Infamous for the exploitation of thousands of animals, Minnesota’s most notorious puppy mill breeder has been banned from selling pets – for life.

Pick of the Litter, Kathy Bauck‘s business, was known for being one of the largest USDA licensed breeding facilities in the country. The USDA estimates that at its peak, Pick of the Litter sold between 3,000 and 4,000 animals annually.

In 2008, animal-rights nonprofit group CAPS conducted an undercover investigation that revealed untreated sick and dying dogs at Bauck’s kennels. Bauck was convicted of four misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and torture following the investigation, and her license was revoked for two years in 2010. CAPS continued to track Bauck’s activities and found that she sold a number of puppies to stores well after her license was canceled.

In light of this evidence, Bauck has been permanently banned from future commercial production or resale of dogs to shops or sellers for life. She also relinquished all but six of the dogs in her possession. For their involvement in the incident(s) noted by CAPS, members of Bauck’s family were also fined and disqualified from licensing with the USDA in the future.

Bauck has not released an official comment on the ban, but her attorney, Zenas Baer, said it was a “voluntary surrender of the license on (Bauck’s) part.” Baer said CAPS fabricated evidence during their undercover investigation and that Bauck had been regularly inspected by the USDA without incident.

"This study gives us strong evidence that the dogs kept in these large-scale breeding facilities don't just suffer while they're confined there, but carry the emotional scars out with them for years, even when they're placed in loving homes," says Frank McMillan of Best Friends Animal Society, who conducted the research with James Serpell and Deborah Duffy of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. It will be published in an upcoming issue of Applied Animal Behavior Science.

You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.  ~John Wooden

I watch Craigs List for people trying to get rid of their dogs and I try to contact them and encourage them to relinquish their unwanted pets to a breed rescue or shelter... rather than selling them on Craigs list.  Today, I came across this one:

7 month old Cairn Terrier he's been a outside dog sweet and loving he's current on shots and deworming.
Will train for inside cairns are smart small rehoming fee 25.00
I will not hold him I will not bring him to your area I live in Moulton,Iowa you will have to come pick him up and he will not just go to just anyone
please call/texd 641-895-0322
Nothing wrong with him

• Location: Moulton,Iowa
• it's ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

This dog looks like it has recently been sprayed down for the photo, so I google the phone number in the ad.  Turns out that phone number belongs to "Pick Me Puppies" a mill breeder in Missouri...... they say about themselves: We are a small group of friends from southern Iowa and northern Missouri who love dogs. We raise a wide range of breeds and sizes.

and as I investigate their website further, I find this little posting that they are calling "I am a breeder".

Never mind the 5,000,000 dogs killed every year in shelters around the country....

I just don't know how some people think......

11:45 PM, Jun 18, 2011  |   comments

 

 

Helping Rescued Dogs At Guilford County's Animal Shelter

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Greensboro, NC-- Dozens of dogs that once lived in a puppy mill have a new home in Guilford County.

Saturday, staff with Guilford County's Animal Shelter came to the rescue of 63 dogs from Caldwell County. 

The US Humane Society said the dogs were living in a puppy mill and being sold over the internet.

Marsha Williams, Shelter Director in Guilford County, said they are able to rescue animals, thanks to people willing to help foster them.

Williams and her staff have a great track record of getting animals adopted, making them victims of their own success. That's why it was no surprised that people were at the shelter wanting to adopt the dogs, when they returned from Caldwell County.

"A lot of you were already stopping by today to get a look at the pups. Wondering if they're ready to be adopted. They're not ready yet. It will still be at least a few weeks before they can go to families. Some of them are still scared to be taken out of their kennels" said Williams.

Dogs rescued Saturday range in everything from puppies to medium size dogs. Williams said they're just at the beginning of the rehab process for the animals.

After examinations and tending to medical needs, she said they'll know for sure which ones and how many can be placed in foster care.

Williams said they have a lot of work ahead, but they are prepared and ready to get the animals in shape for foster homes and permanent homes.

How You Can Help

Williams said they are looking for people to foster puppies and kittens. 

"Not only are you saving the lives of the animals you're fostering, but you're also saving the lives of other animals that are arriving at the shelter," said Williams. "Because without those empty cages, we wouldn't have any other choice but to euthanize because of space."

The Geib family started fostering litters of puppies from the Guilford County Animal Shelter two years ago. So far, they've fostered five sets of puppies. Right now they have Luigi, a five-month-old Chihuaua mix.

"The first time we fostered it was a crying-fest for us when we had to release the dogs back to the shelter," said Genevieve Geib. "But, it was gratifying, too, because we knew that we had done what we could to give them a good start in life and to release them to another family hopefully."

You need to be able to commit yourself to your foster pet.  But the amount of time you would have your foster pet is not as long as you might think.

"The shortest period of time that we have fostered a puppy was a week," said Geib. "And the longest period that we have fostered puppies was seven weeks."

You will also need the space to foster.  Williams asks that you keep your foster dog or cat separate from your personal animals for at least ten days.  A lot of the time you would be fostering young animals, so this would ensure they don't pass any diseases onto your animals.

"You want to keep them in a bathroom or kitchen area where you can clean up," said Williams.

The biggest thing you should be willing to give to your foster pet is a lot of love and attention.  While the Geibs are positive Luigi won't have problems getting adopted, he's still timid and is being house broken.  The shelter told the Geibs Luigi was being neglected in his last home.  Genevieve said the most important thing you can do is nurture the puppy. 

You can find more information at http://www.adoptshelterpets.org/foster-parents/.

Local dog rescue group gets a quarter-million dollar gift

Posted: Jun 18, 2011 10:11 PM by Matt Stafford
Updated: Jun 19, 2011 9:27 AM

Dog Trainer Makes History at Tonight’s Tony Awards

In , until this year, it was legal to put a full-grown dog in a cage the size of a dishwasher, never let it out for exercise, and leave it there for life. It’s still legal in many states. But animal welfare advocates in , which has developed an unsavory reputation for this sort of cruelty, thought they had outlawed such practices last fall. Voters there approved a ballot measure aimed at eliminating the state’s reputation as the puppy mill capital of . Things haven’t turned out quite as the advocates planned.

Late last month, amid pressure from the state’s dog breeders, among others, Governor Jay Nixon signed legislation repealing the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act that voters had approved. In its stead the legislature approved new standards the governor says will protect dogs in a way that won’t put responsible breeders out of business.

Not everyone agrees with him. “It’s politics at its worst,” says Barbara Schmitz, state director of the Humane Society of the and a lead proponent of the ballot measure. She and other animal welfare activists say the law the governor signed falls short of the sweeping and immediate protections of the ballot measure. Larger cage spaces, for example, will be phased in over the next five years, rather than by this November, as the ballot measure would have required.

Breeders say the new law strikes the right balance. “We’re happy with it,” says Lisa Peterson, of the American Kennel Club, which opposed the ballot measure, primarily because it put a cap on the number of dogs an individual breeder could own. That cap is now gone.

The term “puppy mill” generally refers to a large commercial breeding operation where the animals do not receive proper care. Not all large breeders function this way, but many do. The Humane Society says there are about 10,000 puppy mills in the , 30 percent of them in . Puppy mill puppies are typically sold to pet shops — usually through a broker, or middleman — as young as eight weeks of age.

The lineage records of puppy mill dogs are frequently falsified. Because the breeders often fail to remove sick dogs from their breeding pools, puppies from puppy mills are prone to congenital and hereditary conditions, which can include heart and kidney disease and respiratory disorders. Puppies from puppy mills often arrive in pet stores — and their new homes — with mange, heartworm, ticks and a host of other diseases or ailments.

Vick's legacy

There’s no disputing that animal rights forces are making progress across the country when it comes to the treatment of dogs. Twenty years ago, for example, you would have been hard-pressed to find more than a dozen states that treated dogfighting as a crime. Even fewer had stiff penalties for animal cruelty. Today, dogfighting is a felony offense in all 50 states, thanks largely to the 2007 arrest and imprisonment of NFL superstar Michael Vick. And just this year, became the 47th state to make cruelty to dogs and cats a felony. Only and North and lack such protective measures.

Despite this dramatic turnaround, measures aimed at protecting animals are still very contentious, especially when it comes to puppies. Puppy breeding is a lucrative industry in many places. More than 30 states have some kind of dog breeding anti-cruelty laws, but they vary widely.

Oprah's influence

"For a long time,” says Cori Menkin, senior director of the puppy mill campaign for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, “puppy mills were not considered an important issue.” But that started changing just a few years ago.

One catalyst was the revelation that two eastern kennel operators shot 80 dogs after wardens ordered some of the animals examined by veterinarians. After that case became public, passed what advocates call a landmark puppy mill law.

