sorts of horrible stories,” Shain told us. “We’ve heard stories about puppies arriving dead, or the dog they received was not the one pictured on the Web site, or it was a different breed, or in some cases, the dog never arrives.”

Other common complaints include puppies sold with crippling genetic conditions, sick puppies arriving in need of expensive emergency veterinary care, or puppies that became sick or died from serious infectious diseases. Some of those diseases, officials said, were parasitic and transmittable to humans.

What you can do

How can consumers protect themselves from getting taken by deceitful online puppy mills and unscrupulous breeders selling dogs through classified ads? And what steps can dog lovers take to ensure they’re not supporting the puppy mill industry?

The HSUS recommends the following:

• Adopt a dog from a local animal shelter. “Visit your local shelter and at least give adoption a try,” Shain said. “You might just find your next best friend.” HSUS officials say one in four dogs in a shelter is a pure bred.

• Check out breed-specific rescue groups. “There are breeds of every kind that need a home,” Shain said. “They even have rare breeds.”

• Don’t buy puppies from pet stores or online. “Pet stores and Internet puppy dealers are very smart about deceiving people,” Shain said. “These dogs are a cash crop for the puppy mill operators and the pet stores, and it’s reprehensible.” Dogs sold in pet stores are also considered “inventory,” HSUS officials said. The faster they can get rid of one dog, the faster they can restock their cages.

• Beware of slick Web sites and classified ads selling dogs. “This is a savvy industry,” Shain said. “These people have sophisticated Web sites and that might make you to let your guard down.” Reputable breeders never sell their puppies over the Internet or through pet stores, HSUS officials said. They insist on meeting the family or individual interested in buying their dogs.

• If you decide to buy from a breeder, visit the facility. “That is an absolute must,” Shain said. “You must go to that (breeder’s) home, meet the animals, and see how they live. You want to make sure those animals are members of the family. We feel that all dogs should be companions first and breeders seconds. Breeding shouldn’t be the sole reason for the animal’s existence.”

• Encourage pet stores to start adoption programs. “The best models are the ones used by Petco and PetSmart, which let local shelters come in their stores and adopt their dogs,” Shain said. “That is a great thing. It gets the animals in the stores and sends a humane message to the community that this is a puppy-friendly pet store.”

Categories: Abuse/Neglect, Children & Dogs, Puppy Mills, Recent News, Rescue
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Humane Society Offers $5,000 Reward For Animal Fighting Info

By aschae and has no comments yet.

POSTED: 11:40 am CST November 17, 2008

The Humane Society is offering a reward in an effort to combat dog- and cockfighting.

During a news conference on Monday, Jackson Police Chief Malcom McMillin, State Rep. Cecil Brown and Deputy Attorney General Onetta Whitley joined the Humane Society of the United States to combat cockfighting and dogfighting in Mississippi. The Humane Society of the United States is offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person involved in illegal animal fighting.“Cock fighting and dog fighting are both horribly cruel blood sports,” said Dale Bartlett, deputy manager of animal cruelty for The Humane Society of the United States. “The criminals who train animals to fight to the death — for nothing more than to gamble and feed their own sick sense of entertainment — must be brought to justice.”

Cock fighting and dog fighting are crimes in Mississippi. Cockfighting is a misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum $500 fine and dog fighting is a felony, punishable by up to three years of imprisonment and a maximum $5,000 fine.

Animal fighting “contests” are abhorrent spectacles in which animals are pitted in bloody duels — often to the death — for human entertainment, Humane Society officials said. These cruel and illicit encounters are spawning grounds for other criminal activities, including drugs and violence, dragging down entire communities.This reward program has been made possible thanks to a grant by the Holland M. Ware Charitable Foundation.Animal Fighting Reward Program Instructions:
• If you have information about illegal animal fighting in Miss., call your local law enforcement or animal control agency. If you wish to remain anonymous, let the agent whom you give your tip to know that you do not want your identity released to the public, but are interested in The Humane Society of the United States’ reward. Make sure to note the officer’s name.
• If the suspected animal fighter is convicted, ask the law enforcement agency involved in the case to write a letter to The Humane Society of the United States.
• The letter should state that your tip helped lead to the arrest and prosecution of the convicted animal fighter and should be mailed or faxed to:
Animal Fighting Reward Program
C/O Ann Chynoweth
The Humane Society of the United States
2100 L St. NW
Washington, DC 20037
FAX: 301-721-6414
For more information about The Humane Society of the United States’ animal fighting reward program, call 301-258-1459 (English) or 301-258-1420 (Español).

