>From: "Libby" <libby4dogs adelphia.net>
>To: <TRUCK-N-PAWS@yahoogroups.com>,"Jean
Jones" <embereabearthlink.net>
>Subject: [TRUCK-N-PAWS] Important article about puppy
mills in PA
>Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2006 14:43:06 -0400
>
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>Rendell pledges to amend dog laws
>
>He has formed a panel to come up with recommendations
>
>to end the state
>
>
>
> Mar 26, 2006
>
>
>
>By Amy Worden INQUIRER HARRISBURG BUREAU
>
>
>
>For almost 25 years, hundreds of large, commercial dog
breeders have
>thrived
>
>in Pennsylvania, producing tens of thousands of puppies
each year -
>
>sometimes in filthy, crowded conditions.
>
>
>
>Enactment of state laws and promises by past government
officials to
>correct
>
>such problems have failed to slow the growth of these
controversial
>
>operations, also called " puppy mills " by a
growing number of individuals
>
>and groups speaking out against them.
>
>
>
>Now, Gov. Rendell is pledging to find a way to end the
state's reputation
>as
>
>the puppy - mill capital of the East.
>
>
>
>"I am not satisfied that we, as a state, are doing
all that we can," he
>
>said.
>
>
>
>In an interview Thursday, Rendell said he also has begun
to make
>
>administrative changes that might include "a
shake-up" of the state Bureau
>
>of Dog Law Enforcement, and will push for legislation to
improve
>
>animal-welfare laws.
>
>
>
>Rendell said he would dismiss the 14-member Dog Law
Advisory Board, which
>
>advises the secretary of agriculture on dog issues,
because it has not been
>
>"proactive enough. "
>
>
>
>He is the first governor since the advent of the
commercial dog-breeding
>
>industry in the state to take such a personal interest
in the issue,
>
>according to Dotsie Keith, the legislative chair of the
Pennsylvania
>
>Federation of Dog Clubs.
>
>
>
>Earlier this year, Rendell formed a working group to
address the issue. The
>
>panel will issue a report on its findings and, in the
meantime, has made
>
>recommendations that Rendell is considering, including
one that would give
>
>dog wardens the authority to follow up in cases where
kennel licenses have
>
>been revoked by the state.
>
>
>
>Rendell said such a provision would have likely stopped
Michael Wolf, a
>
>Chester County kennel owner whose license was revoked in
2004 but who
>
>continued to operate until last month, when the county
SPCA seized his 337
>
>dogs, of which many were sick.
>
>
>
>"People say we lay down on kennels, but here they
did the right thing, and
>
>the guy goes back in business, and we never know about
it," Rendell said.
>
>"Once we close a kennel, we should go back and do
spot checks."
>
>
>
>*
>
>
>
>The state Department of Agriculture issued operating
licenses to 2,446
>
>kennels in 2004. These include boarding, breeding and
research facilities
>
>that have 26 to 500 dogs.
>
>
>
>It's impossible to say how many substandard puppy mills
there are in the
>
>state, but Bob Baker, an ASPCA consultant and a member
of Rendell's
>
>committee, said he considered the 438 licensed
commercial breeders who keep
>
>more than 100 dogs to be puppy mills .
>
>
>
>"The size and the fact they have multiple breeds
of dogs are good
>
>indications," he said.
>
>
>
>Baker, a former chief investigator for the Humane
Society of the United
>
>States, said he believed there were many more unlicensed
operators.
>
>
>
>Although the puppy - mill problem is not unique to
Pennsylvania, several
>
>national groups, including the ASPCA, the Humane Society
of the United
>
>States, and Last Chance for Animals, have made
eradicating puppy mills here
>
>a priority.
>
>
>
>"It's one of the states we hear about most
often," said Stephanie Shain,
>who
>
>runs the anti- puppy - mill campaign for the Humane
Society of the United
>
>States. "We need better laws, better enforcement,
and a more educated
>
>public. "
>
>
>
>The large-scale commercial dog-breeding business was
introduced in
>
>Pennsylvania more than 20 years ago when Amish farmers
in Lancaster County
>
>began to raise dogs.
>
>
>
>Today, Lancaster County, with 243 kennels housing close
to 27,000 dogs, is
>
>the epicenter of puppy production in the state, serving
pet stores in the
>
>Northeast, Internet customers, and drive-in purchasers.
>
>
>
>In the last year, animal-welfare groups have targeted
the county to
>persuade
>
>people looking for a dog to adopt or purchase one
elsewhere.
>
>
>
>"I cannot believe, in this day and age, that we
cannot do better for our
>
>companions," said Josette Aramini, a member of the
Lancaster group United
>
>Against Puppy Mills .
>
>
>
>Part of the trouble, advocates say, is that the two most
comprehensive laws
>
>addressing the welfare of companion animals are enforced
by different
>
>governmental entities that lack uniform powers.
>
>
>
>The state law requiring that animals be kept in clean
facilities is
>enforced
>
>by 53 dog wardens in the Department of Agriculture's
Bureau of Dog Law
>
>Enforcement. They have the power to enter private
property.
>
>
>
>The state's animal-cruelty statute, by contrast, is
enforced by county SPCA
>
>humane officers, who might not be able to enter private
property without a
>
>warrant.
>
>
>
>A third entity, the Attorney General's Office, enforces
the "puppy lemon
>
>law," which requires a dog seller who knowingly
sells a sick animal to
>
>refund the price to the customer.
>
>
>
>But advocates say the laws, combined with a lack of
enforcement, have
>
>allowed the puppy - mill industry, with its inbreeding
and disease-plagued
>
>animals, to continue.
>
>
>
>Baker, who helped write Pennsylvania's 1982 dog law,
said that if the
>
>existing statute were adequately enforced, there would
be "an 80 percent
>
>improvement" in kennel operations.
>
>
>
>Officials with the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, which
counts dog breeders as
>
>among its members, say they believe that the regulations
are consistent
>with
>
>U.S. Department of Agriculture requirements.
>
>
>
>"We feel the requirements are pretty strong and
pretty reasonable," said
>
>John Bell, a government-affairs representative.
>
>
>
>Rendell would not go as far as to say the laws were not
being enforced, but
>
>admitted that dog wardens were "not doing
effective jobs using the
>
>regulations that we have. "
>
>
>
>He said individual dog wardens who take cases to court
are often
>"outgunned"
>
>by legal teams representing breeders and can face
uninterested district
>
>justices.
>
>
>
>For the governor, the issue of animal abuse is personal.
>
>
>
>Rendell - who has been known to slip treats from the
table to his two
>golden
>
>retrievers - said he wanted to change the way agency
officials, justices
>and
>
>lawmakers view companion animals.
>
>
>
>He called the humane treatment of animals a
"moral-values" issue that many
>
>people care deeply about. Until something changes,
Rendell said, the state
>
>"is getting a black eye across the country.
"
>
>
>
>Contact staff writer Amy Worden at 717-783-2584 or
awordenphillynews.com.
>
>
>
>Recommendations of Dog Task Force
>
>
>
>Gov. Rendell's task force on dog abuses is made up of
representatives from
>
>the Attorney General's Office and the ASPCA, and a
veterinarian and
>
>citizens. Recommendations it has made to Rendell
include:
>
>
>
>Bringing in the state inspector general to investigate
the most egregious
>
>violations of the dog law.
>
>
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>Hiring a special prosecutor to oversee major animal
abuse and neglect
>cases.
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>http://www.trucknpaws.com/
>
>
>
>http://www.puppymillre
scue.com
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