The 2008 law doubled the minimum amount of floor space required for each dog, eliminated wire flooring that can destroy a dog’s foot, and required twice-a-year veterinary exams. Dog lover Oprah Winfrey helped push the issue to the forefront after a animal rights group put up a billboard near her studios pleading with her to do a show on the issue. She did in 2008.

But , voting last fall, was the first state in which voters weighed in on the puppy mill issue. The animal rights forces won passage of their initiative with a narrow 52 percent of the vote. They hoped the measure, commonly known as Prop B, would bring relief to some 200,000 dogs in ’s 3,000 puppy mills.

Barely a month after voters approved Prop B, efforts were underway in the legislature to repeal it. “Telling our breeders how many dogs they can own and how to raise them is just the tip of the iceberg,” state Senator Mike Parson said when he introduced legislation in January that he insisted would correct “the wrong doings” of Prop B.

Many of the provisions that breeders opposed most strongly in Prop B have been eliminated. These include restricting to 50 the number of female dogs a person can own for breeding purposes; limiting breeding to no more than twice every 18 months; and requiring that the cages be tall enough so all dogs can stand up straight.

Striking a balance

Governor Nixon says the new law “upholds the will of the voters” by adding its own new anti-cruelty protections. Within five years, breeders will have to provide dogs three times the space currently required; give them unfettered access to an outdoor exercise run; and ensure that wire strand flooring, commonly used in commercial dog breeding kennels, is not used for new enclosures.

The new law also increases to $2,500, up from $500, the maximum fee for obtaining a license to operate certain dog facilities, and promises $1.1 million to the state Department of Agriculture for more inspectors and veterinarians to ensure breeders are complying with the new law.

Dog breeders are generally happy with these changes, particularly because they impose no restrictions on the size of breeding operations. They also approve of a new law enacted this year in , which doesn’t try to define “puppy mills” based on the number of animals someone owns. Instead, the final bill that Governor Matt Mead signed in March defines “household pet animal cruelty” as any action that keeps household pets in “a manner that results in chronic or repeated serious physical harm to the household pet” or keeps the pets “confined in conditions which constitute a public health hazard.”

Dog breeders weren’t the only vocal opponents of ’s Prop B. The agriculture industry, a potent political force in the state, worried that that the new protections for dogs could be the forerunner to strict rules for farm animals. “ farmers and ranchers are concerned that animal agriculture will be the next target of the radical animal rights agenda,” Missouri Farm Bureau President Charles E. Kruse said after Prop B passed last fall.

Chris Chinn, an independent hog farmer from northeastern , has been outspoken in expressing her concern that protections for pets could be written in such a way that her livestock would be covered. “Supporters of Prop B claim it was ONLY about dogs,” she wrote in a recent blog post on the American Farm Bureau Federation’s website. “If that was true, why not define the term `pet’ as a canine?” 

Michael Markarian, chief operating officer of the Humane Society, dismisses the idea that a law to protect dogs “will somehow morph into a law that affects livestock.” But for now, what’s important to Markarian and other animal rights advocates is making sure that this spring’s ballot measure repeal won’t happen again in . A broad coalition of organizations has formed the Voter Protection Alliance and is working on a new measure: a constitutional amendment to require a three-fourths vote in both houses of the legislature, or a subsequent vote of the people, in order to repeal or amend any citizen-passed initiative.

“One hundred and ninety-seven lawmakers and one governor substituted their judgment for the judgment of voters,” says Schmitz, of the Humane Society. “It’s a travesty,” she says, “a real twisting of the political process.”

— Contact Pamela M. Prah at pprah@stateline.org

WASHINGTON and WARREN COUNTY, Tenn., April 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In one day on Wednesday, freshman U.S. Congressman Michael Grimm (R-NY) adopted Sebastian, a Missouri puppy mill rescue dog to live in his DC office, and Animal Rescue Corps (ARC) assisted the Warren County District Attorney's Office (TN) in rescuing approximately 120 dogs found to be living in deplorable conditions at an alleged puppy mill in Tennessee. 

The real story lies in the support of individuals across the nation and the world that assist organizations such as ARC and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), stepping up to the plate when instances such as the one in Warren County occur. It is these individuals and organizations that are founded and paid for by individual contributions, large and small, both monetary and non-monetary, that are making a difference and changing the lives of and relationships between people and animals all over the globe.  

"These animals were suffering from starvation and various untreated illnesses," said Scotlund Haisley, president of ARC, regarding Wednesday's puppy mill rescue in Warren County.

When responders arrived on the scene they found Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, Brussels Griffons and other small breeds living in crowded, unsanitary conditions in small wire hutches outdoors and wooden crates in a basement. The dogs, some of whom had recently given birth, lacked proper socialization and veterinary care. Most were severely matted, living in enclosures encrusted with feces and urine; and, in at least one cage, a dog was found living with the remains of two dead dogs.

On the very same day, one such dog, from deplorable conditions like those in the Warren County puppy mill, entered a new life at Representative Michael Grimm's office.  From squalid conditions, Sebastian, a tiny Yorkshire terrier was saved by Columbia Second Chance and delivered by HSUS to his new home on Capitol Hill.

"Such acts are only possible with the commitment of the behind-the-scenes supporters of these organizations and events," said Arthur Benjamin, founder and president of American Dog Rescue (ADR). Along with the Ady Gil World Conservation, ADR and The Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation funded the vast majority of the ARC Rescue and have contributed substantial funds to the HSUS Stop Puppy Mills Campaign as well.

So, from squalid conditions to a new life in a Congressional Office, men and woman like Ady Gil and Arthur Benjamin are helping animals like Sebastian and causing change to occur locally, nationally and globally in the connection between people and animals. This individual commitment to making a difference is what lies at the core of the work of organizations that get the news coverage as events unfold.

"It is the tens of thousands of donors, philanthropists and rescue workers that make such events possible," said Benjamin, when asked how these two events occurred in a single day. "It is happening more and more as an everyday occurrence now thanks to people like Ady Gil. Today is special only because it was noticed. Sebastian has got a great life ahead of him and will be an excellent ambassador for puppy mill dogs and other pets in need of rescue everywhere."

For more information on American Dog Rescue or The Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation, please visit www.americandogrescue.org or www.arthurebenjamin.com.

Happy Ending for Lost Dog of 5 Days

Left to right, Nick Assise, Cheryl Assise holding Jessa, Erin Kissane and son Gavin. Erin is holding Guinness, an italian Greyhound and Riley, a Weimeriner (sitting) is the one, according to Erin, who really found Jessa.

http://video.humanesociety.org/video/629262638001/Channels/602022756001/Latest-Videos/829916441001/Road-to-Recovery/

Members of the animal kingdom bring laughs, love and joy into the lives of their human companions, but finding the right pet with which to share your life can be a confusing, frustrating and time-consuming endeavor. Perfectpetfinder.com (http://www.perfectpetfinder.com) simplifies the process by matching people who are looking for a particular breed of dog or cat with the right companion.

Founded by Leslie Jaye and launched nationally in February 2011, this dedicated organization searches the shelters and rescue groups in each client's geographic area for the perfect pal. Some of the animals are mixed breeds, others are full-blooded, but they're all spayed or neutered and up-to-date on all their shots. The service saves clients time, money and stress by locating the desired pet based on user-submitted information.

Visitors to Perfectpetfinder.com create their Perfect Pet Profile, a simple questionnaire that explores the potential adopter's pet preferences, home environment and lifestyle. Based on those answers, perfectpetfinder.com searches for the most compatible pet and recommends the best candidates. The adopters review each animal's photo(s) and history and learn about its personality. Each shelter's fee, adoption criteria and contact information are provided. Application forms are often included and can be filled out online for convenience.

Perfectpetfinder.com charges a one-time fee which is fully refundable if it fails to find the ideal pet or if the adoption isn't successful. Once clients pick the perfect candidate, they simply visit the rescue agency to meet their new best friend and bring him home. Pet parents are responsible for paying the rescue group's adoption fee and for complying with its policies and procedures.

Through their website and Perfect Pet Blog, (http://blog.perfectpetfinder.com) perfectpetfinder.com educates the public about pet adoption and other animal-related subjects. The organization can be contacted by phone at 1-888-443-5250, or by email at support@perfectpetfinder.com. For more information, visit their website at http://www.perfectpetfinder.com.

About Perfectpetfinder.com

Perfectpetfinder.com was founded in 2009 and is independently owned. The company's mission is to create public awareness about the millions of specific-breed and pedigreed pets living in shelters and foster homes and to encourage adoptions by simplifying the search process.

Dante Dasaro photoOne of the stray dogs roaming the Motor City streets who is being helped by Detroit Dog Rescue.

The Super Bowl Chrysler 200/Eminem commercial aside, Detroit has an image problem. The Motor City also has a dog problem. Monica Martino and Hush Carlisle formed the Detroit Dog Rescue to do something about it.

