Mountaintop Natural Pets

Source: Pottstownmercury.com, October 29, 2009

The Chester County SPCA is now offering a substantial reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the slayings of two young dogs, Luna and Emma.

SPCA spokesman Richard Britton said Wednesday that the reward increased from $500 to $11,000. The reward fund consists of $2,500 from the Humane Society of the United States, $500 from John DeBella of WMGK radio and the remaining from private citizens.

The necropsy confirmed that the dogs — a German shorthaired pointer purebred and a German shorthaired pointer mix — died of gunshots to their heads. The necropsy was performed at The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s New Bolton Center in Kennett Square.

The dogs were found dead near railroad tracks near Brinton’s Bridge Road in Pennsbury about 1 p.m. Sunday. The two dogs were reportedly shot between their eyes and then placed tail-to-tail by the railroad tracks.

JoAnne Durfee spotted the dead dogs while she was walking her own dog on Sunday. Durfee said she walks the route by the railroad tracks every day.

“I was horrified because they were posed in a way that made them look like mirror images of each other,” said Durfee on Wednesday. “I was very upset and I’m glad the public is outraged.”

Earlier Sunday, the SPCA received a report from a man who said his dogs were missing from his farm on Wawaset Road in Pocopson. The dogs found at the railroad tracks reportedly matched the description the owner provided to authorities.

The owner last saw his dogs at about 3 p.m. Saturday. The dogs were on the porch and did not have leashes on, according to Britton.

“They had free run of the 100-acre farm,” he said.

Britton said the penalty for this crime, which is considered a misdemeanor of animal cruelty, is up to two years in prison and/or a $1,000 fine.

The SPCA received a report of a suspicious vehicle near Brinton’s Bridge Road on Sunday. The vehicle was described as a maroon Ford F-150 pickup with a cap.

State police at the Avondale Barracks have been contacted for assistance, according to Britton.

Investigators ask anyone with information about this incident to contact the SPCA by calling 610-692-6113, ext. 213 or by e-mailing aps@ccspca.org.

Source:: Associated Press, October 30, 2009

Four-legged screen stars are vying for the Fido Film Awards, billed as the canine equivalent of the Oscars.

Nominees announced Friday include the animated dog stars of “Bolt” and “Up,” the titular mutt in “Marley and Me” and — in a rare non-canine choice — the dapper, George Clooney-voiced “Fantastic Mr. Fox.”

They are competing for prizes in categories including historical hound, rom-com rover and comedy canine.

Award organizer Toby Rose said the past year had scene “an unprecedented run of dog successes at the international box office.”

The Fidos call themselves the world’s first international awards for canine screen stars. The winners will be chosen by a panel of British film critics and announced at a Nov. 22 ceremony in London.

Source: ShawangunkJournal.com, October 29, 2009

BULLVILLE – The shocking October 7 discovery of four dead pit bulls, tossed in a dumpster at Ron’s Auto Electric on Route 17k, was the first indication of an unpleasant probability.

Now, with the autopsies conducted on the animals by Cornell University College of Veterinarian Medicine in Ithaca, early suspicions have been confirmed. The four dogs, two female and two male, were fighting dogs. Lieutenant Dominick Blasko of the Town of Crawford police had said that, “The tearing of flesh, the bite marks, could only be caused by dog fighting.”

The autopsies concluded that the pit bulls died of blood loss from their wounds.

“I expect that these were the losing animals,” said Kristin DeJournett of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

As for the callous way their bodies were disposed of, she said, “This is how we commonly see these animals dumped.”

Lieutenant Blasko said the dogs had been dead for a few days by the time they were found. Since they were found on a Wednesday, that suggests the dog fights took place on the previous weekend, October 3 and 4.

“Four bodies like this is indicative of more than a backyard fight,” said DeJournett. “This would be a larger, more organized fighting ring.”

Worse yet, it could well be that the fights are being staged in Bullville.

“Dogfighters are very underground,” said DeJournett. “They pick remote locations, the more remote, the more desirable. People will drive from other cities, even from other states, transporting dogs for dogfights.”

In that case, what would people look for?

“If you see a lot of cars show up on a weekend night at a place where that is really unusual, and you also hear dogs barking where there usually isn’t barking, that’s a good tip off.”

DeJournett warned that, “There may well be drug running and weapon exchanges going on, because those activities are commonly found in the dog fighting world.”

She also noted that more and more people are reporting instances of dog fighting. “The Michael Vick case was important that way,” she said, referring to the infamous case from a few years ago when former professional football player Michael Vick was convicted and sentenced to prison for dog fighting crimes. “Before that case, most people thought dog fighting had died out. Now they know better.”

