Updates on Puppy Mill Legislation

1. COLORADO.  On January 21, The puppy mill bill was officially introduced into the Colorado state legislature.  The bill limits the number of adult, unaltered dogs a breeder can maintain, mandates annual veterinary exams, and prohibits individuals convicted of animal cruelty of obtaining a breeder license. 

 

2. ILLINOIS.  On January 19, announcement of a Puppy Mill bill, sponsored by Fritchey and state Sen. Dan Kotowski (D-Mt. Prospect), was introduced into the Illinois state legislature. The Bill, called Chloe's Bill, was named after a young female dog that was rescued from a filthy, unlicensed puppy mill in Downstate Macon County.  The legislation, if passed in its proposed form, would:

• Create a Dog Breeder License Act, which would prevent breeders from having more than 20 unaltered (not neutered or not spayed) dogs.
• Prohibit people from obtaining a dog-breeding license if they have been convicted of a felony animal-cruelty crime, including dog fighting.
• Require dog breeders to keep dogs in buildings without wire flooring and with sufficient heating, cooling and ventilation.
• Require pet stores and breeders to provide potential pet buyers with the dog's full medical history, information of spaying and neutering and information about any prior medical care.
• Establish penalties starting with fines and escalating to having animals seized and breeding operations shut down.

3. INDIANA.  The puppy mill bill amendment passed the House committee vote yesterday and will be voted on in the full House next week.  For more details on this bill: 

http://www.in.gov/apps/lsa/session/billwatch/billinfo?year=2009&session=1&request=getBill&docno=1468&doctype=HB

 

The Summary of the Puppy Mill Amendment includes:

A.) Anyone who during a 12 month period maintains at least 10 adult female dogs that have not been spayed and are over four months of age (exempts shelters, rescues and animal control organizations).

B.) Standards of care (ventilation, sanitary conditions, illumination, temperature, exercise and cage size requirements; no wire flooring).

C.) Vet Care - Every animal must receive a physical exam from a licensed veterinarian every year and the breeder must maintain veterinary records on each animal.  Surgical procedures or euthanasia of
any animal may not be performed by anyone other than a licensed veterinarian.

D.) Pet Store Disclosure - Requires any pet store to post name, city and state of each pup's breeder as well as name, city and state of any broker.  Pet stores must maintain veterinary records on each animal and make them available to purchasers or prospective purchasers.

E.) Lemon Language - Requires breeder to provide another dog or full refund if dog is found to be sick within 21 days of purchase.  Or, if dog is found to have congenital problems within a year, the breeder must also reimburse the buyer for vet bills (not to exceed the purchase price of the dog).

F.) Cap Language - Maximum of 20 dogs that are (older than) one year and have not been altered at any address or location.

G.) Breeding limitation - dogs cannot be bred without annual certificate from vet, must be at least 18 months of age and less than eight years of age.  Female dogs shall only be allowed to whelp one litter per year.

H.) Animal Cruelty Convictions - Individuals convicted of animal cruelty under Indiana code may not operate a commercial breeding facility. Additionally, commercial breeders may not hire staff who have been convicted of animal cruelty.

I.) Registration with the State Board of Animal Health - yearly registration of anyone who fits the above definition of a puppy mill.  $50 yearly registration fee.  Class C infraction for not registering as a commercial breeder.

 

4. OHIO.  The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF) is preparing for a face-to-face meeting with HSUS President Wayne Pacelle, a meeting initiated by HSUS.  Ohio's constitution does allow for ballot initiatives and as many of you are aware, Ohio voters and taxpayers aren't bashful about putting initiatives on the ballot.  Since the passage of Proposition 2 in California, there has been a lot of speculation as to what state might be next, Ohio has been one of the states mentioned.  

 

For more information, view the article, "Ohio Farm Bureau to meet with HSUS" http://www.brownfieldnetwork.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=5CFF61D1-5056-B82A-D06E8C420A3FAD83

 

5. OKLAHOMA. The Oklahoma Pet Quality Assurance and Protection Act, H.B. 1332, passed the House committee vote (11-2) yesterday and will be voted on in the full House in the very near future. 

