Mountaintop Natural Pets

Source: kplr11.com, June 15, 2010

The Humane Society of Missouri is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who are responsible for the severe injuries.

The dog, named Desperado by his Humane Society rescuers, had a rusted, dirty chain link collar deeply imbedded around its neck. The gaping wound measured 1 ½” deep and 10″ long circling the dog’s neck. The chain link collar, which had to be cut with a bolt cutter, was only 6″ in diameter. Animal Cruelty Investigators stated the collar should have been at least 10″ in diameter to properly fit a dog of Desperado’s size.

The dog will receive continuing treatment to allow the wound to heal. Humane Society veterinarians are cautiously optimistic the dog will make a full recovery.

Desperado was discovered on the property of a Baden business, his chain tangled in equipment on the property. The owner of the business contacted the Humane Society of Missouri Animal Cruelty Task Force which brought Desperado to Humane Society of Missouri headquarters in St. Louis City.

TO REPORT INFORMATION IN THIS CASE:

Anyone with information about this crime should contact: Humane Society of Missouri’s Animal Abuse Hotline

314-647-4400

Source: Action3news.com

27 dogs just rescued late last week- for some it’s too late. Dozens of dogs were found in an area of Mills County, Iowa just south of Glenwood. The Pit Bulls all with teeth filed off and infested with parasites.  Some suffering open wounds on backs of legs from being tied down and bred repeatedly.

Pit Bulls cower in corners. Some just skin and bones. One even branded on his back leg.  “Every single one of them has some health issue going on,”  says Kelly Nutter. She is one of many including the Mills County Sheriff to rescue the Pit Bulls from a tiny piece of property near Pacific Junction in Iowa.

“One dog showed aggression, rest were fearful and frightened,” explains Nutter. While snapping over one-hundred photos, Nutter didn’t find any food. “There was hardly any feces around, I assume the dogs were probably eating their own feces,” she says. Action 3 News’ Liz Dorland clarifies her statement, “Are you suggesting that they were eating it because they didn’t have any other food?” Nutter replies, “They didn’t have any other food yep.” Nutter doesn’t know why the owner would chain up the dogs, but has a theory saying ”I think it was basically they were breeding these pit bulls to possibly fund and add more dogs to a fighting ring.”

Every single Pit Bull was confined in to the property with half-inch heavy metal chain. To keep them there, the owner buried the chain attached to a car axle.

Action 3 News learns the property is linked to an Omaha man.  A man with a record of several animal violations in Douglas County. At this point, he’s not charged for anything.  However, Mills County Sheriff is investigating him for possible wrong doing. Dorland spoke with his mother in Omaha who claims he “loves dogs”.  She also confirms he is buying the land where the dogs were rescued.

The Pit Bulls are still fighting for their lives but appreciative. Nutter says, “A blanket and a toy and a meal means a lot to them.”

If Mills County finds animal neglect the man will face misdemeanor charges.  It is a felony if they link him to dog fighting.  Loess Hills Humane Society needs your help in food, blanket and toy donations.  To help, call 712-527-0753.

Source: ConsumerAffairs.com, March 19, 2010

The State of Pennsylvania says it has taken action against five commercial dog breeding operations in the state, which it says were among the state’s “most notorious” puppy mills.

The Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement took the enforcement action today.

Scarlet-Maple Farm Kennel in Lancaster County, owned by Daniel P. Esh; the adjoining Twin Maple Farm Kennel in Lancaster County, owned by John E. Esh; Burkholder Farm Kennel in Berks County, owned by Aaron Burkholder; CC Pets, formerly Puppy Love, Kennel in Lancaster County, owned by Joyce Stoltzfus; and Almost Heaven Kennel in Lehigh County, owned by Derbe “Skip” Eckhart, have all been closed under the Pennsylvania Dog Law’s provisions.

“The Dog Law, signed in October 2008 by Governor Rendell, gave the bureau enforcement power to make sure kennels that do not meet the standards of the law can no longer operate in Pennsylvania,” Special Deputy Secretary for Dog Law Enforcement Jessie L. Smith said. “In signing the law, Governor Rendell raised the bar for commercial breeding kennels in Pennsylvania.”

The Commonwealth Court recently issued a ruling upholding the Department of Agriculture’s decision to refuse Aaron Burkholder’s 2009 application for a commercial kennel license. The license was revoked in 2008 and refused in 2009 because the bureau found numerous violations of the Dog Law over multiple inspections.