The economic freefall/downturn/recession left our state, and Detroit in particular, in despair. And as people abandoned homes they no longer could afford, many left behind pets they no longer could afforr.

Many of those pets joined other strays -- it is estimated there's more than 50,000 -- who now roam the streets of Detroit, often sleeping in abandoned buildings and scrounging for whatever food they can find.

Warning: A portion of this video contains graphic content.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-bxTO_Q-5k&feature=player_embedded#t=0s

Martino, a producer and creator who includes "Deadliest Catch" (one of my faves) among her credits, and Hush, a rapper/producer/actor who also is an activist dedicated to bettering Detroit, were part of a Discovery Channel team creating a documentary series, "A Dog's Life."

The goal of the 10-part series was to shed light on the problem in Detroit and raise funds and awareness to find a solution, like a no-kill shelter. But Detroit officials balked. Instead of cooperating and facing the problem head-on, the city shut down the project, saying it would cast Detroit in a negative light (as opposed to the kind of light shining on the city now?).

The Detroit Free Press reported the documentary would have spent $1.4 million in the city for production.

Martino and Hush were so immersed in "A Dog's Life," they opted to keep working as animal advocates once the show was canned. They formed Detroit Dog Rescue, and Hush posted a 4-minute video on YouTube that is getting tons of attention. Martino was interviewed on MSNBC's Today this week, and word is getting out about Detroit Dog Rescue.

Detroit Dog Rescue's goals are no different than many other animal welfare organizations.They want to educate people and help animals.

Specifically, they want to raise enough funds to build a no-kill shelter in Detroit (you can donate through the website). Hush even encourages people to let Detroit Mayor Dave Bing know their opinion on the matter and posts the mayor's e-mail address at the end of the YouTube clip for those so inclined.

E-mail Mary Ullmer: mullmer@grpress.com and follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/PressUnleashed

Jack and I are really excited to go to the expo with all of you again!  I really hope that Megan can be Dorothy again and Jack and I would like to dress as a Lion and a Tinman or Scarecrow.... I noticed how much attention our booth got with having Dorothy there.... What do you think of having a few other characters there?  I can get costumes reasonably at: http://www.wizardofozcostumes.com/

And he never thought of stepping into the public limelight - until a 19-pound show dog named Walter took him there.

Will's family already knows what Walter can do, and soon the rest of the world will get a chance to see this special pug, too. Under his official moniker "Kenshei And That's The Way It Is," Walter will trot into dogdom's biggest spotlight when he makes his first bid for best in show at the 135th Westminster Kennel Club dog show, to be held Monday and Tuesday in New York's Madison Square Garden.

To enter Westminster, you have to win through many trials and earn the title "champion." It's a title Walter and Will share in their own ways.

Will was born with Dubowitz syndrome, a genetic disorder that is "extremely rare," according to Donald Basel, assistant professor of the pediatrics division of genetics at the Medical College of Wisconsin. "The absolute number of cases in the world is unknown, but the best estimate is 140. We don't know the exact cause."

The syndrome left Will unable to talk.

"He has physical and emotional difficulties and retardation in the severe range," says Sheila Kessler, his mother.

Sheila is a public defender, but she also spent years breeding and showing purebred pugs. Then Walter came along. For her, she says, "Walter is a once-in-a-lifetime dog."

Her son Will loves dogs, but none as much as he loves Walter.

Says Sheila: "Walter does goofy things. He likes to prance around with a shoe in his mouth and jump on your lap, and then you've got to rub his tummy. He loves everyone. He's never met a stranger. And he's a champion show dog."

On one memorable day in March 2009, Walter helped Will to be a champ, too.

Showing in the ring

On that day, Sheila took Will and two dogs, Walter and Piper, to a dog show in Wausau. She had her hands full trying to deal with the pooches herself.

"Will is too shy to do much around unfamiliar people," she says. "But I hit on the idea that I would say I needed Will's help. I asked him to hold Walter's leash. He did. Then I asked him if he could show Walter."

Another show dog breeder, Shelley Plucker, attended the show and remembers what happened next.

"We knew what was going on. Everything got quiet. People just sat and watched. It was fantastic. Will took Walter in by himself and showed him."

Will and Walter worked the ring together that day. Though he has coordination difficulties, Will held Walter's leash and followed every required step of show-ring procedure.

"You exhibit to the judges. You go down and back in a straight line, which was hard for Will," Plucker says. Will even lifted Walter onto the judging table himself.

"I'm standing there watching, and I'm thinking, 'Oh, my God, he's doing it.' I was so proud. I had tears," his mother says.

When the judging was over, Plucker says, "the judge pointed to Will and said, 'You're the winner.' The whole crowd knew what was happening and applauded. Then people were coming up to Will and telling him what a great job he'd done and hugging him."

Will collected his ribbon for best of breed, waving his arms in the air, Rocky-style. Team Will/Walter kept on dominating the ring that day, and took a group win, too.

"He almost took best in show," Sheila says. "He did better than I did that day."

Then Will became a winner in another way. For one of the few times ever, he tried to talk. His mother says: "He tried to tell me the word show. He was holding the ribbons and was grinning."

Will hasn't done more competitions since that big day, but he's been taking dog training classes.

"Walter was the one who brought Willy out of his shell," Plucker says.

'Fabulous relationship'

The impact that Will and Walter have had on the people who know them remains. Handler Carlin Rasmussen of Wisconsin Rapids can't talk about that special dog show without starting to cry.

"It's a fabulous relationship," she says. "Willy can't really speak. He can't tell the dog what to do. But the dog adores him. Walter gives back and relates on the same level."

Because of her experience with Walter and Will, Sheila is exploring the possibility of making dog handling an element of the Special Olympics.

She'll attend Walter's Westminster competition, and Will will follow Walter's national career from home. Martha Feltenstein of New York is sponsoring Walter's show career and will own him for the next two years. Then he will retire to Will's lap on the Kessler couch.

The retirement will be well-earned.

"Walter made Will feel important," Sheila says. "I will always be grateful to Walter for giving us this."

***

WHEN TO WATCH

The Westminster Kennel Club dog show airs live from 7 to 8 p.m. Monday on USA Network, then moves to CNBC from 8 to 10 p.m. Tuesday's live coverage is at 7 p.m. on USA Network.

Walter must win his breed trial on Monday to appear on the televised portion of the show. Results for all the show competitions will be posted on www.westminsterkennelclub.org

Medina County SPCA rescues over 100 dogs from animal hoarders

The SPCA’s rescue team brought over 100 dogs to their offices Feb. 11 after forcibly entering a Chippewa Lake home. After receiving anonymous tips of horrible smells and lots of noise, the rescue team, headed by Mary Jo Johnson, made its way to the house.

The homeowners didn’t answer when Johnson and her team knocked on the door. When the team returned with a search warrant and still no one answered, they forcibly entered the house.

Inside, they found an uninhabitable den filled with small dogs – mostly Cairn terriers and similar breeds. According to Moore, there was little to no furniture in the house and the floors were covered in trash and feces.

“It was classic animal hoarding,” Moore said. “I’m treating this like it’s a disaster.” Volunteers scrambled to accommodate the overwhelming influx of dogs. As the SPCA building on South Medina Street turned into a 24/7 relief center, volunteers and staff members did everything they could to help the undeserving victims of squalor.

“Some of the dogs had fought and killed each other,” Moore said of the chaotic environment from which they were rescued. Since taking custody of the animals, a few females had given birth to litters of puppies – one of the new mothers, however, died in the process. The number of dogs was at 119 as of the morning of Feb. 12.

Moore said that the local SPCA outlet will be working with nearby rescue operations for particular breeds. The adoption process will likely begin soon – after the dogs have been properly treated. Many will be spayed or neutered.

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker.  The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.
 
 I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer.  I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
 
 As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

 The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker 's family surrounded him.  Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on.  Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

 The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion.  We sat together for a while after Belker's
death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.
Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ''I know why.''
 
 Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me.  I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.  It has changed the way I try and live.
 
 He said, ''People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?'' The six-year-old continued,
 
''Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.''

 Live simply.
 
 Love generously.
 
 Care deeply.
 
 Speak kindly.
 
 Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
 
 When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
 
 Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
 
 Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
 
 Take naps.
 
 Stretch before rising.
 
 Run, romp, and play daily.
 
 Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
 
 Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
 
 On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
 
 On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
 
 When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
 
 Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
 
 Be loyal.
 
 Never pretend to be something you're not.
 
 If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
 
 When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.
 
ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

What the bill does: Makes hoarders of animals and operators of substandard puppy mills guilty of animal abuse.

The conventional wisdom on this is that the president’s people have put their finger to the wind and decided that Michael Vick has been sanitized for political consumption by his success. (It’s interesting to speculate how he would be perceived if he were having a lousy year.) Personally, I’m kind of tired of hearing and reading about Michael Vick and wish that the media would lose its obsession with the man, especially since any mention of or concern about the dogs who managed to escape with their lives from his care is conspicuously absent from his public statements.

