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We hear the cries all the time, “We need more government regulation. More laws! More oversight!”, when in fact what we should be crying is, “Enforce the EXISTING laws!”
Really people, do we need any more laws on the books? Take the enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). According to a recent posting on the ASPCA site, “Earlier this week, the Office of the Inspector General released a report detailing the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) lax and ineffective enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) against licensed large-scale dog breeders and brokers known as puppy mills. As part of the investigation, auditors visited 81 facilities and reviewed records documenting 28,443 violations over a two-year period. http://www.aspca.org/news/national/05-28-10.html#1
These puppy mill puppies were all living in the same cage
Despite regular inspections, inhumane conditions continued. It was found at an Oklahoma mill, that even though 5 dogs were found dead and other dogs were becoming cannibals due to suffering from starvation, no action was taken by investigators. Twenty-two other dogs died as a result of their non-action.
The ASPCA continues their nationwide investigations. They also support the enactment of a citizens-sponsored legislation, Missouri Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act (http://www.aspca.org/blog/landmark-mo-puppy-mill.html). The legislation has its merits as it calls for substantially improving the lives of dogs by requiring large-scale breeding operations to provide sufficient food and clean water, necessary veterinary care, adequate housing, space and exercise. The Animal Welfare Act does not really address those issues. It deals more with licensing of large scale dealer (breeders), pet stores, exhibitors and the like it does not require smaller breeders (those that don’t earn a substantial income from the breeding of animals) to be licensed. It also does not deal with the conditions under which these animals should live (though it does state that they should be treated humanely, but that is an open door for interpretation). The Missouri Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act addresses that problem.
Had the original law been written correctly and with deeper foresight and thought, the Missouri Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act would not been needed. Would it have been so hard to include in the AWA exactly “what” is considered humane conditions (or what inhumane conditions are?) All that would be needed is enforcement of the existing law. Why is it that our legislators cannot do it right the first time? Are they so caught up in their legalese that they can’t see the forest for the trees?
I have been in love with “Peanuts” ever since Charles Schultz published Happiness is a Warm Puppy. Snoopy and Lucy had such a great love/hate relationship. In my opinion she was a secret dog-lover and Snoopy knew that. Schultz was great in showing how comedic a dog can be when trying to get a non-dog person to become a convert. In this clip, Snoopy diffuses the situation as only a dog can . . .
My dogs are micro-chipped and yours should be too.
Micro-chip photo by Don Farrall/Getty Images
Millions of dogs are lost each year and sadly, few are reunited with their owners. Sure Fido wears a collar with his tags, but what will you do if he not only gets lost, but also loses that collar and tags?
A micro-chip is no larger than a grain of rice. It is implanted between your dog’s shoulder blades with a needle and syringe. This process is no different than your dog getting a vaccination. A hand-held device is used to detect the chip. And it is this activated chip than can mean the difference between life and death for your dog.
Micro-chips are designed to last the life of your dog and don’t need to be replaced. On occasion, they have migrated from the shoulder blade area to another part of the body (and this is why when the dog is scanned, he should have his entire body scanned). However, not all scanners/chips are universal and therefore, some scanners might not be able to identify your dog.
It is wise to note too that some animal shelters still do not have access to scanners either. That being said, you’re best bet for recovery of your lost dog is twofold; make sure your dog is wearing his collar at all times and micro-chip him.
Denise Shephard, a resident of Michigan, found out the value of micro-chipping her dog, Frankie, a 3 1/2 year old Boston Bull Terrier. Frankie ran away from their home near Battle Creek, Michigan in January, 2010. She thought she had lost Frankie forever. But, four months later, she received a phone call from the Wheeling Animal Hospital and Pet Resort that Frankie had been found (197 miles away from his home!).
The Boston Bull Terrier had been found in the parking lot of an apartment complex and he did not have a collar around his neck. The Wheeling resident who found Frankie was told by Wheeling Police to take him to a local animal hospital where the village has an agreement with the hospital to take in lost or abandoned pets. Lucky for Frankie and his owner, he was micro-chipped. The serial number of that chip helped locate his family.