Categories: Abuse/Neglect, Heros, Legal, Pit Bulls/Dog Fighting, Recent News, Rescue
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Tyler County Man Sold Pit Bulls Possibly Used in International Dogfighting Ring, TX

By aschae and has no comments yet.

Source: KFDM, Nov 17,2008  By Nicole Murray

A man who raised Pit Bulldogs in Tyler County tells KFDM News he had no idea some of the animals he raised might have been used in a dog fighting ring. Last Friday, investigators seized dozens of dogs from a home in Tyler County just north of Chester. The seizure was part of a larger investigation into what officers call the largest dogfighting ring in the nation.

Michael Bell has been raising and selling pit bulls for more than 15 years at his home in Tyler County, “they know i am not a dog fighter so i don’t know why they did it.” Friday morning several law enforcement agencies seized all 65 of his dogs. Bell was told some of the dogs he’s sold in the past were used in what investigators are calling the largest dog fighting operation in the country. Bell said,”I am not dog fighting and I hate to see people use them to fight, but it’s hard to control what a person does after they buy dog.”

Tyler County Sheriff’s Deputy Bud Sturrock says officers didn’t arrest Bell, “we were unaware of the amount of animals that were here as far as neighbors complaints with animal abuse or neglect we had none.”Basically they were in sound health to me you could say some of them had a little of ribs showing but as far as the animals being abused i can’t say they were neglected.”

Investigators say they spent 17 months looking into the ring. They attended some of the dog fights held at eight secluded sites in Harris County. Authorities say the fights drew crowds of 100 people and bets on one fight could total $80,000. Police say journals kept during the fights suggest some of the dogs may have been shipped across the world.In all 200 dogs were seized, eight people arrested, and 47 others indicted.

Bell says he makes a living raising and selling dogs. depending on the blood line the Pit Bulls can sell for anywhere from $500 to $2,500 dollars, “my goal right now is to get my dogs back and get my business back up and running.” Although this time around he says he’ll be more careful on who buys his animals.

Harris County investigators say most of the two hundred dogs that were seized will likely be euthanized.

Categories: Abuse/Neglect, Pit Bulls/Dog Fighting, Recent News
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Police Raid Home, Find Dog Fighting Ring, IL

By aschae and has no comments yet.

Source: CBS Chicago, By Pamela Jones, Nov 16, 2008

CHICAGO (CBS) ― Disgusting and disturbing – that’s how the Cook County Sheriff describes a dog fighting ring in Chicago.

Three men now face charges. As CBS 2’s Pamela Jones reports, officers actually busted in, right in the middle of the fight.

Police say a dog they found was close to death, curled up in a corner barely moving when they entered the building. It was wounded in a fight with another dog – a dog that had to be held back from lunging again.

“One was half dead, the other covered in blood,” said Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart. “We had a 13-year-old and a 15-year-old child in there, we had a pregnant woman in there. Guns, syringes, you name it…we had it in there.”

Police say dozens of people paid a $5 cover to pack into the basement and bet on which dog would be strong enough and vicious enough to survive.

The other could barely stand when carried out on a stretcher.

“It was bad. I mean it was so covered in blood that it was hard to tell where all the wounds were at,” Dart said.

Investigators found a fighting ring, 3mm handguns, and a rule book, too.

“These people are so sick and twisted, that they had, I found a tackle box and in it were syringes with amphetamines in it. They also had like a staple gun to staple the dog back together if it was cut open too bad. They even had an IV as well if they wanted to pump the dog up with any type of drug,’ Dart said.

Now three men face felony dog fighting charges in the case.

Police say 38-year-old Donaver Jones, of Riverdale, owned the more aggressive animal.

Melvin Trent, 37, and Timothy Norris, 35, of Joliet, tell police they owned the dog mauled in the event.