While we no longer wait by the phone for a call from Mr. Vick asking after his dogs, the likelihood of a call from the president has brought new esprit to the switchboard team and I’ve put together some notes on those we call the Vicktory dogs in case someone puts the historic call through to me by mistake. The conversation will go something like this:

“Mr. President, what a surprise! Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to commend us for giving the Vicktory dogs a second chance. Sure, I’ve got a few minutes to fill you in … kind of a presidential briefing, I guess.

“To be quite honest, sir, it’s kind of a mixed bag as far as how the dogs are doing. After all, these critters were right there when Michael Vick and his friends were body slamming some of their doggie buddies to death and electrocuting, drowning and hanging others. Unlike Mr. Lurie and the NFL, Bad Newz Kennels wasn’t into second chances. What’s that, sir? Yes, he’s having a great year … yeah, a terrific arm.

“So, as I was saying, it’s a mixed bag on the dogs, though some are doing very well, all things considered. Handsome Dan, Cherry, Mel, Oliver and Halle have all been adopted and some of these guys were pretty shut down, you know, terrified when they arrived here. Mel was mentioned in Bill Plaschke’s article in the L.A. Times about Michael Vick … yeah, he interviewed Mel’s new family in Texas. Poor dog still shakes in a corner whenever a new person comes to the house, but he’s in a great home and that’s what counts.

“What’s that, sir? Sure, we want them all to be adopted and live in homes with a nice family, but unlike Mr. Vick, the court has ordered that most of the dogs, based on their behavior evaluations back in 2007, have to pass a good citizen test before they can be adopted. No, I’m serious. It’s called a Canine Good Citizen certificate, CGC, and it means that the dogs are able to demonstrate self-control, sociability and friendliness toward people and other dogs. Actually, it’s quite an accomplishment for a dog who was encouraged to be aggressive or maybe was used as a bait dog. Sir? Oh, a bait dog is a relatively non-aggressive dog who gets thrown into the ring with a stronger fighter just to give the stronger dog confidence and a taste for blood. That’s right, sir, kinda like a press secretary. 

“Anyway, 16 dogs are still at the Sanctuary: Mya, Shadow, Lucas, Layla, Willie Boy, Georgia, Meryl, Ellen, Tug, Denzel, Ray, Squeaker, Lance, Curly, Little Red and Oscar. And they get a lot of attention. Most of them have health issues; some have bebesia, a blood parasite that spreads among fighting dogs and flares up occasionally. Some have immune problems that we speculate came from excessive use of steroids, but they continue to make progress.

“Ray, who was really shy and dog-reactive when he arrived, has earned his CGC. Oscar got his CGC and Shadow has made such great progress that he has a potential adopter coming to meet him next week. We’re very pleased. Most of the dogs are now social enough to share a run with another dog and some spend a few days a week in staff offices, getting comfortable in new environments with people coming and going. Yes, I guess it is a bit like the new Congress, except that most of the dogs would never bite you and I doubt that Congress people are able to share a run, um, I mean, an office.  

“Why do we do all this for these dogs? Well, Mr. President, that’s a big question but I’ll try to keep it short. First of all, we don’t believe that killing the Vick dogs, which many people and even some animal organizations wanted to do, would have been right. We know that they are individuals with the potential to have rewarding lives. They were like child soldiers kidnapped by warlords and forced to fight; no one thinks child soldiers should be killed just because they are damaged. Same thing applies here. Also, the Vicktory dogs are victims of a crime. As long as they are struggling to regain even a semblance of the life that should have been theirs from birth, then that crime continues to affect lives, dog and human, and is not yet a thing of the past, regardless of Michael Vick’s jail time or talent. You’re right, sir, it’s not funny and I’d hate to think of Bo in that situation, too.

“Of course, no worries! I’ve got a pretty busy day as well. Nothing like yours, but thanks for calling and please pass along a Happy New Year to Michelle, the girls and Bo from all the animals and staff here at Best Friends…. Oh, just one more thing: I think it would be a great message to send if you adopted a shelter dog as a companion for Bo, maybe a cute pittie girl with a big smile and wiggly butt. Sure, we can set you up. Call anytime — you’ve got the number. And a good day to you, too, Mr. President.”

Francis Battista

Co-Founder, Best Friends Animal Society

This should make you cry with joy!  I hope all of these puppies are healthy and happy and loved in the years to come.

http://www.lifewithdogs.tv/2010/12/the-awww-factor-puppies-for-christmas/

Thousands of products made from the skins of cats and dogs are being offered on China’s largest retail website, sparking outrage among animal lovers, state media is reporting.

Search results and sales records from Taobao.com showed the most popular items were trousers and hats made from dog fur, which is touted for its ability to ward off the cold, AFP found after searching the website.

Animal rights activists said dealers usually targeted stray animals, selling their skins to fur traders in the country’s east and the meat to restaurants in the south.

Thousands of products made from the skins of cats and dogs are being offered on China's largest retail website Taobao, sparking outrage among animal lovers

‘We have volunteers to protect the animals but their efforts are not enough as the government’s supervision is inadequate,’ Zhai Yining, an official with the China Small Animal Protection Association, was quoted as saying.

Animal lovers posted comments on popular social networking site Douban calling for the sales of such products to be banned.

‘Would those sleeping on a mattress made at the cost of lives feel really happy and comfortable? Isn’t that cruel?’ one web user said in a comment on a picture of a mattress made from cat fur.

According to rules published by Taobao, online stores caught selling cat or dog meat, furs and fur products would be punished by having their rating points reduced, which could hurt their popularity.

But an unnamed official with Alibaba, the operator of Taobao.com, said website inspectors charged with deleting irregular information were overwhelmed by the number of sellers publishing product details.

However, cat and dog products don’t seem to be proving too popular with buyers with many stores recording no trades.

One seller from Hebei Province with the username ‘sjz2ys’ boasted that all the cat-skin products available in his online store were authentic, though he had only sold one item - a waistcoat - in the past month, the Shanghai Daily said.

This is the second time Taobao.com has become involved in a small animal maltreatment scandal.

Last week the International Fund for Animal Welfare persuaded it to ban the selling of poisons to kill dogs and the equipment used to catch them.

I wanted to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  I appreciate all of you and the support and care you give to me, your families and the doggies.  It is a better world because you are all in it.

I'm happy to annouce that my foster, Romeo, who was adopted by wonderful people in Oshkosh Wisconsin is coming home to me along with his adoped brother, Winston, for a 3 week visit. 

His Mom, Christine, Dad, Loren and little human sister, Helen are going to India for 3 weeks so they are bringing the two boys to me while they are gone.  I'm really excited to have them... even if that makes my pack a whopping 7 for those three weeks! 

I hope you all enjoy the holidays. 

Colleen, JP, Bubble, Harry, Honey, Kitty and Tee

Rescue Workers Liberate Central Fla. Puppy Mill

Seriously, I think someone should consider this job posting..... It looks like Wisconsin is getting serious about enforcing breeding regulations in our state.

http://wisc.jobs/public/job_view.asp?annoid=47899&jobid=47414&index=true

Dog rescue organizations often come under harsh criticism for their in depth applications and probing interview questions. Critics wonder how and why these organizations put potential applicants under such intense scrutiny for their adoptive dogs.

Ulyssa Kunze is among those people who hopes animal lovers get enough voter-signed petitions to get an issue on the statewide ballot next year to ban all “puppy mills” and auctions in Ohio.

The Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions hopes to get the required 120,600 such signatures by Dec. 1 in the group’s first round of petition circulating to meet the final Dec. 31 deadline for such filings.

“We don’t like puppy mills. It is disheartening that another human being can treat living creatures so poorly. Dogs are our companion animals, and people running puppy mills treasure as a profit,” said Kunze, shelter manager and foster care coordinator at the Lake Humane Society.

“I’d like to see the puppy mills stop and end. I see first hand the consequences of severe medical and behavioral effects on dogs in such places. With a petition drive, more people are becoming aware of the issues.”

Many farmers and dog fanciers (hobby and show breeders) favor the petition drive and even joined a rally this summer in Geauga County. State voters approved a Livestock Care Standards Board with standards for care and treatment of livestock and poultry on farms.

Opposing the current effort are out-of-state breeders who sell such canines for puppy auctions in some downstate counties.

Coalition leader Mary O’Connor-Shaver isn’t yet disclosing how many signatures are gathered in a drive similar to a law passed in Missouri.

That’s because the names number in the tens and thousands and are being scanned before being turned in to the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office for final official review and approval for the ballot.

“Unfortunately, there is an overpopulation of dogs in several states, in particular Ohio. When these dogs are disposed of, you and I pick up the tax cost for shelter, pound and rescue center,” she said.