This proposed legislation would set regulations for dog and cat breeders, and authorize a state agency to inspect kennels and facilities that sell more than 25 animals a year.  The Pet Quality Assurance Enforcement Fund will be funded from fees, fines, etc. and will provide the necessary means to support enforcement. 

For more details concerning this legislation, read "OK House to Vote on Puppy Mill Bill" http://newsok.com/house-to-vote-on-puppy-mill-bill/article/3344976

6. PENNSYLVANIA.  With a vote of 192 for and 0 against, House Bill 39, amending Pennsylvania's Crimes Code for animal cruelty and introduced by Representative Tom Caltagirone (D-Berks), passed in this week's session.  The proposed legislation will impose criminal penalties for specific medical procedures if not performed by a licensed veterinarian including debarking, c-section births and tail docking.  The act of ear cropping by anyone other than a vet is already prohibited in Pennsylvania.

The legislation now heads for the Senate.
7. TENNESSEE.  State lawmakers are trying diligently to curb bad breeding operations by regulating breeders and creating an inspection process.   State Sen. Doug Jackson is proposing legislation that he hopes will put an end to what many call puppy mills.   The bill would require any breeder with more than 20 animals to pay a $500 licensing fee to the state.  If you have more than 40, it goes up to $1,000.  Commercial breeders would also be inspected yearly.

For more information, read "Senator Hopes Legislation Ends Puppy Mills"  http://www.wsmv.com/video/18661052/index.html

 8. WASHINGTON.   In the wake of the recent seizures of hundreds of sick or neglected dogs from alleged puppy mill operations in Skagit and Snohomish counties, state lawmakers are considering a bill that would regulate breeders who own a large number of dogs. A Senate committee on Monday discussed the bill, which would provide "humanitarian requirements for certain dog breeding practices" by limiting breeders to keeping a maximum of 25 dogs at any one location and also by setting strict guidelines for the housing and care of the animals.

For more details concerning this legislation, read "Lawmakers Consider Bill Targeting Puppy Mills  http://www.komonews.com/news/39342082.html

To read more about puppy mill legislation, check out http://www.columbustopdogs.com/

DA Stedman refuses to prosecute PA dog breeders who sent sick and injured dogs to auction in Ohio.

Two years after Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman failed to prosecute the puppy mill operators featured on Oprah, DA Stedman refuses to prosecute PA dog breeders who sent sick and injured dogs to auction in Ohio.

On October 7, of 2009, volunteers from Main Line Animal Rescue, along with agents from the PSPCA and a veterinarian, traveled to Holmes County, Ohio and purchased twelve dogs at the Farmerstown Sale Barn in Baltic - one of Ohio's more notorious Amish dog auctions. Three hundred and eighty-four breeding dogs from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, were sent to Ohio and placed on the block. MLAR and the PSPCA picked out twelve dogs showing clear signs of abuse, purchased them, then transported them back to the Pennsylvania where they were examined, photographed, and treated by numerous veterinarians and specialists. Six commercial dog breeders from Lancaster County were later charged with animal cruelty. Justice looked as though it would prevail until Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman, in a move that stunned animal welfare organizations and dog lovers throughout the Commonwealth, unexpectedly had all the charges dismissed. 

What the residents of Lancaster County need to know about their District Attorney's handling of the case - keeping in mind, Craig Stedman has failed to successfully prosecute one puppy mill operator in the two years he's been your district attorney.* 

1) Lancaster County DA Craig Stedman claimed he knew nothing of the investigation until he read about the case in the Philadelphia Inquirer on November 21, 2009. The truth is Craig Stedman was contacted by then PSPCA President Harrise Yaron six weeks earlier, days before the Ohio auction, to discuss the legality of what the PSPCA agents planned to do. He gave Mrs. Yaron the "thumbs up" to move forward. He knew what the PSPCA was doing every step of the investigation. 