Let Frankie and his travels be a lesson to you. Practice two-fold identification of your dog; have him wear not only a collar and current tags, but also get him micro-chipped. If he ends up in a shelter, your chances are more than doubled he’ll be returned home and not face what could be a sad ending.
BANGOR, Maine — Two dogs that belonged to actor John Travolta and his family were accidentally struck and killed on the tarmac early last Thursday morning by an employee at Bangor International Airport, according to city officials.
An e-mail sent late last week by Bangor Interim City Manager Bob Farrar to the nine city councilors, which was obtained by the Bangor Daily News, confirmed the accident.
Asked to verify the details contained in that e-mail, the city released this statement:
“At approximately 1 a.m. on Thursday, May 13, 2010, an airplane carrying members of the John Travolta family landed at BIA. While there, two small dogs were taken for a walk by someone who is not a family member. An airport service pickup truck was approaching the airplane to service the airplane and did not see the dogs. Unfortunately, the dogs were struck and killed. The airport is investigating the accident. Out of respect for the family’s privacy the city will make no further comment.”
Airport Director Rebecca Hupp said normally it’s the airport’s policy not to comment on the identity of any passengers that come through Bangor, which is why, she said, she didn’t release a statement immediately after the accident happened.
“The airport takes safety very seriously,” Hupp said Monday afternoon. “Many flights come and go without incidents. Clearly, this is an unfortunate accident. Our deepest sympathies are with the family.”
It’s unclear whether any charges would be filed against the employee, who has not been named. Hupp also didn’t know whether the dogs were on leashes or not or what breed of dogs they were. The assistant who was walking the dogs was unharmed. The plane landed and was serviced at the main domestic terminal section of BIA.
Bangor police Lt. Steve Hunt confirmed Monday that officers responded to an incident at the airport that morning, but he declined to provide any details.
Paul Bloch, a publicist for Travolta, said Monday that he was unaware of the incident, but that he would look into it.
Travolta, 56, and his wife, actress Kelly Preston, 47, own a home on Islesboro off the coast of Waldo County, and the family likely was headed there after landing at Bangor. It wasn’t clear how many people were traveling with Travolta or if the actor, who is an accomplished pilot, was flying the plane.
In January 2009, the Travolta’s 16-year-old son, Jett, died after suffering a seizure while vacationing with family in the Bahamas. Travolta and Preston have one other child.
A longtime fixture in Hollywood dating back to the late 1970s with movies like “Grease,” “Saturday Night Fever” and “Urban Cowboy,” Travolta is still acting and was seen most recently in “Old Dogs” alongside Robin Williams.
H.R. 4733—Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act
Sponsors: Rep. Diane Watson (D-CA) and Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-CA) ASPCA Position: Support Action Needed: Please email your U.S. representative and urge him or her to support the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act.
Recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Diane Watson and Rep. Elton Gallegly, the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act (H.R. 4733) is a federal bill that would require the U.S. Government to purchase animal products only from entities that do not keep animals in gestation crates, veal crates or battery cages. Since almost all major packers and distributors do business with the federal government, this legislation would have a significant impact and dramatically improve animals’ living conditions in many farms across the nation.
In order to sell to the federal government, producers would be required to meet minimum humane standards (they would have two years from the date of the Act’s enactment to do so). Their animals would have to be provided with adequate space to stand up, lie down and turn around freely without any impediments, including tethers, and without touching the sides of their enclosures. Animals must also be able to fully extend all limbs without touching the sides of their enclosures—and in the case of egg-laying hens, fully spread both wings without touching the side of an enclosure or another hen.
In a tradition started by none other than the Postal Service, this week (May 16 to 22) marks National Dog Bite Prevention Week. The public service campaign was initiated to call attention to one of the nation’s most commonly reported public health problems – dog bites – and offers safety tips, emphasizing the need for increased pet owner responsibility in the prevention of dog bites.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs each year. Of those, one in five results in injuries that require medical attention. In the latest annual data available, more than 31,000 people underwent reconstructive surgery as a result of being bitten by dogs.