The initiative would:

-- “Make it unlawful for any person to auction or raffle a dog within Ohio for any purpose.”

-- “Prohibit bringing into the state for purposes of sale or trade a dog acquired through an auction or raffle in another jurisdiction.”

-- Give the Ohio attorney general “authority to investigate, conciliate and prosecute alleged violations” and also “bring a civil action” against any violator.

-- Create a new state law to make any violator face a minor misdemeanor for a first conviction and face a fourth-degree misdemeanor for each subsequent violation.

Petitions and information can be obtained at the Humane Society and other animal shelters, or by visiting www.BanOhioDogAuctions.com.

Group Hopes To Rescue Puppies From MO Puppy Mill

Check out this story:

http://www.fox2now.com/ktvi-puppy-mill-dirty-dozen-report,0,3239150.story?video=YHI&t=a

It is an investigation into the Schindler operation which recieved an "honorable mention" in the Humane Society's list of Missouri's "Dirty Dozen".  It appears this operation is shutting down and Gayle sent out the following plea:

Proposition B seeks changes to laws for dog breeders

By Jessica Oliver
jessicao@bolivarmonews.com

Tea Party Opposes Puppy Mill Law

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Tea Party Opposes Puppy Mill Law

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Tuesday, 28 September 2010 17:36

The ASPCA has performed a large dog rescue operation at a so-called puppy mill in Missouri.

The pet health care association is responsible for saving over 70 canines from the operation in Camden County, after the owner of the facility could no longer afford to care for them.

A host of breeds was among the rescues, from large - including huskies and boxers - to small, with dachshunds and Malteses, as Missouri is known for many of its pooches coming from pet shops and breeders.

Some 3,000 puppy mills exist in the state - making up 20 per cent of the total nationwide, the ASPCA has claimed.

"Having too many dogs, as this crisis clearly illustrates, puts a tremendous strain on local agencies when they are suddenly forced to care and find homes for large numbers of animals," Tim Rickey, the senior director of field investigation and response, said, adding that the ASPCA will always help smaller organisations in need.

Previously, the charity provided assistance to residents of cities suffering from a bedbug epidemic.

The story I am about to share with you is about a woman who bought a sick puppy from a store front shop called "Puppy Rescue Plus More".  Now I ask you, if you were a rescue organization would you have a store front?  Would you have mostly puppies?  Would you let an animal go without altering it?  This looks like a scam to move puppies from puppy mill breeders.  I'm launching an investigation!

Woman Fights Puppy Rescue After Dog's Death

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Checking Out Pet Organizations-Puppy Dies After Purchase

A woman is fighting a local dog rescue operation. She went to small claims court today, trying to reclaim the $1000 in vet bills she racked up after taking home a new puppy. She lost the case because of the contract she signed when getting the animal. Local 12's Paula Toti has her warning for all pet lovers.   It's easy to see why Carmen Gulliford wanted the ten week old Yorkie Chihuahua mix, who was lively and adorable when she first took her home. A week later, the poor animal was lethargic and clearly sick. "I just cried. It was not the dog I bought." Carmen bought the dog from a storefront in Pisgah on Route 42 called Puppy Rescue Plus More. The contract for the dog used the name Forever Puppies Rescue. The contract said she'd have to take the dog to a vet named in the contract within 72 hours. If a medical problem was found the vet bills would be paid by the rescue organization. After that period, it was Carmen's expense and the provision was void if Carmen went to her own vet.   Carmen used the designated vet, who gave the dog a clean bill of health. But a few days after the 72 hour period, the puppy was sick. "She wasn't eating ... They told me she had coccidia and was hypoglycemic."   A few days after that, the puppy died. SPCA Cincinnati board member and a volunteer for Labrador Rescue of Cincinnati Jim Tomaszewski says he sees lots of red flags. "The commercial store front would be a red flag to me."   And the fact that a rescue group would come upon so many darling dogs-all of them puppies. "Even if they did it would make me wonder what intake criteria was for the rescue." Tomaszewski says most reputable rescues will make sure the animal is spayed or neutered when leaving the organization or shortly after if it's too young. There shouldn't be a time limit on returning the animal or getting it checked out and they should ask you a lot of questions about your home ... and should ask about your suitability. "I have cried from simple things like seeing a dog, my daughter had a nightmare about it." Paula called the Forever Puppies Rescue. A woman named Debbie Ravencraft said she's won the court battle with Guillford and did not want to comment further on the matter. When Paula asked her about the health of the puppies she adopts out, she told Paula that with a rescue situation, you can never be sure of the condition in which the animal came from. When Paula asked to come visit the facility, Debbie declined.   We're told most animal rescue groups have a tax-exempt status...which is something you can check on the Secretary of State's website.

Hauser Lake, ID - A complaint led officials to the property of a dog breeder. What they found has become an all too familiar scene at the site of irresponsible breeders...emaciated, poorly groomed and sick dogs crammed into crates and cages.

The property is owned by Wilma Turner, 61, near Hauser Lake, ID. Turner, a convicted felon, was not arrested for the condition of her dogs, but rather, for possession of guns - a violation due to her felony conviction.

Many of the dogs, primarily Labradoodles were found to be in poor condition. Several were taken to area veterinarians to be treated for infection and malnutrition.

The sheer number of dogs, estimated to be between 110-140 (90 of which were adults), that were found on Turners' property violates state law mandating that no more than 60 adult dogs be allowed on a property.

Many of the dogs were confiscated and moved to Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service (SCRAPS). The influx of dogs has created an additional problem for the shelter - too many dogs, and not enough space.

According to area rescue volunteers, the influx of dogs may necessitate the euthanasia of some of the dogs that were already housed by SCRAPS. When a shelter fills up quickly with dog intakes from a backyard breeder or hoarder, kennel space is greatly diminished, leaving no room for incoming dogs from the rest of the community.

Individuals interested in learning more about the many adoptable dogs available at SCRAPS can contact them at:

Phone: (509) 477-2532
Fax: (509) 477-4745
Email: scraps@spokanecounty.org

Residents in the area can find the shelter at 2521 North Flora Road, Spokane Valley, WA 99216

Rescues, or rescue-minded individuals, should contact the shelter to inquire about fostering or pulling dogs from the over-crowded kennel to rescue organizations. When shelters are hit with a large number of dogs at one time, there is an increased need for donations. Please contact the shelter to see how you can help.

People who have purchased puppies from "private" breeders should be aware of the conditions that their dog may have come from. Please read Buying a Puppy from a pet store or "private breeder", is it a gamble worth taking?

With thousands of dogs being killed every day across our nation, it is disheartening to know that people will still turn to an irresponsible breeder when acquiring a new dog.

Please - adopt, don't shop, and remember to spay and neuter your own pets. The number of healthy, highly adoptable dogs being killed at shelters will never go down if people do not help stop the irresponsible behavior that lands the dogs there in the first place.

The State of Delaware has just passed the most forward-moving animal companion law in the country. The law, initiated by the non-profit No Kill shelter Faithful Friends, in Wilmington, Delaware, modeled itself after the No Kill Advocacy Center’s Companion Animal Protection Act, notes the No Kill Advocacy Center, which initially reported the recent ratification of the law.

The Delaware Companion Animal Protection Act will insist upon collaboration between shelters and rescue groups. Thus, a shelter will be unable to kill an animal if a rescue group is willing to save that animal’s life. It also makes illegal “convenience killing,” mandating that shelters can no longer euthanize an animal if there are cages available or if the animal can share a cage or kennel with another one.

The Delaware Companion Animal Protection Act states:

Animal shelters shall ensure that the following conditions are met before an animal is euthanized:

(i) The holding period for the animal required by this chapter is expired;

(ii) There are no empty cages, kennels, or other living environments in the shelter that are suitable for the animal;

(iii) The animal cannot share a cage or kennel with appropriately sized primary living space with another animal;

(iv) A foster home is not available;

(v) Organizations on the registry developed pursuant to §8003(d) are not willing to accept the animal; and

(vi) The animal care/control manager certifies that the above conditions are met and that he/she has no other reasonable alternative.

Perhaps one of the biggest victories for animals and those who work with organized rescue groups or as individual rescuers trying to utilize the internet for its vast publicity capabilities, is the fact the new law will require posting “all stray animals on the Internet with sufficient detail to allow them to be recognized and claimed by their owners.” This has implications not just for heightening the likelihood of reuniting animals with their pre-existent good homes, thereby reducing “pet overcrowding,” but it also hinders the absurdly cruel lack of support kill-shelters often offer for adoptive efforts being made for animals who may be just weeks, days or hours away from being killed. Additionally, shelters will be compelled to post statistics (intake, adoption, reclaim, transfer and killing rate).

Also, registries of rescue groups willing to save lives will now need to be maintained by animal shelters/control.