2) Two days after the dogs were brought back from Ohio, Harrise Yaron, PSPCA Board member Jodi Goldberg, and PSPCA agents met with Craig Stedman and ADA Daniel Dye to discuss the cases. Stedman himself suggests the PSPCA file summary charges as opposed to misdemeanor charges, and says directly to Harrise Yaron: "Go ahead, but you'll have to use your own lawyer." Stedman claims he did not give permission for the PSPCA to prosecute the cases using their own attorney. This is perhaps the biggest lie Stedman has told so far - and he has told it repeatedly, in an attempt to protect some of the worst puppy mill operators in Lancaster County. 

3) Attorney Jeff Conrad representing the breeders in the case, calls these men and women the "cream of the crop." Kennel inspection (reports available online) tell a different story. Several of the breeders charged in the Ohio case have been warned by state inspectors for housing dogs exhibiting signs of poor health.

• Nathan Myer's April 2009 inspection report notes seven female dogs displaying signs of paw or leg injuries, as well as a Llasa with an eye injury and another dog who is unresponsive and lethargic. It is only after Myer is ordered by the state that he provides these dogs with veterinary care.

• John S. Fisher surrendered four dogs with questionable health to the Lancaster Humane League in 2007. In April of last year, Fisher was ordered by the state to have a Boston Terrier in his kennel seen by a vet.  According to the report, the dog had been involved in a fight with another dog and was limping with lacerations on her front leg.  The dog had been injured days before, but was treated only after Fisher was required to do so by the state.

• James Zimmerman's July inspection mentions a black Cocker Spaniel appearing to have an untreated cherry eye in its left eye. Oddly enough, one of the dogs purchased by the PSPCA at the Ohio auction three months later was a black Cocker Spaniel with an untreated cherry eye in its left eye from Zimmerman's kennels. If this is the same dog, then did state inspector Travis Hess fail to follow-up with Zimmerman after ordering him to have the dog seen by a vet within seventy-two hours back in July? Did the dog continue to suffer for another three months until finally being sent to auction in Ohio? Was the vet who signed off on the dog in July, the same vet who signed the dog's health certificate for the auction in Ohio?

Why was DA Craig Stedman so quick to drop the charges against breeders with well documented histories of mistreating or neglecting their dogs? If some of these people mistreated their dogs in the past, wouldn't this information strengthen the cases against several of the breeders charged? 

4) Craig Stedman claims there wasn't enough evidence to support the charges, and yet in an email to PSPCA President Harrise Yaron he writes that he offered to provide PSPCA agents with warrants based on the evidence provided by the PSPCA and Main Line Animal Rescue. If the evidence was sufficient for a warrant to enter private properties and the breeders' kennels, then why wasn't it strong enough to prosecute them for animal cruelty? This hardly makes sense, Mr. Stedman. 

5) The PSPCA asked former Chester County prosecutor and Supreme Court Justice William H. Lamb to prosecute the six breeders. When Craig Stedman found out that a former Supreme Court Justice was prosecuting the cases, MLAR believes that Stedman must have realized that he would not be able to control the outcome of the cases, and that the breeders would not be protected as they were in the past. Stedman sent letters to all the District Magistrates informing them that he had not given the PSPCA permission to prosecute the cases - which was not true, of course. 

6) DA Craig Stedman dismissed the charges against the breeders without ever interviewing or speaking to any of our witnesses, the veterinary specialists who treated the dogs, or the MLAR volunteers who purchased dogs at the auction. Numerous phone calls were not returned; messages were left unanswered. One of the vets who treated the dogs and offered to testify is a leading canine dental specialist from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Paul Orsini described one poor dog's teeth as being broken off - multiple fractures with an infection spreading to the dog's facial bones. Another dog's teeth were so rotted, they were hollow. Food and water accumulating in its nasal cavity. 