Later, the department provided information from inspection reports to the Humane Society of Berks County, leading to Burkholder’s animal cruelty conviction. Under the new law, a kennel license cannot be issued to someone convicted of animal cruelty.

Daniel P. Esh’s commercial kennel license was revoked in 2008 because of poor kennel conditions. During multiple inspections in 2007 and 2008, dog wardens found moldy food, poor maintenance, excessive feces, rodents and inadequate cage sizes for the dogs, among other violations.

Because of those violations, the bureau refused to grant Esh a commercial kennel license in 2009. This decision was appealed to Commonwealth Court, but the appeal was eventually withdrawn.

“Aggressive enforcement of the new dog law has contributed to closing these notorious commercial kennels and has improved the welfare of dogs in Pennsylvania,” Smith said.

Source: wlbt.com, Jan 12, 2010

A fire at an apparent puppy mill in north Mississippi resulted in a crisis Monday for a local humane society.

Authorities said a suspected puppy mill was inside a house trailer that caught fire Monday morning along France Road in Dundee, Mississippi.

Neighbor Charles Logwood said the fire started in the trailer’s laundry room, where many of the dogs had been brought in because of the cold.

“When I got there he didn’t know it was on fire,” Logwood said.

Jeffrey Hobbs was in the trailer caring for the dogs.

“They got out just in time,” Hobbs said. “He let them all out.”

Officials said two dogs died in the fire.  The bodies of eight additional dogs, which did not die in the fire, were found in a wooded area surrounding the property.

Sandy Williams, who heads the Tunica County Humane Society, helped rescue the dogs. She said the property appeared to be a puppy mill, and the dogs were not being cared for properly.

“Every one I picked up was malnourished,” she said. “They’re covered in fleas over here where the houses are. I saw no signs of food or water.”

The owner of the dogs and the trailer, Stacey Valentine, arrived in tears when she saw what had happened.

“I tried my best to take care of these dogs,” she said. “They eat good and they have medical care.”

Valentine said she sells some of her dogs and the rest are pets. She says the dead dogs in the woods froze to death.

Williams said workers were seeking aid from nearby agencies, including the DeSoto County Animal Shelter, to help care for the animals.

Source: Businesswire.com

Dynamite Marketing, which makes natural dog food and nutritional supplements such as a probiotic for dog health, is inviting Facebook fans to enter a drawing to give 200 pounds of its Super Premium Dog Food as a charitable donation to the animal shelter of the winner’s choice.

In addition, Dynamite will donate one pound of natural dog food to the Idaho Humane Society for every fan who signs up by March 19.

This continues Dynamite’s practice of making charitable donations as an incentive. Last year it offered top distributors the choice of a prize such as a trip to Hawaii or a charitable donation to the organization of their choice. The result was $22,000 in donations to animal charities.

“We tossed around ideas in our brainstorming sessions, trying to determine what would really motivate people who use our dog food and other products,” said Callie Novak, Dynamite vice president. “They are passionate about making the world better. We attract people driven by projects that help animals, improve soil, and save lives. The local animal shelter is always a favorite, and a place where we can contribute to dog health. For many of our fans, giving to a charity actually is more of a motivation than a personal prize.”

Dynamite has been making all natural dog food for four generations. It also makes natural food and nutritional supplements for cats, horses and virtually every member of the animal kingdom. Dynamite products are available through more than 4,000 individual distributors across the country.

All products use only natural ingredients and are made in the United States for quality control. Dynamite’s recently developed Ultimate Dog Food is a raw, natural dog food that does not need to be refrigerated.

Additional information is available at www.DynamiteMarketing.com or by calling 1-800-697-7434.

Source: Orange County Register, Dec 3, 2009

The Humane Society of the United States has launched a national telephone tip line to report suspected cruelty or unlawful activities involving pet breeding facilities.

The hotline, 1-877-MILL-TIP, is available to anyone with information of a possible crime involving puppy mills – but particularly welcomes information from those with “insider” knowledge, or from law enforcement officials who might be aware of such operations.

The Wilde Puppy Mill Task Force investigates puppy mills and works with law enforcement, animal shelters and other agencies to stop abuse and to ensure enforcement of existing laws.

The task force also provides guidance to local, state and federal agencies in the prosecution of animal abusers as it relates to the operation of puppy mills. Since its launch in June, the task force has assisted in the rescue of more than 1,200 dogs and puppies from abusive situations at puppy mills.