A man who lives in the home says he didn’t think anything illegal was taking place in the home.

“I don’t know what they’re talking about,” he said.

He said he wasn’t at the house when the raid took place.

Some 50 people who were there, though now face misdemeanor charges.

This is the first time the Sheriff’s Department has broken up a dog fight as it was happening.

Workers at the city animal shelter had to euthanize the dog that was so badly injured.

Police tell the man who owned the survivng dog was also arrested two years ago in a dig fighting bust in Livingston County.

Categories: Abuse/Neglect, Legal, Pit Bulls/Dog Fighting, Recent News
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When buying a dog as a holiday gift, Humane Society urges a bit of caution

By aschae and has no comments yet.

Source: BY MEGHAN V. MALLOY, Kennebec Journal Morning Sentinal, Nov 17, 2008

With stores decked out in Christmas decorations, Thanksgiving only 10 days away, and a winter chill settling in, many Mainers — and Americans — are starting to think about holiday gifts for the family.

One national organization, however, is sending an early warning about buying a four-legged, furry addition to the family just in time for the holidays.

The Humane Society of the United States is holding its second annual Puppy Mill Action Week as a way to raise awareness about puppy mill operations in the U.S., especially around the holidays when, one official said, puppy sales are at their highest.

Puppy Mill Action Week started Sunday across the U.S.

“This week is something for activists to rally around, as well as trying to raise awareness about puppy mills,” Stephanie Shain, director of Stop Puppy Mills Campaign for the Humane Society, said. “These are still a prevalent problem in our country.”

Gift-giving holidays — particularly Christmas and Hanukkah — can sometimes compound the problem, Shain said.

“December holidays are the top puppy selling time of the entire year,” Shain said. “Mills either sell directly to people or to pet stores.”

Though a breeding operation is called a “puppy mill,” it may not be an illegal operation, depending on the regulation and licensing the owner has.

“It’s important to know puppy mills themselves may not be illegal,” Shain said. “The federal government does regulate some, but others (that are illegal) are just cited over and over again, and it’s so rare any action is taken against them.”

Norma Worley, director of the Maine’s Animal Welfare Program, said many people don’t know the horrors of puppy mills in America simply because breeders don’t want the buyer to know what the operation looks like.

“There are two tip-offs,” Worley said. “First of all, if someone is breeding multiple breeds at the same time, and second, if they offer to meet you in a parking lot, a park, or somewhere where the breeding itself is not taking place.”

Worley has 28 years of experience in the animal welfare field, which includes a stint as an animal investigator in California. The worst cases of puppy mill abuse are quite vivid and graphic, she said.

“Usually, these animals are not allowed to run around,” Worley said. “They will be in cages, and they can be small, like rabbit hutches, or larger gang pens with six to 10 dogs per pen.”

Smell is another strong indicator something in a facility is not right.

“I’ve seen kennels where the smell knocks you over for a few minutes, then your sinuses go into denial,” Worley said. The smell is often ammonia, which can be present if a breeder does not clean animal waste properly.

“You should not smell waste or ammonia at all in a breeding kennel, and that goes for pet shops and animal shelters,” she said.

The physical appearance of the animals can also be an important sign when buying a puppy.

“The dogs might not have limbs, they can be so flea bitten with open sores, they’re emaciated,” Worley said. “In larger breeds, I’ve seen animals with bowed front legs because they weren’t given proper nutrition and exercise.”

Shain warned just because a dog is found at a pet store, it is possible for consumers to still support illegal breeding operations if they are not aware of the dog’s origins.

“That’s the main problem with buying from pet stores, you have no way of knowing where that dog really came from,” Shain said. “The owner of the store may not even know, which is too bad. We hear from many people who said they were promised by a seller they knew where the dog came from, only to find out that isn’t true.”

Nationally known pet stores in Augusta, such as Petco and PetSmart do not sell canines on their premises. PetSmart works with the Kennebec Valley Humane Society to foster pet adoptions.

Katie Lisnik, Maine state director for the Humane Society said families looking for a puppy need to visit the breeding facility, be it a home, farm or wherever the breeding takes place.