7) Both DA Stedman and the attorney for the breeders, "Jeff" Conrad (who are friends and worked together when Conrad worked for the same District Attorney's office), claim that there was little proof linking the dogs purchased at the auction with the breeders charged in the cases. Not true. Each of the twelve dogs brought back from Ohio had a tag around his or her neck. The number identified their Lancaster County breeder in the auction catalogue. MLAR and the PSPCA were also provided with the dogs' registration paperwork and/or interstate transport documentation identifying their respective breeders in Lancaster County. 

8) Any concerns about the chain of evidence are also unfounded. Because MLAR used a private plane, several of the dogs arrived at the PSPCA in Philadelphia two hours after leaving the auction in Baltic, Ohio. The other dogs were driven back to the PSPCA - their agents driving straight through the night.

Middletown NJ home raided by SPCA

SPCA descends on in-home puppy mill

80 dogs rescued from Middletown "nightmare"

By JIM McCONVILLE
KEYPORT BUREAU

A woman was using her home to breed and sell dogs, some of them sick, an official from the Monmouth County SPCA said Thursday after rescuing 80 dogs from the canine-packed house.

Basset hounds, a blue-nose pit bull terrier, a handful of Dachshunds, and mainly Chihuahuas were among the 80 dogs being carted away from 27 7th St., here, which was littered with dog feces and urine, said Victor "Buddy" Amato, chief law enforcement officer for Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The homeowner, Marlene Sandford, 56, was charged with 85 counts of animal cruelty, with each count liable to a $1,000 fine, Amato said.

However, since Sandford willingly signed over the dogs to the SPCA, Amato said she might receive more leniency in court.

"We uncovered a nightmare inside," said Amato, who was alerted to the home after getting a report of a sick-looking dog at about 1 p.m. Thursday afternoon.

Sandford, who was at the house at the time, declined to comment.

Amato said a resident who lives on the same street complained that they had purchased a dog from Sandford that then turned out to be sick.

When police and SPCA workers arrived they found a house littered with dog feces and permeated with the stench of urine.

"You couldn't even stand in there and breathe for five minutes," Amato said. "One area was completely infested with dogs. There was no water; the bowls that we did see were infested with feces."

Amato said within the two-story light gray house, the rooms were literally teeming with dogs, including three female Chihuahuas who had recent litters of puppies.

SPCA officers uncovered dogs in small locations such as closets throughout the house.

"We found one dog in the stove," Amato said.

In the pouring afternoon rain, Amato, with the help of township animal control officers, loaded the dogs into cages in four vans to be transported to SPCA headquarters in Eatontown where they would be processed, including an examination by a staff veterinarian, and then put up for adoption, Amato said.

Amato said Sandford was essentially using her home to breed and sell dogs.

What they found, said Amato, was an in-home puppy mill.

"She is running a business out of this house," Amato said. "She is basically using her home to sell dogs."

Amato said the dog Sandford sold to a neighbor for approximately $600 was infected with Giardia, a highly contagious disease where a parasite infects the dog's intestine.

Several other dogs appeared to have "red eye" or "cherry eyes," an eye infection.

"She was selling sick dogs to local residents," Amato said.

PA Puppy Mill Shut Down For Good!!!!

The Almost Heaven puppy mill located in Lehigh County, PA was raided today by The Humane Society of the United States and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (The Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement) who removed nearly 300 dogs.

This raid shuts down this place for good.

Here is a link about a previous raid on this same puppy mill:
http://www.care2.com/news/member/325453706/896871

Hopefully, more of the Almost Hell puppy mills in PA and elsewhere will soon be shut down for good too.

But the best way to put an end to puppy mills is to STOP buying puppy mill puppies which are sold in pet stores and over the internet. Remember - reputable breeders DO NOT sell their puppies to middle-men, internet brokers and pet stores.

Booth's Corner Pets Supports PUPPY MILLS Please Read!!

