That sounds far too palatable.
Northwest Cable News (and other media outlets) obtained and aired a copy of the video used to document the puppy mill raid from Snohomish County in January.
Sick enough? Yeah.
Well, yet another mass breeding operation was busted up in Washington, this time in a rural southeastern county.
Apparently they thrive like weeds over there. Who's going to complain? Neighbors? They have none.
Since the recently-passed "puppy mill bill" doesn't take effect until 2010, I think I will send a form letter to all 39 counties in Washington and ask them to provide their specific plans for law enforcement response once it does hit the books. How do they plan to enforce this law? Will they dedicate any resources? Will they make these victims at least somewhat a priority?
I'll need volunteers to write letters to the county governments in question. If they realize upfront that there are watchful eyes, perhaps they will reconsider any plan to look the other way.
Stay tuned.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
Is there any hell hot enough?
Prosecutors in Snohomish County, Wash. have charged Jason and Serenna Larsen with six counts of felony animal abuse in connection with a suspected puppy mill "ring" operating in two adjacent counties.
The Larsens are alleged to have overseen one of several properties in which dogs belonging to a woman -- who has not yet been charged, but is under investigation -- were severely neglected, left in dangerously unsanitary conditions, and in one case was placed into a freezer and left to die.
Read the story from Seattle's KOMO News.
'Nuff said. For now.
The Larsens are alleged to have overseen one of several properties in which dogs belonging to a woman -- who has not yet been charged, but is under investigation -- were severely neglected, left in dangerously unsanitary conditions, and in one case was placed into a freezer and left to die.
Read the story from Seattle's KOMO News.
'Nuff said. For now.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Dog Wrangler
So here I am, babysitting two of my favorite dogs on the planet.
Portia and Gucci's daddies are stomping around Panama (hey, they've been everywhere else: Why not?) and I'm spending a good part of my days keeping a border collie entertained.
Anyone ever had a border collie? I think the term "hypervigilant" was coined in their honor. I have never been tracked this closely .. even by my editors :)
Gucci is an elderly dachsund who is failing in sight and vision. She gets around the house quite well, but I snatch her up and snuggle her every chance I get.
Why do I share these anecdotes?
Simple.
There are people out there who claim to be properly prepared to oversee "kennel" operations of 50 dogs, alone.
One word: Bullcrap.
NO ONE can keep on top of the basic physiological needs of evolved animal companions with that sort of ratio. Whom do you think you're fooling?
I suppose your bottom line is pumping out puppies for sale to people unaware of the horrid conditions in which their parents live. Most likely you don't even know who their parents *are*. Shame on you.
As we approach Mother's Day, I want to send a wave of love and sympathy for the momma puppies kept shackled and shut out from a normal life, so that these "business owners" may turn a profit.
Rant over.
Portia and Gucci's daddies are stomping around Panama (hey, they've been everywhere else: Why not?) and I'm spending a good part of my days keeping a border collie entertained.
Anyone ever had a border collie? I think the term "hypervigilant" was coined in their honor. I have never been tracked this closely .. even by my editors :)
Gucci is an elderly dachsund who is failing in sight and vision. She gets around the house quite well, but I snatch her up and snuggle her every chance I get.
Why do I share these anecdotes?
Simple.
There are people out there who claim to be properly prepared to oversee "kennel" operations of 50 dogs, alone.
One word: Bullcrap.
NO ONE can keep on top of the basic physiological needs of evolved animal companions with that sort of ratio. Whom do you think you're fooling?
I suppose your bottom line is pumping out puppies for sale to people unaware of the horrid conditions in which their parents live. Most likely you don't even know who their parents *are*. Shame on you.
As we approach Mother's Day, I want to send a wave of love and sympathy for the momma puppies kept shackled and shut out from a normal life, so that these "business owners" may turn a profit.
Rant over.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Busted!
Support The Bark magazine, a stellar publication dealing with a wide variety of issues of interest to dog people and animal lovers in general. Thank them for publishing my puppy mill story by subscribing. You won't be disappointed.
Make a pledge to help stop puppy mills!
My fundraising campaign has hit $650 in pledges from dog-loving angels.
Help me meet the goal of $2500 by May 13! Even a small $10 pledge will add up if enough of you band together.
My fundraising campaign has hit $650 in pledges from dog-loving angels.