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AMVA), the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) report that small children, the elderly, and Postal Service carriers — in that order — are the most frequent victims of dog bites. It is also stated that the number of dog bites exceeds the reported instances of measles, whooping cough and mumps, combined. Dog bite victims account for up to five percent of emergency room visits.
Remember NuNu, the demonic Chihuahua who tried to bite anyone who came near her from the very first episode of Dog Whisperer? “NuNu’s tale proves Cesar’s belief that a calm assertive pack leader can create transformation, even with a little dog that no one thought could ever change,” said Executive Producer Jim Milio, in remembrance of NuNu.
This week, as we raise awareness about the prevalence of dog bites in this country, we also highlight the human’s responsibility in preventing them and remind ourselves of the importance of maintaining calm, assertive pack leadership.
It took a while, but Justice the stray finally received justice from the law. After 7 hours of deliberation the first day and a mere 30 minutes the second day of deliberations, Elvin Dooley was convicted and found guilty of animal cruelty for the shooting of Justice. The jury, consisting of 7 men and 5 women, did not find Dooley guilty of the more severe charge, animal torture. The trial lasted 3 days. Fortunately, the misdemeanor charge of cruelty to animals, that was given as a last minute option to the jurors by the defense, did not come into play during deliberations.
Elvin Dooley Convicted in Dog Killing
Dooley, 57 years old lives near the Save-a-Pet shelter on Townline Road in Grayslake, IL. Justice, a small dog, had been abandoned in the parking lot of Save-a-Pet on Tuesday, January 26, 2010.. Before the staff could get the dog inside, he ran away. Save-a-Pet manager, Dana Deutsch, had been trying that day to capture the elusive dog. Then at around 2 p.m. that day, Deutsch, while in her car, spotted the dog run into a field at Townline and Fairfield Roads. She pulled her car over to try and catch it. That is when she heard 2 gunshots. According to http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=355053, Deutsch said she saw a man with a rifle aiming at the back terrier across the filed. He was shooting out the back door of a house. She said a third shot rang out as she stopped her car, went to the house and started “pounding on the door and shouting at him that he was shooting my dog.”
The man, Dooley, denied shooting at the dog. Deutsch took the dog to a nearby animal hospital, but the dog died of a gunshot wound that passed through its neck. According to Assistant State’s Attorney Raquel Robles-Eschbach, the dog died a “slow and painful death as it staggered for several yards in the field after being wounded.”
Dooley was also charged with unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon (Dooley has served prison terms for a 1974 burglary conviction in Alabama and 1996 for burglary in West Virginia, according to Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Marc Bangser) and possession of a weapon without a state Firearms Owner’s Identification card. Police found he was in possession of 17 firearms, 6,000 rounds of rifle ammunition and a large quantity of handgun ammunition. Those cases are scheduled to go to trial July 16, 2010.
Tela and Ryder’s first litter of puppies celebrated birthday #2 on May 7th! It is so hard to believe that two years have passed since that exciting day. They all are in great homes and their families keep me posted on their happenings.
Tela and Ryder Still in Love
Below are some adorable pictures for your viewing pleasure.
Plaxi a brown bi female Australian Shepherd at 5 days old
Plaxi brown bi Australian Shepherd at 2 months
Joey black tri male Austalian Shepherd at 5 days old
Joey black tri Australian Shepherd at 5 months
Ella a red merle female Australian Shepherd at 5 days old
Ella red merle Australian Shepherd at 4 months
Dini blue merle w/copper female Australian Shepherd at 5 days old
Dini blue merle w/copper Australian Shepherd at 3 months
Sola black tri female Australian Shepherd 5 days old
Sola black tri Australian Shepherd at 4 months
Coco black bi male Australian Shepherd at 5 days old
Coco brown bi Australian Shepherd at 3 months.
Ivy a red merle female Australian Shepherd at 5 days old
Ivy red merle Austrlian Shepherd at 3 months
Rocky a blue merle male Australian Shepherd at 5 days old