These cute and overpriced puppies come from Lancaster County, PA PUPPY MILLS.

Some of them will become sick and die before they are a year old or cost their owners hundreds or thousands in vet bills. Even though they are sold with a "one year health guarantee" does not mean that Booth’s Corner Pets will reimburse for medical bills. They will only give you another puppy. Maybe. Sort of like a muffler shop guarantee. Lots of fine print.

But the mentality behind replacing a puppy with another one only reinforces the idea that dogs and puppies are disposable.

These puppies come with "papers" from bogus organizations called CKC (Continental Kennel Club) and ACA (American Canine Association) that exist only to manipulate the average uneducated and impulsive puppy-buyer who knows that "purebred" dogs come with papers from “something with three letters (AKC).”

The dogs and puppies of legitimate and responsible breeders are registered with the AKC and only the AKC. ACA and CKC are nothing more than worthless registrars for puppy mill dogs and backyard breeders.

If you buy a puppy from Booth’s Corner Pets or any other pet store you are supporting extreme animal cruelty, torture and the slow & painful death of the parents of these puppies.

Responsible breeders DO NOT sell or consign their puppies to pet stores nor do they sell them through brokers or online puppy sites.

Responsible breeders care a great deal about where their puppies go and many will also offer to take back the puppy at any time if the owner is no longer able to care for it.

Responsible breeders are often involved in their breed rescue organization and can direct you to older puppies or adult dogs that are available for adoption if you want a certain breed but not necessarily a young puppy.

Responsible breeders will often require those who purchase puppies to sign agreements that they will have the puppy spayed or neutered within the first year.

Responsible breeders usually breed one or maybe two breeds of dogs and they do it for the love of the breed.

A breeder that claims to get you anything you want or breeds everything and anything that's in demand: Yorkies, Poodles, Yorki-Poos, Shih Tzu, Shih-Poos, Lhasa Apsos, Maltese, Bichons, Chihuahuas, Chi-Chons, Pekingese, Golden Retrievers, Pugs, Beagles, Puggles, etc. are in it for THE MONEY and only THE MONEY.

Responsible breeders consider their adult dogs to be part of their families.

For links to responsible breeders, go to the AKC website.

The AKC is not perfect and I’ve never been a big fan (though I love watching the big dog shows on TV). But in response to the increasing awareness about Puppy Mills and also to receiving their own criticism, the AKC now inspects any breeder who tries to register a high number of litters a year – usually more than seven is a red flag.

Largest Puppy Mill Raid in PA History

Almost Heaven Kennel was busted last night. Again.

A matted poodle (?) in PA SPCA triage tent

More like Almost Hell.

Investigators found 65 dead animals in freezers and seized 125 sick dogs.

A Shih Tzu going to triage tent

There were approximately 800 animals on the property including this caged monkey.

The SPCA says Derbe Eckhart, kennel owner, admits to hundreds of charges of animal cruelty.

He has over 20 years of charges and convictions of animal abuse & neglect and received a lifetime ban from the AKC. The following is from PetAbuse.com

Oct 1, 2008
Alleged: Puppy mill - 800 animals, 125 seized

Jul 19, 2006
Not Charged: Housing exotic animals

Aug 2004
Civil Case: Dog breeders given lifetime ban by AKC

Apr 1999
Not Charged: AKC suspended breeder using alias to register dogs

Jun 1991
Convicted: Convicted abuser operating unlicensed kennels

May 1991
Convicted: Convicted abuser operating unlicensed kennel

Apr 1990
Convicted: 10 puppies die from lack of sustenance

Jun 1989
Convicted: Convicted abuser suspended from AKC until 2019

Aug 1988
Convicted: 45 dogs, 3 cats starved, removed from home
Sentence: Fined $100 each for 32 citations for cruelty to animals; sentenced to 2 to 10 months in Carbon County Prison for allowing unsanitary conditions at the kennel.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives pass TWO Puppy Mill bills

By SUSAN E. LINDT, Staff

Animal advocates were elated Wednesday as word came that the state House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed House Bills 2525 and 2532, which are designed to improve the lives of breeder dogs living in the state's commercial breeding kennels.