While the State of Delaware did not accept all of the proposals Faithful Friends and the No Kill Advocacy Center made, NKAC states, per a letter Nathan J. Winograd published on his website late last week, “The law is now the most progressive companion animal protection legislation on record in this country, and can only be considered an unqualified victory for the No Kill movement...Delaware, the first state to ratify our nation’s constitution, continues to lead the way in embracing the legislative framework necessary to ensure justice. And we will build upon this framework in the coming years to strengthen protections for animals even more.”

100 Dogs Rescued from Mississippi Puppy Mill (VIDEO)

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This past week, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill that will essentially prohibit, starting in 2015, any egg from being sold in the state that comes from caged hens. This bill became law 20 months after a majority of California voters approved Proposition 2, making it clear that concern for the living conditions of livestock is no longer the province of animal rights activists alone.

Recognizing how widespread concern about the humane treatment of farm animals has become, the California Milk Advisory Board has recently ramped up its 10-year "Happy Cow" advertising campaign with a new series of ads proclaiming that "Great milk comes from Happy Cows. Happy Cows come from California." These ads are now being shown across the nation.

Unfortunately, there are a few problems with the ads. For one, they weren't filmed in California at all. They were filmed in Auckland, New Zealand.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Current Milk Board ads claim that 99 percent of the state's dairy farms are family owned. But in order to arrive at this figure, they count as "dairy farms" rural households with one or two cows. Meanwhile, there are corporate-owned dairies in the San Joaquin Valley which have 15,000 or 20,000 cows. It is these far larger enterprises that produce the vast majority of California's milk.

My concern, let me emphasize, is not with small-scale family farms. I have no problem with the many hard-working families who treat their cows well, take care of the land and try to bring a healthy product to market. My problem is with the much larger agribusiness enterprises, the factory farms to whom the animals in their care are nothing but sources of revenue.

Thanks to the practices they employ, the amount of milk produced yearly by the average California cow is nearly 3,000 pounds more than the national average. This increased production may seem like a good thing, but it is achieved at great cost to the animals. The cows are routinely confined in extremely unnatural conditions, injected with hormones, fed antibiotics, and in general treated with all the compassion of four legged milk pumps. Roughly one third of California's cows suffer from painful udder infections, and more than half suffer from other infections and illnesses.

Although genetically engineered bovine growth hormone is banned in many countries including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and much of the European Union, it is widely used in California's largest dairy operations to increase milk production. Unfortunately, it also increases udder infections and lameness in the cows, markedly raises the amount of pus found in milk, and may increase the risk of cancer in consumers.

The natural lifespan of a dairy cow is about 25 years, but one-fourth of California's dairy cows are slaughtered each year (typically at four or five years old), because they've become crippled from painful foot infections or calcium depletion, or simply because they can no longer produce the unnaturally high amounts of milk required of them.

The Milk Board ads present the California dairy industry as a bucolic enterprise that operates in lush, grassy pastures. Some of the ads employ the slogan "So much grass, so little time." But California's dairy industry is concentrated in the dry and barren Central Valley. Here, the cows are typically kept in overcrowded, dirt feedlots. Some never see a blade of grass in their entire lives.

The ads show calves in meadows talking happily to their mothers. But the calves born to California dairy cows typically spend only 24 hours with their mothers, and some do not even get that much. Here is a video that reveals what actually happens to the calves:

The ads propagate the image that California dairy cows live in natural conditions and the practices of the dairy industry are in harmony with the environment. But the amount of excrement produced each year by the dairy cows in the 50-square mile area of California's Chino Basin would make a pile with the dimensions of a football field and as tall as the Empire State Building. When it rains heavily, dairy manure in the Chino Basin is washed straight into the Santa Ana River and some makes its way into the aquifer that supplies half of Orange County's drinking water.

The large-scale factory dairies in California's Central Valley produce more excrement than the entire human population of Texas. About 20 million Californians (65 percent of the state's population) rely on drinking water that is threatened by contamination from nitrates and other poisons stemming from dairy manure. Nitrates have been linked to cancer and birth defects.

The Milk Board defends the ads by saying they are entertaining, and are not intended to be taken seriously. But the Milk Board is not in the entertainment business. It has not spent hundreds of millions of dollars on this ad campaign to amuse the public, but to increase the sales of California dairy products. Besides, does misleading the public become legitimate just because it is done in an entertaining way?

The Milk Board knows that showing calves being taken away from their bellowing mothers and confined in tiny veal crates won't sell their product. Neither will showing emaciated, lame animals who have collapsed from a lifetime of hardship and over-milking, being taken to slaughterhouses and having their throats slit. But this is the reality for animals in the large-scale factory farms that produce most of the state's milk. Covering up this misery with fantasy ads of happy cows who are actually in New Zealand is not amusing. It is perpetrating a sham on the public.

This is why I have joined with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in a lawsuit that challenges the Milk Board's ads as unlawfully deceptive. Thus far, the Milk Board has prevailed in court, even though it's obvious that the ads lie to the public. Why? Because the California Milk Advisory Board is the marketing arm of the California Department of Agriculture, a government agency. And in California, in a truly Orwellian twist, government agencies are exempt from laws prohibiting false advertising.

Should we hold our advertisers, even if they are government agencies, accountable to reality? Should we require that what they tell us have some resemblance to the truth?

This month, PETA has erected billboards throughout the state that read, "California Cheese Comes From Miserable Cows." PETA, of course, is an animal rights group, but this issue is increasingly being recognized as one that concerns not only vegetarians and animal advocates. Consumers who want the animal products they buy to be from humanely raised animals can be found in every segment of society.

Consideration for the plight of animals is a central part of the American character. It is an essential part of who we are as a people. The "happy cow" ads are an insult to the legitimate humanitarian concerns of millions of people. As consumers, do we want to reward this sort of behavior with our hard-earned dollars?

Abraham Lincoln was speaking not only for vegetarians or for animal rights advocates when he said, "I care not much for a man's religion whose dog or cat are not the better for it."

To learn about steps you can take towards greater physical health, social conscience, and economic freedom, read my latest book The New Good Life: Living Better Than Ever in an Age of Less. For information about my work, and to sign up for my email-list, visit JohnRobbins.info.

One hundred and twenty beagles who faced lifetimes being used in medical research experiments have been freed — just in time for the Fourth of July weekend.

NEKOOSA -- Riverside Park is about to go to the dogs. West Highland white terrier dogs, that is.

"This is actually the third time we are having it in Nekoosa," said Lynn Sawyer, a Nekoosa resident and Wisconsin Westie Rescue adoption coordinator. "It's actually just a gathering, a picnic, of people who have Westies or have adopted Westies."

The all-volunteer, nonprofit Wisconsin Westie Rescue organization was formed in 1999 to aid in the rescue, care and adoption of displaced West Highland white terriers and Westie mixes in Wisconsin, northern Illinois and eastern Minnesota.

"They're not really unique, but there's not a lot of them," Sawyer said. "They're spunky little terriers that like to dig and chase vermin -- that's what they were bred for, to keep the farms in Scotland clear of all the critters that would do damage to the farms."

Many of the dogs, which, according to www.dogbreed.com, range in size from 9 to 12 inches tall and between 13 and 22 pounds, come from puppy mills and are in need of good homes.

"Every dog we get in probably averages between $300 and $500 in vet care before they get a new home," Sawyer said.

Wisconsin Westie Rescue wants to be sure the dogs are placed in good situations, a responsibility the group doesn't take lightly, Sawyer said.

Potential owners fill out a four-page application. Depending on the age of the dog desired, adoption fees range from $75 to $350. Volunteers visit the home of the adopter, who later travels to the dog's foster home to meet the Westie.

"When a dog goes to its new home, there's a 95 percent chance that the dog is going to stay there forever," she said.

Part of Saturday's event includes a rescue parade.

"(The parade) shows that these dogs, that nobody wanted or were just discarded because no one wanted to deal with their health issues, have found loving homes," Sawyer said.

Send your Out There ideas to deb.cleworth@cwnews.net or call 715-422-6730.

Rue McClanahan, most famously known for her portrayal of feisty Southern belle Blanche Devereaux in Golden Girls, tragically passed away early Thursday morning of a stroke. A revered actress, Rue was also a passionate lover of animals. She had been offering refuge to sheltered animals in her own home for longer than the popular run of the '80s sitcom to which she owed her fame. At one point, she had as many as six dogs and eight cats, all rescued, in her home. She also worked to better the lives of animals, campaigning with "In Defense of Animals" to revamp the New York City Center for Animal Control and raised awareness on the importance of spaying and neutering.