Help me meet the goal of $2500 by May 13! Even a small $10 pledge will add up if enough of you band together.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Who loves animals?
Most people do. Even the hardcore type that present a curmudgeonly facade is likely to be defensive of her or his relationship to a pet.
There's not a shred of curmudgeonry in Ron Reagan Jr., but his national talk show on Air America radio is hardly the venue you might expect for a discussion of puppy mills and animal abuse.
But after emailing a link to my fundraiser to his producer, Tina Nole, I was invited to appear on the show and talk about my work.
See, Ron and Tina are big-time dog-lovers. BIG-time. Some of you may be familiar with Ron's work as emcee for big-time dog shows. Tina, I suspect, is also a dog freak. I know this because I sent them a news release for a fundraiser in February aimed at raising money for the Skagit and Snohomish county rescue groups and shelters. Bad timing on my part: They were just set to go national (congrats, guys!) and it would have been inappropriate for their format.
Fast-forward to the publication of my article in The Bark magazine, and my fundraising campaign to initiate a nationwide investigative journalism spree, and you have a suitable topic for a radio show hosted and produced by a couple of mutt nuts. Yay for dogs!
So on Monday, May 4, at 7 p.m. EST, I'll be in Ron's Seattle studio, live, on-air, answering questions about the local and national implications of mass-breeding, otherwise known as "puppy mills."
Tune in for Ron's entire show. It airs from 6-9 p.m. EST on Seattle's KPTK AM 1090, and other Air America stations around the country (check with the Air America site to locate a broadcast in your part of the world, or stream it live from Seattle's site).
They say politics is a dog-eat-dog world. Just maybe they don't know the half of it.
There's not a shred of curmudgeonry in Ron Reagan Jr., but his national talk show on Air America radio is hardly the venue you might expect for a discussion of puppy mills and animal abuse.
But after emailing a link to my fundraiser to his producer, Tina Nole, I was invited to appear on the show and talk about my work.
See, Ron and Tina are big-time dog-lovers. BIG-time. Some of you may be familiar with Ron's work as emcee for big-time dog shows. Tina, I suspect, is also a dog freak. I know this because I sent them a news release for a fundraiser in February aimed at raising money for the Skagit and Snohomish county rescue groups and shelters. Bad timing on my part: They were just set to go national (congrats, guys!) and it would have been inappropriate for their format.
Fast-forward to the publication of my article in The Bark magazine, and my fundraising campaign to initiate a nationwide investigative journalism spree, and you have a suitable topic for a radio show hosted and produced by a couple of mutt nuts. Yay for dogs!
So on Monday, May 4, at 7 p.m. EST, I'll be in Ron's Seattle studio, live, on-air, answering questions about the local and national implications of mass-breeding, otherwise known as "puppy mills."
Tune in for Ron's entire show. It airs from 6-9 p.m. EST on Seattle's KPTK AM 1090, and other Air America stations around the country (check with the Air America site to locate a broadcast in your part of the world, or stream it live from Seattle's site).
They say politics is a dog-eat-dog world. Just maybe they don't know the half of it.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Busting the Puppy Mill Trade
When news broke of a massive seizure involving 600 dogs from two neighboring counties near my home, I was forced to confront the realities of "puppy mills" -- entities I thought existed only in the more rural, backwoods region of the U.S.
Worse, I didn't fully understand the concept of the "puppy mill."
I and thousands of others faced an unwanted education on the mechanics of these operations that profit handsomely from abusing and neglecting dogs, and from hoodwinking good-hearted customers looking only for a special puppy to join their families.
The only thing "special" about puppies produced in puppy-mill environments is their genetic irregularities. Spared the psychological trauma their parents face -- years of living in small cages, never seeing the outdoors or experiencing the joy of playing in a non-confined area -- these pups may appear socialized and happy. But buyers fooled into laying out large sums of cash to take them home find themselves on the hook for even greater investments as veterinarians will diagnose and treat spinal deformities, severe bacterial infections and other ailments resulting from neglect and in-breeding.
Should the adult dogs in these concentration camps be fortunate enough to escape through a rescue, their medical issues are far more severe. Adult females have been bred over and over, often facing dangerous gestations resulting in stillbirths and requiring Caesarian sections which may be performed too late. Intestinal infections stemming from unsanitary cages soaked in urine and feces can be fatal, and dental deformities caused by infections and rotting gums almost always require the removal of most of the dogs' teeth.