“A good breeder will let you see the mother — and father, if they own him — of the pup,” Lisnik said. “Check how the mother is treated; dogs that are being used for breeding should be raised in a home setting.”

Don’t be afraid to ask about the dog’s genetic background and about any inherited diseases, Lisnik added.

“A breeder should disclose all medical information, veterinary work and the like.”

Robert Haley, executive director of the Kennebec Valley Humane Society, said awareness, including Puppy Mill Action Week, has had a role in what he called “a dramatic increase” in adoptions from his shelter.

“Part of the change comes in the protocol of adopting an animal,” Haley said. “But likewise, the public is also gaining awareness of great companion animals they can find at an animal shelter.”

The national chapter of the Humane Society estimates between two million and four million puppy mill canines are sold in the U.S. annually.

Categories: Abuse/Neglect, Children & Dogs, Rescue
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Pit bulls out to prove breed is great family dog, not aggressive

Posted November 16, 2008 By aschae and has no comments yet.

Source: Sunday, November 16, 2008, By Anya Sostek, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Tanja Berklouse, of Crafton-Ingram, plays with Levi, 7 months old, one of the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society's Super Star Pit Bulls that are up for auction as part of the Super Seven Adoption Event

Tanja Berklouse, of Crafton-Ingram, plays with Levi, 7 months old, @ the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society

Buddy uses a plastic green donut to play tug of war with his cage mate. Camden licks her handler’s face as he feeds her a hot dog. And Franco has eyes only for his tennis ball.

Those three dogs were among a group of “Super Seven” pit bulls on display yesterday at the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society, which held its first-ever “Super Star Pit Bull” adoption event.

“We’re trying to bring them back into the home,” said Susie Gilbert, intake team leader for the North Side humane society and organizer of the event. “This dog is a great family dog. It can live with children. It’s not going to be aggressive.”

The “Super Seven” program, which started in July, gives special behavioral training to a group of seven pit bulls at the shelter. The idea is to make the dogs into “goodwill ambassadors” that may ease the fears of prospective adopters who might be nervous about pit bulls’ bad reputation.

That reputation has suffered from their use in dog fighting rings, as well as from widely reported attacks on children around the country.

Since the “Super Seven” program began in July, however, 24 of the 27 dogs that have gone through the program have been adopted.

The dogs are taught commands such as “sit” and “down,” they are discouraged from jumping up on people, and they are instructed on properly walking on a leash.

Nutmeg, a member of the Super Seven with a Little Rascals-esque brown ring around his eye, still needed work on his jumping lessons, as he nearly lept into the lap of a volunteer in the hallway yesterday.

Innately, pit bulls tend to be “giant goofballs,” said Ms. Gilbert. “They’re like giant puppies for four years. They don’t know that they are big dogs.”

Because of the Humane Society’s urban location, the majority of the dogs that the shelter receives are pit bulls, she said.

All dogs that come into the shelter are inspected for scars or other signs that they were used for fighting or breeding, she said, and are given behavioral tests to determine whether they would be safe pets.

Any dogs deemed to be unsafe — aggressive against humans or other dogs — are not put up for adoption.

During the event yesterday, individual dogs were showcased in a makeshift pen in the Humane Society’s hallway, while volunteers sold raffle tickets and distributed goody bags.

Across the street, visitors took tours of the 82-foot-long Rescue Rig of the American Humane Association. The giant bus — equipped as a full veterinary hospital with living accommodations for 12 volunteers — was deployed earlier this year during Hurricane Ike and rescued thousands of animals during Hurricane Katrina.

When it is not used to rescue animals from natural disasters, hoarders or puppy mills, the Rescue Rig tours the country to raise awareness about its work.

Program manager Connor Michael has worked on the Rescue Rig, or on one of its earlier incarnations, for the past 13 years.

He worked with cadaver-seeking dogs during the aftermath of Sept. 11 and coordinated rescue efforts as searchers used boats to reach abandoned animals during Hurricane Katrina.

“It seemed like you never, ever finished,” he said. “There was no sense of closure down there.”

Categories: Abuse/Neglect, Children & Dogs, Heros, Pit Bulls/Dog Fighting, Rescue
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