The House voted 181-17 in favor of H.B. 2525, which would double the required minimum floor space for kennels, require annual vet checks for all kennel dogs, ban wire floors in kennels of adult dogs, require that dogs have access to outdoor exercise areas twice the size of their kennel enclosures and eliminate cage stacking.

The House unanimously voted in favor of companion legislation, H.B. 2532, which would allow only veterinarians to perform surgical procedures on dogs, including cesarean birth, tail docking for dogs over 3 days old and debarking, which destroys a dog's vocal cords to prevent barking. It also allows Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement wardens to enforce animal-cruelty statutes in counties where there are no humane-society officers.

Both bills now head to the state Senate, where they are expected to be dealt with next week.
Only one local legislator, Republican Rep. Gordon Denlinger, voted against H.B. 2525. After Wednesday's vote, Denlinger said he believed a slew of amendments to the bill that were defeated Monday would have improved it, but Gov. Ed Rendell's very vocal support skewed the process.

"I support some elements of the bill, but the opportunity to correct a few points was totally ignored by the other side," Denlinger said. "It's a tragedy when the legislative process is taken over by the governor. When that happens, we haven't totally heard from all the stakeholders, we haven't weighed all the elements of the bill. We're just playing to somebody's agenda. That was very apparent as the bill was moving through the House floor."

Specifically, Denlinger said he opposed elements of H.B. 2525 that would require kennel owners to dramatically reconfigure kennels, such as doubling cage sizes and replacing wire floors with solid flooring.

"In some cases, some of these (kennels) are very modern facilities that may be only a year old, and now they'll have to be torn down and reconfigured because of the narrow definition of the bill," Denlinger said. "Some (kennel owners) are good, upright breeders, and this is going to force them out of business, and I don't think that's appropriate. Everyone wants to see bad operators shut down, but with this bill, we're penalizing good breeders. That's a major concern."

Others who lobbied for the legislation for more than two years considered the solid House vote a good sign for the upcoming Senate vote.

"I'm delighted these bills passed the House, and I'm hopeful they'll pass the Senate," said Jessie L. Smith, the state's special deputy secretary for dog-law enforcement. "We got so many groups onboard with this legislation that most legislators felt their constituents want this. We didn't even think (the House) would get to H.B. 2532, but again, there was a consensus on that bill."

Rendell, who made sweeping changes to the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement over the past two years to rid the state of its reputation as "puppy mill capital of the east," praised legislators for not allowing amendments "filed on behalf of special-interest groups" to weaken the bill's intent.
"The House has delivered a strong legislation that reflects not only the needs of dogs, but the will of the public in improving the minimum standards in the worst of Pennsylvania's kennels," Rendell said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon. "I believe the bills that came out of the House reflect the needs of reputable kennel owners while raising the bar for those who are concerned only with the value, and not the welfare, of the dogs they breed."

With just a handful of voting days left in this session, Joan Brown, CEO of the Humane League of Lancaster County, said she's cautiously optimistic the bills will pass.

"It's a great day for all Pennsylvania and especially Lancaster County," Brown said, referring to the county's high number of commercial breeding kennels. "We are now holding our breath and crossing our fingers for the Senate to pass it quickly so we can implement humane changes for dogs in these kennels."

H.B. 2525 gained momentum in August, when the Bureau announced that two Berks County breeders had shot and killed their 80 otherwise healthy dogs after inspectors ordered 39 of them to be checked by veterinarians for flea bites.

Many in the public expressed shock that current state law allows dog owners to shoot and kill their own dogs. The widespread publicity about the killings boosted interest in H.B. 2525, which would allow only veterinarians to euthanize dogs.