Source: Fox59.com, Nov 7, 2009

Police and animal control officers are investigating a gruesome case of dog fighting, after a pit bull was severely injured and left for dead on the northwest side of Indianapolis on Friday.

A man and woman found the dog limping toward their care near the intersection of 71st St. and Guion Rd. When they stepped out of the car they noticed the dog was suffering from multiple puncture wounds and bleeding heavily. They then wrapped it up in a sleeping bag and rushed it to the local Humane Society of Indianapolis.

“You want to think the best of people,” said Nina Gaither, who works with the Humane Society and serves on the board of the Indy Pit Crew, an advocacy group for the breed. “You want to think that maybe this was an accident.”

As a proud pit bull owner, Gaither says her heart sank when the dog named “Valor” came into the Humane Society Friday night.

“This is probably the worst it would get for a dog to come in the doors alive,” Gaither said.

Unfortunately, Gaither said, the pit bull didn’t live for long. Humane officers were forced to euthanize “Valor” after finding two severely broken legs, one which would have required amputation, along with more than 50 puncture wounds. Gaither says they quickly identified “Valor” as a victim of dog fighting, because his injuries were located on the front of his body, and his wounds were inflicted over a long period of time.

“There were wounds from 4-5 days ago,” Gaither said. “There were wounds from three weeks ago. There were wounds from 6 months ago from the varying degrees of healing. That’s when we realized this was nothing new for this dog.”

Gaither says illegal dog fighting isn’t a new problem in our area. The Pit Crew created an educational video in hopes of shedding light on the practice two years ago. The Humane Society receives dogs rescued from fights once every couple months. But Gaither says this latest case shows how previous efforts haven’t been able to target the underlying problem.

“I’m just reminded that this is a human problem,” Gaither said. “This isn’t a dog problem.”

Though it’s unclear exactly how widespread dog fighting has become in Indiana, in the past few months IMPD has joined forces with animal control to crack down on that human problem. The new task force investigates animal fighting complaints and handles cases like “Valor’s”.

“The only thing that ever happened to this dog that was humane was the peaceful end he was given,” Gaither said.

Now she says she hopes the increased effort brings justice to what she calls a cowardly act.

“The whole manner about it makes them a coward,” Gaither said. “The fact that they are engaged in this practice. The fact that they would just dump a dog, you know, out on the street to fend for itself and for the rest of the community to deal with.”

If you have any tips regarding this case or any other cases of dog fighting, please call CrimeStoppers at 262-TIPS.

Source: AJC.com, Nov 7, 2009

The Atlanta Humane Society added $5,000 to the reward fund for information that leads to the arrest of the person who  shot and killed a Griffin Police Department German Shepherd and then dumped the dog in a ditch beside a Lamar County Road.

The dog’s handler, Griffin police Cpl. Chad Moxon, and his family had already put up $1,000  so the reward now stands at $6,000 with the Humane Society’s offering.

After getting home from the  firing range on Monday, Moxon discovered Jimi and his dog Yeager  missing from their kennel at his house on a dirt road in Lamar County.

“The gate looked like it had been tampered with, and there were tire tracks leading up to the gate,  going across my back yard,” Moxon said Friday. “I can’t  say for 100 percent that someone came in there and took the dogs, but I do believe that’s what happened. ”

Moxon said he searched all Monday night and most of Tuesday night for the German Shepherds. He handed out about 300 flyers and followed up on several false alarms from people who thought they had  spotted them.

Moxon got a call Wednesday morning that Jimi may have been found in a  ditch on Rock Quarry Road near the Monroe County line. Moxon said there was little blood at the scene so he suspects the 3-year-old dog was dumped there after he was shot in the side. The vet found buckshot in the wound.

“I just sat down in the ditch for the next 30 minutes. I didn’t have the energy to get him out,” Moxon said.

Shortly after he got home a neighbor called with the news that Yeager was in his yard.

“I almost didn’t recognize him,” Moxon said. “He was badly beaten.

“Hes still at home recovering,” Moxon said of his 2-year-old dog, also a German Shepherd. ” I’m hoping he’ll recover in the next few days.”

Jimi was a “multi purpose” dog, trained at detecting drugs and explosives and tracking people. It’s a common practice for police handlers to take their assigned dogs home even though they belong to the departments.

“This is the first time I’ve come to work without him in two years,” Moxon said.

Anyone with information should call Lamar County Sheriff’s Office at 770-358-5159 or 770-358-8881.