She also explained that prosecutions for dog fighting are difficult to obtain, because in many states and jurisdictions, police must actually witness the fights. However, prosecutions for owning wounded animals and fighting paraphernalia are more common.

“It can happen anywhere,” said DeJournett, “from the richest neighborhood to the poorest ghettos.”

PETA is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in dog fighting; call 757 622 PETA.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Blasko asks that anyone with any information about this investigation, please contact the Town of Crawford Police at 744-3300.

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Source: MediaNewsWire.com

Thanks to the efforts of local animal advocates, nearly 50 Chicago area pet stores have signed The Humane Society of the United States’ puppy friendly pet store pledge — committing not to sell puppies, but instead support local animal adoption programs or provide literature that helps customers learn how to locate a reputable breeder. The HSUS applauds these independent retailers because their actions prove it is not necessary to support the cruel puppy mill trade to operate a successful pet-related business.

“These stores have set a positive example of corporate responsibility for other businesses to follow,” said Stephanie Shain, senior director of The HSUS’ puppy mills campaign. “Pet stores that profit from the cruel puppy mill industry need to step up and do the right thing by stopping their puppy sales. Shelters and rescues are brimming with all types of dogs in need of homes.”

Store owners and managers who sign The HSUS’ pledge receive a placard proclaiming, “We love puppies; that’s why we don’t sell them,” to display in the store, as well as materials about adopting a dog or finding a responsible breeder. The HSUS encourages shoppers to purchase pet supplies at stores displaying the puppy-friendly sign.

The independent retailers in the Chicago area that have most recently signed the puppy friendly pledge to not sell puppies are:

Animal Feeds & Needs ( Arlington Heights )
Bark Bark Club ( Chicago )
Barker and Moewsky ( Chicago )
Bentley’s Corner Barkery ( Arlington Heights )
Birds and Beasts Pet Shop ( Crystal Lake )
Cody and Carl’s Blvd ( Barrington )
Dog-A-Holics ( 2 locations Chicago )
Doggy Style Pet Shop ( Chicago )
Earth Pups ( Chicago )
Famous Fido ( Chicago )
Fetch! Dog Boutique & Spa ( Chicago )
Follow Your Nose ( Evanston )
Four Legs Pets ( Algonquin )
Groomingayle’s Pet Salon ( Glenview )
Kriser’s Feeding Pets for Life ( three stores in Chicago, Park Ridge and South Barrington )
Liz’s Pet Shop ( Chicago )
Orland Pk Boarding Kennel & Natural Pet Food Center ( Orland Park )
Pans Pet Place ( Morton Grove )
Parker’s Pets ( Chicago )
Paw Lickin’ Good Treats ( DeKalb )
Pawprints of Richmond, Ltd ( Richmond )
Pet Central Inc. ( McHenry )
Pets Etc ( Naperville )
Reeses Barkery & Pawtique ( McHenry )
Ruff Haus Pets ( Chicago )
Suburban Pet City ( Oak Park )
Tails in the City ( Chicago )
The Animal Store ( Lincolnwood )
The Barking Lot ( Chicago and Deerfield )
The Dog House of L.G. Ltd. ( Long Grove )
The Houndry ( Chicago )
Thomas Tails ( Crystal Lake )
Three Dog Bakery ( Chicago )
VIP Pet Salon ( McHenry )
Wet Nose ( Geneva and Oak Brook )
Wicker Pet ( Chicago )
Wigglyville ( Chicago )
Policy Helps Dogs Across the United States

The majority of pet stores that sell puppies carry dogs from puppy mills, which are mass production facilities that churn out large numbers of puppies under inhumane conditions. The breeding dogs at puppy mills spend their entire lives in cramped cages or kennels with little or no personal attention or quality of life. Consumers who purchase puppies from pet stores or over the Internet without seeing a breeder’s home firsthand are often unknowingly supporting this cruel puppy mill industry.

Source: Dreamdogs.com, October 27, 2009

Over 4,900 people have joined a Facebook campaign to set free a rescue dog in what they claim is a miscarriage of justice.

The four-and-a-half year old Border Collie is the best qualified search and rescue dog we have in Britain, being the only dog we have that has passed the International Rescue Dog Organisation’s readiness for mission test.  Darcy is trained to rescue victims of both natural disasters and terrorist attacks by finding them in even the greatest amount of rubble.