Much like her alter-ego, Blanche, many of Rue's pets were in their golden years. She told Animal Fair that the secret to longevity in pet's lives is frequent trips to the vet to check out any problems that the animal may have or any changes in behavior. She said it is was also very important to watch the pet's weight and eating habits. She advised, "Know your animal, and if something doesn't seem right, go to the vet."
In an interview with Animal Fair back in 2002, Rue told the magazine that
"Animals have a sort of 'spiritual innocence'. They are not cruel. They are fiercely loving and loyal." This sentiment colored the manner in which Rue faced the world. With her Siamese cat, Bianca, whom she called the "queen of the apartment." and her two dogs, Angie, a cairn terrier, and Buddy, a golden retriever, as her guides, Rue McClanahan is a paradigm of brightness, optimism, and compassion.

Rue McClanahan will forever be loved for her small screen shenanigans, but will also be lauded for the courtesy and kindness she extended to her pets and all living creatures.

For more information on Rue and the animals she loved, and how to ensure that your pets lead safe, long, and happy lives, visit: www.animalfair.com

"Dog Whisperer" Cesar Millan Investigates Puppy Mills

An estimated 11 million Americans tune in to watch The Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel every week—making host Cesar Millan arguably the world’s most famous canine behaviorist. And this week, he teamed up with undercover investigators from Last Chance for Animals (LCA) to give viewers a hidden-camera glimpse inside the dark and disturbing world of puppy mills.

Of course, Millan is certainly not without his critics, who variously charge that his approach is overly-simplistic, unscientific, inhumane, domineering, and basically better for his ratings than for damaged dogs. As an animal rights advocate, I’ll admit to being rankled that he kept referring to individual dogs as “it” (instead of “he” or “she”) in the episode—which suggests that he thinks of them (on some level at least) as impersonal objects rather than autonomous subjects. And ultimately, with all that’s edited out of each episode, for all we know The Dog Whisperer could be about as “real” as, say, Survivor, The Bachelorette, or any other so-called reality show on television.

Despite whatever controversy Millan unleashes, I do think that he genuinely cares about dogs, and I’m glad that he used his show to educate people about puppy mills. I’d love to see him do similar exposé episodes about dog fighting rings*, the dog meat trade, and other issues affecting canines. 

Write a quick email to Cesar Millan and one to NatGeo thanking each of them for helping expose puppy mills on The Dog Whisperer.  

* Millan did guest star in an episode of the hit Fox Network drama Bones in which he helped vegan Emily Deschanel shut down a dog fighting ring. Also, another NatGeo reality show, DogTown, produced a two-hour season premiere episode entitled “Saving the Michael Vick Dogs” that explored the violence behind dog fighting. However, as far as I can tell, The Dog Whisperer has not yet substantially addressed the dog fighting issue.

AS AN orange slick of oil washed onto Louisiana's sandy barrier islands, prized as a historic wildlife refuge, crews worked to lower a containment vessel over a leak 1500 metres below the Gulf of Mexico surface and US officials extended a temporary freeze on new offshore drilling nationwide.

Millions of litres of oil continued floating towards the Gulf Coast, but tonnes of an eminently renewable - and absorbent - resource are being shipped in to stop it: hair.

And pantyhose.

Desperate measures... a containment vessel is lowered over the leak. Photo: AP

At least 180,000 kilograms of human hair and animal fur (cat, dog, sheep, alpaca), donated from salons and groomers throughout the country, are heading to warehouses in the Gulf region. Volunteers plan to gather for ''Boom-B-Qs'' to learn how to fashion homemade booms stuffed with natural fibre.

Matter of Trust, a San Francisco environmental charity, says the ridged texture that helps hair sop up natural skin oils also make it effective at catching crude. The group first started collecting hair 10 years ago, using booms and mats made of hair to help deal with a series of small spills before a big push to clean up the devastating Cosco Busan tanker spill in San Francisco Bay in 2007.

Lisa Craig Gautier, a co-founder of Matter of Trust, said the group had increased its network of donors to 90,000, from 35,000 just days ago.

Hosiery companies are also donating leftover stockings. Salons and groomers are sending hair directly to 15 collection sites, including 1900 square metres of donated space in Fort Myers, Florida.

Amanda Richardson-Bacon, of Mobile Bay, Alabama, came up with the idea of boom-construction parties with another volunteer from Mississippi. She plans to train about 125 people, each of whom will host Boom-B-Qs. She said the process was simple: stuff hair into stockings using PVC pipe and a broom or toilet plunger. Remove pipe, tie at top.

''It looks like a giant hair sausage,'' she said. ''It's very nasty looking.''

Matter of Trust has not been able to co-ordinate with the official spill response team, so volunteers are putting out the booms themselves.

''We learned this with the hurricanes,'' Ms Richardson-Bacon said. ''You can't wait for the government or BP to come protect you.''

By Daily Mail Reporter

A vicar brought a couple's wedding rehearsal spluttering to a halt because he had to give the kiss of life - to his choking pet dog.

Animal lover Rev Ian Blay, 44, was helping the pair run through their vows when his wife ran down the aisle with their lifeless Cairn terrier Izzy in her arms.

As the newlyweds-to-be looked on in shock, Rev Blay pulled out a piece of cheddar cheese which had lodged in the dog's throat, then gave her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Kiss of life: Vicar Ian Blay with wife Suzanne and their pet dog Izzy. The Cairn terrier choked on a piece of cheese and needed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation

Eight-year-old Izzy then came round, rolled over and ran out of the church. She is now recovering at the vicarage at St Wilfred's church in Mobberley, near Knutsford, Cheshire.

Rev Blay's wife Suzanne, 43, said: 'Ian's intervention was incredible and saved Izzy's life. Bizarrely his kiss of life happened just as the couple were about to rehearse the bit where the groom has to kiss the bride.'

She added: 'I had been unpacking the shopping and Izzy has cheddar cheese as a little treat now and again.

'But she started choking, really, really badly and making noises and it was then when she just flopped on the floor.

'I slapped her, then panicked and ran out of the house. I was going to run to the farm next door but then I remembered he was in the church and I was so desperate and crying.

'Ian removed the cheese with his fingers, gave Izzy the kiss of life and the father of the bride gave chest compressions. Izzy then just rolled over and ran out of the church and started drinking some water back at the vicarage.

'I thought when I brought her into church Izzy she was dead, it was unbelievable at the time.

'When I first ran into the church everyone just stopped and turned round.

'Ian said when I first ran in he didn't believe she was dead but it was only when he saw how floppy she was he then started to realise something was wrong.

'It was a big relief and very emotional when she came back round again. When you look back at it, it is quite funny. To think she could have died from a piece of cheese though is terrible.

'I gave Izzy a big cuddle after. I definitely won't be feeding her any cheese in future.'

The newlyweds, solicitors Toby Wilbraham, 36 and Caroline McGoun, 35, tied the knot for real the following week.

Toby's mother Helen Wilbraham, said: 'My son had told her what had happened as they were fine-tuning their big day.

'As the rehearsal was taking place, the vicar's wife burst into the church carrying this limp dog and I have been told it looked like it was clearly dying.

'The vicar took the dog into the vestry and then scooped out a lump of cheese that was lodged in the throat. He then gave it the kiss of life and it was alive.

'Everybody who was there was just agog.'

Louie the dog Although the loss of a pet does not compare to that of a loved one or family member…it is a traumatic loss nonetheless. This week, I had to put down my beloved dog, Louie, who had been with me for the last 24 years. I know some people are re-reading that line but yes, I did say 24 years. It was a very painful decision, but in light of his failing health…it was the right one.

The story of how Louie came into my life is a good one. I was returning from an evening dinner with my mother in the summer of 1986 when I noticed something scurry through her backyard. True to form, my mother warned me not to follow it for fear it was some vicious and likely rabid animal. In reality, it was a feisty 14-pound Cairn Terrier who was lost and petrified. I brought him in and within moments, his ample personality came to light. He could barely contain himself as I dried him from the rain.

Adorable as he was though, I had no desire to own a dog. I checked him for tags, searched the newspaper’s lost and found, even called the animal rescue league but could find no owner. In the ensuing week, he had latched firmly onto my heart … and home he came.

Now, when you have a pet with you since you were in your twenties, the two of you will have been through a lot together. After Louie enjoyed the bachelor life with me during the 1980’s, it was clear that my mother needed a companion and he became her close friend for most of the 90’s until she passed in 1998. So, just weeks before my son was born, Louie came home to me yet again….that was over 12 years ago.

Over the years, anyone who knew Louie’s true age would invariably ask if I had contacted the Guinness Book of World Records…I never did. I did try at one point to trace his records back to my original vet but they had long since disposed of them. So I guess the truth will have to live with my friends and family, because they do remember that he was always around…through each phase of my life.

Now, I wouldn’t want people to think that Louie’s only notable attribute was his age…it actually was his amazing charisma and personality. I often joked that his name should have been Earnest …because of the way he earnestly drank in life each and every day.