Meanwhile, Denlinger said he hopes H.B. 2525 is altered by amendment in the Senate, in which case, the amended version would return to the House for another vote.
Related Topics

Statement from PA Dept. of Ag. on the murder of 80 dogs

HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff released the following statement in response to the shooting of 80 dogs at two Berks County kennels:

"The recent shooting of 80 dogs at two Berks County kennels is saddening. The decision by commercial breeders to kill healthy dogs instead of paying to repair a kennel and seek veterinary care is alarming, and will likely outrage many people. Unfortunately, the killing of the dogs was legal under current Pennsylvania law.

"The two kennels involved have both voluntarily closed, but until our state's outdated dog law is changed kennel owners may continue to kill their dogs for any reason they see fit, even if it is simply to save money. We can't afford to wait any longer to pass legislation that would ban commercial kennel owners from killing their dogs.

"House Bill 2525, introduced in May, would allow only veterinarians to euthanize dogs in commercial breeding kennels. The bill would strengthen current dog laws and provide better standards for the health and safety of dogs in commercial breeding kennels without burdening other types of kennels that house dogs. The legislature has an opportunity to pass this important legislation this fall, and they should -- as doing so will assure that this activity will be illegal in PA commercial breeding kennels moving forward."

Rather than seek medical attention for dogs suffering from fleas and fly sores, kennel owners Ammon and Elmer Zimmerman of Kutztown shot all 80 of their dogs to save costs. The Zimmermans, owners of A&J Kennel and E&A Kennel, voluntarily surrendered their licenses on July 29 after killing the dogs.

Dog wardens inspected E&A Kennel on July 24, noting several violations for kennel sanitation and maintenance. Wardens also noted fleas and fly sores on 39 of the dogs and ordered veterinary checks. Wardens issued four citations for violations and planned to confirm the veterinary checks during a follow-up inspection. The wardens were notified on July 29 that the owners of both kennels chose to destroy the dogs and dismantle the kennels.
News Articles:
Maxatawny Township kennel owners kill 80 dogs rather than seek treatment:
http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=102118

Thoughts on Paws: Maxatawny's Zimmerman brothers should be shot for killing dogs
http://readingeagle.com/blog.aspx?bid=17&id=17135&a...

PETITION: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/pa-kennel-owner-shoots...

INFORMATION on the House Bill 2525:
http://www.doglawaction.com/

PA Puppy Mill Owners Shoot & Kill 80 Dogs

Two eastern Pennsylvania kennel operators shot 80 dogs after wardens ordered some of the animals examined by veterinarians, dog law enforcement officials said Tuesday.

Elmer Zimmerman, of Kutztown, shot 70 dogs after a July 24 inspection, officials of the state Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement said. His brother, Ammon Zimmerman, operator of a kennel next door, shot 10 dogs, officials said.

Wardens had ordered 39 dogs checked for flea and fly bites. They also issued citations for extreme heat, insufficient bedding and floors dogs' feet could fall through.

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

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

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

State law allows owners to put dogs down by shooting them, though Gov. Ed Rendell is trying to change that. He backs legislation pending in the state Legislature that would only allow veterinarians to euthanize dogs in commercial kennels.

"It's horrible, but it's legal," Jessie Smith, special deputy secretary of the dog-law bureau, said of the shootings.

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

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

The breeders could have turned the dogs over to rescue groups, said Howard Nelson, chief executive officer of the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

"Every humane society in the state would have taken those dogs," Nelson said.

The two men surrendered their kennel licenses. Elmer Zimmerman pleaded guilty to four charges of violating the dog law, Smith said.

SE PA Puppy Mills Exposed on Oprah

Oprah responds to billboard request by local animal welfare advocate to do a show about Pennsylvania puppy mills.

"I would never, ever adopt another pet now without going to a shelter to do it," Winfrey said in a statement released yesterday. "I am a changed woman after seeing this show."

Click on above link to read today's story in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Friday, April 4th, 2008

4:00 p.m. EST

(show repeated at 1:05 am EST)

Booth's corner farmers market