However, today she is not on duty but is stuck in a kennel on a six-month quarantine term where experts fear she may even lose her sharpened skills.  This is her reward for having joined other rescue dogs in Indonesia to rescue the victims of an earthquake that killed hundreds of people.

The other dogs on that same mission are now back in their homeland serving their people, but not our Darcy.  The strict quarantine terms of returning to Britain mean this rescue dog was placed in a kennel in Colchester on the 8th October and is set to stay there for six months.  This is despite her rabies booster vaccination given just two weeks before she left for her mission.

The quarantine term applies to Indonesia because it is not part of the list of approved countries in the official Pet Travel Scheme.

It is not just the general public demanding her release but also MPs, and the Essex Fire Service that spent thousands of pounds of their budget on training Darcy is running a Free Darcy campaign.

John Ball is the dog handler for Darcy and said:

“These rules are outdated and go against what current science tells us.  No dog that has been vaccinated has caught rabies, and the incubation period can be up to two years anyway so the six months quarantine is an arbitrary figure.  I can only hope the Government will listen to reason and change the law.”

A spokesperson for Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) commented:

“This long-standing rule is in place to protect the UK from the incursion of serious diseases such as rabies, which has been reported recently in Indonesia.”

Source: ToldedoBlade.com, October 25, 2009

Troy Teneyck’s voice choked with emotion Saturday night as he stood before a candlelit crowd of more than 120 people outside the Lucas County Dog Warden’s animal pound on Erie Street. Two months earlier, the Teneyck family dog, a 6-year-old chow named Bear, disappeared from their East Toledo home. And two days after Bear’s disappearance, the family learned over the phone that their pet had met a fiery fate in the dog pound’s incinerator.

Mr. Teneyck shared the story of his family’s loss during a candlelight vigil in memory of all the dogs that have died at the county pound. The vigil, though planned months in advance, fell on the same week as an Oct. 20 presentation by an oversight committee for the Lucas County dog warden that said too many dogs were euthanized and not enough adopted out to new homes.

Stephen Serchuk, chairman of the dog warden advisory committee, told the county commissioners that the dog warden’s agency, headed since 1987 by Tom Skeldon, lacks standard procedures for its daily operations, including protocols for euthanasia and the use of tranquilizer darts to subdue mangy dogs. Members of the 11-person committee issued four recommendations for improving the agency, including the reinstatement of controversial door-to-door dog license checks.

“They took my dog from me,” Mr. Teneyck said, his voice heavy with emotion. “At first it was a shock to me. As the shock wore off, it turned into anger. And as the anger left, it turned into sadness.”

Anger seemed to mix with sadness during the hour-long vigil, organized by the Ohio Coalition of Dog Advocates. “We want to raise the public’s awareness of what goes on down here at the dog pound,” said Jean Keating, the coalition’s co-founder, who gave the opening remarks at the vigil.  She spoke from a podium near a board marking every dog euthanized this year at the shelter.

Many in the crowd said they were disgusted by the high kill rate at the county’s pound, said to be one of the highest in the state with 2,483 dogs euthanized last year, or 80 percent of all dogs taken in. “This reign of terror needs to stop right now,” speaker Sarra Beam said.

“We could save a lot of dogs but they won’t let us,” said Rita Bonnell of Rossford, who operates a rescue shelter and disagrees with the warden’s policy against transferring animals to “all-breed” operations other than the Toledo Area Humane Society.

The evening included a moment of silence for the departed dogs and those animals currently in the kennel, and the playing of the Sarah McLachlan song, “I Will Remember You”. The event also paid respect to the memory of Princess, a 10-pound Pomeranian-beagle mix who died in February after being shot with a tranquilizer gun by a deputy dog warden.

Cheers and applause broke out when speaker Dan Grove called for the removal of Mr. Skeldon, who has served as dog warden since 1987. An assistant to Mr. Skeldon on Friday said he was aware of the planned vigil but would not comment on it or the group’s claims.

Mr. Teneyck said his dog Bear got loose on Aug. 16 and was observed being hit by a silver or gray car. He said his family scoured the neighborhood looking for the dog and visited the county pound on two separate days to see if he was there. Although Bear was not licensed, his name was put on a missing dog list, Mr. Teneyck.

Mr. Teneyck said he then received a phone call from the dog warden’s office the morning of Aug. 18. He said he was told that they had found his dog with a broken leg. However, in the next breath he was told that they had euthanized the animal that morning. According to Mr. Teneyck, his injured dog was picked up by warden deputies just steps away from his home at about 7 a.m. that morning. “It’s pretty sad that stuff like this happens,” Mr. Teneyck said.