Of the many lessons I learned from this crazy little dog, the one that sticks with me the most is the importance of living with passion. He wasn’t the biggest, the smartest or even the best looking…but he always lived with passion. From fast walks to the pursuit of snacks and virtually every other daily activity… he gave it 110 percent. At barely 15 pounds, he could yank a leash hard enough to pull a 200-pound person right along, often choking himself in the process…in fact, one of my friends used to refer to him as “the world’s smallest tow truck”

Yes, I’m sure to miss Louie for a long time to come but I have many memories to make me smile. Although he slowed considerably in the last few months, in my heart he will remain forever young.

Dog behind the 'Gucci Law' dies

Wainscott - The Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, Inc. (ARF) rescued 22 dogs from a Missouri Puppy Mill. This is the first of four rescues ARF has planned for this year. In collaboration with humane partners, Best Friends Animal Society and The Monmouth County SPCA, these dogs will be placed up for adoption instead of being euthanized.

Shelly Lynn Whelan gets probation for abusing 200 dogs, rabbits

Photo by monsieurmellow

​After a lengthy investigation near Rochester led to the removal of more than 200 dogs and rabbits from a farm property, the owner of the animals is getting a probationary slap on the wrist for the creature abuse.

Shelly Lynn Whelan, 38, pleaded guilty last month to one charge of gross misdemeanor overwork/mistreatment/torture of a dog and to a misdemeanor charge of overwork/mistreatment of another dog. She will be on probation for three years and not allowed to own any dogs during that time.

Investigators say Whelan was a dog breeder in Elgin when they searched her farm in May 2008. They found 80 dogs and puppies in cages and 125 rabbits. Police called it a "commercial puppy mill" where the animals were living in "deplorable sanitary and environmental conditions." All of the animals were removed from the property the next week.

This is the type of animal abuse that could be prevented by strong breeder laws in the state, says bill author Nancy Minion. Currently, there are no laws controlling animal breeding in "puppy mill" situations that lead to unhealthy and deadly conditions for the animals. Breeders are only regulated if they sell to pet stores, but are free to run their business independently without a license.

Minion's bill, currently in the House Agriculture and Veterans Affairs Committee, would regulate the industry and require breeders to be licensed. Their facilities would be inspected and deemed safe for breeding. The companion bill in the Senate was voted down earlier this month.

"These conditions are only discovered when someone reports a suspicion to authorities," Minion says. "We need more regulation of this so we know what's going on behind the locked doors at breeding facilities."

The Things They Carry With Them

They come to me scared and alone in the world.

I work hard to calm them, heal them, teach them,

That not all people are bad;

Only some.

But I have not seen what they have seen.

I do not know the things that they carry with them.

I’m sure I could not even imagine the things

That they have learned from people so far

In their lives. 

If they could tell me I probably wouldn’t believe

The unkindness my species is capable of.

I don’t really want to know.

But they tell me all the same.

In little ways they tell their stories to me.

And I hear.  I don’t want to know, but I come

To know by my own careless actions.

Like when I grab the broom to sweep the floor,

They cower and run as if the purpose of

That broom was not to sweep, but to swing.

And I cry over that story that they have shared

Without a single word, but it speaks volumes.

And when I want to wash the car in the presence

Of my little companions.

I pull the hose into the back yard to spray the dirt

From my tires and they scatter in all directions.

Only my dog of 3 years, raised with me since a pup

Stands ready to chase the stream of water.

He has only known fun and love from that hose.

They others, they tell me stories of being hosed

With the cold water as if it was a substitute for a bath.

Of living in their own filth, having that stream of

Water only occasionally to clean the stench from

Their homes and soaking them, unable to escape from

The blast of cold water even in the coldest of weather.

Or when I thoughtlessly use my feet to roll the ball to them.

They way they turn their faces away, or cower, waiting

For the blow in their ribs that certainly must be coming.

Sometimes they defiantly growl and show their teeth, hoping

To fend off the blow.

I want to rub their bellies with my stocking feet in the

Evening while I watch the news. 

Wouldn’t it be soothing and wonderful

To feel the soft hair under my arches?

They spring to their feet and quickly leave me,

Letting me sit there on the couch with tears

In my eyes and lead in my heart and with

The knowledge that feet are not for caresses,

But for punishment.  In their world.

I become so repulsed when that new puppy mill

Survivor finally relieves himself outside, where

I have been working for months to teach him to go,

And then turns and starts to eat it.

I am repulsed and disgusted not as much by the act,

But by the knowledge of the starvation he endured

at the hands of his captors.

At the knowledge that sometimes, it was the only

Thing that he had to eat all day, maybe longer.

And late at night, when we are all asleep together

In our warm bed.  A calmness descends over us.

A peace and quiet where we stretch out on

Our backs and languish in the safety and warmth.

Where little feet twitch with dreams of

Chasing squirrels and balls and sunlight.

Until the nightmares come and my little

Friend awakes with a start and snarls and snaps

And bites at the imaginary foe, panic in his

Eyes and fear controlling his actions.

I don’t know what he dreams, but I feel

His shaking body as he crawls closer to me,

Apologizing for his actions in his own way,

Knowing I was not the foe in the night,

Remembering the foe that still stalks his dreams.

Slowly his memory fades.

He seems more normal,

Almost normal

Almost perfect.

But both he and I know

The things he carries with him.

Because neither of us can forget.

2010

PETA, Alliance for Animals say university is illegally performing decompression tests on sheep

A “Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act” is in the November ballot, over the objections of dog breeders and trainers. Livestock interests, concerned that the Puppy Mill ballot initiative could spill over onto hog and cattle operations that also have been target by animal welfare groups, have formed a coalition called “Missourians For Animal Care.”

The animal care group is made up of livestock and related interest who hoped to head off ballot initiatives, similar to one passed in 2006 in California, that puts limits on hog, cattle and poultry confinement operations.

The group has sponsored a “Right To Raise Animals” initiative on the November ballot that would, in the words of the initiative’s short-form explanation, “affirms the rights of Missourians to raise animals in a humane manner.”

The explanation goes on to state that “no law criminalizing the raising of crops or the welfare of animals will be valid unless based on generally accepted scientific principals.”

Agriculture interests have found themselves fighting the Humane Society of the United States on issues involving production practices. The HSUS has become active in ballot initiatives.

In 2008 Ohio passed a state animal standards board to head off further ballot initiatives that might restrict livestock operations. Legislation to create a similar board is working its way through the Idaho legislature.

Missouri ranks below Iowa in both hog and cattle production. Missouri’s hog inventory is about 3 million animals versus Iowa’s 19.3 million, and its cattle herd totals about 275,000 animals versus Iowa’s 4 million.

It was only about 6 months ago that I began fostering Cairn Terriers.  First there was Romeo, who I believe was a shelter save and behaved like a well-adjusted dog who just needed a bit of boundaries.  Then there was Micky, who spent the first 11 months of his life living in a puppy mill, in a small wire cage outside.  Then came Rusty, who suffered the same fate but he was in the mill for nearly 5 years. 

I only have these three dogs to formulate theories from, but the two fosters who came from the puppy mill seem to have a disturbing trait that I think I can attribute to their mill existance.

Rusty came to me with extreme issues of aggression.  He had bit several times and just seemed to be "nuts" with aggression, even attacking himself. I watched him for weeks trying to identify the problem.  Was it mental, physical, environmental, behavorial?  One thing was certain, some of his most sudden and frightening outbursts came when he was sleeping.  That is right, he would be sound asleep and suddenly wake up and attack his blanket, anything near him, even his own hind-quarters.  It was voilent and scary and I felt bad for him. 

By spending much time and love with him, his episodes became less frequent and less violent, and now he is in a "forever home" and his aggression has lessened to the point where it is nearly gone, except for those bad dreams occassionally.  His adoptive family have accepted him and understand that this 5 year prisoner of the mill system will probablly never be "normal" but It makes me wonder about those "night terrors" that cause such a reaction.

This weekend, my current foster, Micky, had one of these same episodes.  I was laying on the couch with the dogs.  I had my foster, Micky, my dog, Bubble and I was watching a neighbor's dog for the weekend.  I was watching tv and the dogs were all sleeping when Micky, without warning, suddenly awoke and immediately attacked the sleeping Bubble who was just inches away.  It was sudden, violent and serious and I risked a bite pulling them apart (I got lucky).  Immediately after that, Micky was submissive, scared, apologetic and sat quietlly next to the confused Bubble asking for forgiveness.

I may never know what the dream was about, I may never be able to prove it was even a dream, but without a growl of warning, Micky turned from a sweet dog to a frightened and aggressive animal.  I can only hope that with time and patience, dicipline and exercise, Micky will become more confident, and these dreams will subside.

I would be interested to hear from any of my other foster-partners to see if anyone has any experience with this behavior.

-Colleen

FRIDAY, MARCH 19 - 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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Arlington Park Racecourse
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Arlington Heights, IL 60006

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