As if medical woes aren't bad enough, these are animals whose socialization has been nonexistent. Terrified of people, their disposition as household pets forms very slowly, requiring untold patience from people willing to adopt them and bring them home. But before they are released for adoption, they become burdens on county agencies who spend a ridiculous amount of money seizing, housing and caring for them as legal processes play out.
It's tempting to turn away; to not look at the hellacious reality of these mass-breeding facilities. They operate in secrecy, sending out only a few pups at a time to a different location (pet store, private residence) for viewing. The adults remain locked into dismal, unlit areas invisible to all but those who earn millions of dollars off of their suffering.
Can we tolerate this as a society? Can laws enacted to stop this torture be enforced? The answers to these questions remain murky, further complicated by side issues such as animal research, livestock raised for consumption and other practices tolerated by otherwise humane people.
I believe those side issues are irrelevant. The millions of dogs wasting away in illegal puppy mills need our immediate intervention. Law enforcement agencies need the tools and support to stop them in their tracks. And citizens need to shake off their sensitivities in order to pave the way for prosecutions.
In my brief exposure to the widespread phenomenon I've discovered several gaps in logic, law and practice. My goal is to publicize the reality of these hideous factories and find common ground among animal advocates, law enforcement agencies and responsible breeders that will halt the grotesque treatment of these unwitting creatures.
I welcome input, suggestions, feedback, shared stories, or any other contributions from readers. There are infinite sites on the Internet educating and advocating against puppy mills. I encourage exposure to all of them. This problem isn't going away.
And neither am I.
Worse, I didn't fully understand the concept of the "puppy mill."
I and thousands of others faced an unwanted education on the mechanics of these operations that profit handsomely from abusing and neglecting dogs, and from hoodwinking good-hearted customers looking only for a special puppy to join their families.
The only thing "special" about puppies produced in puppy-mill environments is their genetic irregularities. Spared the psychological trauma their parents face -- years of living in small cages, never seeing the outdoors or experiencing the joy of playing in a non-confined area -- these pups may appear socialized and happy. But buyers fooled into laying out large sums of cash to take them home find themselves on the hook for even greater investments as veterinarians will diagnose and treat spinal deformities, severe bacterial infections and other ailments resulting from neglect and in-breeding.
Should the adult dogs in these concentration camps be fortunate enough to escape through a rescue, their medical issues are far more severe. Adult females have been bred over and over, often facing dangerous gestations resulting in stillbirths and requiring Caesarian sections which may be performed too late. Intestinal infections stemming from unsanitary cages soaked in urine and feces can be fatal, and dental deformities caused by infections and rotting gums almost always require the removal of most of the dogs' teeth.
As if medical woes aren't bad enough, these are animals whose socialization has been nonexistent. Terrified of people, their disposition as household pets forms very slowly, requiring untold patience from people willing to adopt them and bring them home. But before they are released for adoption, they become burdens on county agencies who spend a ridiculous amount of money seizing, housing and caring for them as legal processes play out.
It's tempting to turn away; to not look at the hellacious reality of these mass-breeding facilities. They operate in secrecy, sending out only a few pups at a time to a different location (pet store, private residence) for viewing. The adults remain locked into dismal, unlit areas invisible to all but those who earn millions of dollars off of their suffering.
Can we tolerate this as a society? Can laws enacted to stop this torture be enforced? The answers to these questions remain murky, further complicated by side issues such as animal research, livestock raised for consumption and other practices tolerated by otherwise humane people.
I believe those side issues are irrelevant. The millions of dogs wasting away in illegal puppy mills need our immediate intervention. Law enforcement agencies need the tools and support to stop them in their tracks. And citizens need to shake off their sensitivities in order to pave the way for prosecutions.
In my brief exposure to the widespread phenomenon I've discovered several gaps in logic, law and practice. My goal is to publicize the reality of these hideous factories and find common ground among animal advocates, law enforcement agencies and responsible breeders that will halt the grotesque treatment of these unwitting creatures.
I welcome input, suggestions, feedback, shared stories, or any other contributions from readers. There are infinite sites on the Internet educating and advocating against puppy mills. I encourage exposure to all of them. This problem isn't going away.
And neither am I.
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