Thanks to Chiris Krewson for letting us know about this strong article from The Morning Call about puppy mills in Pennsylvania! Big barks and howls for the investigative journalists at The Morning Call!

More happy barks for The Morning Call’s new database on Pensylvania puppy mills! As Chris mentions, you can help others learn more about the evils of puppy mills by actually including a link on your blog or site to the extensive database.

Chris Krewson wrote:
Hello. On Sunday my newspaper (The Morning Call, Allentown) is running a major investigative story on Pennsylvania’s reputation as the puppy mill capitol of the East Coast. To do that, we used the state’s Right to Know Law and obtained 20,000 inspection reports, and assembled them into a database.

Today we launched that database on our Web site for users to search, days before the story’s running. We’re also encouraging Web site owners and bloggers to embed our search widget on your pages in the same way YouTube lets people
embed videos on their pages or blogs.

Please drop us a line if you wind up using our code. Thanks!

Who’s watching out for me?

Puppies put in peril by dog wardens with limited power, a flawed state reporting system and lax enforcement.
By Tim Darragh and Christopher Schnaars Of The Morning Call

Puppy breeding and boarding kennels throughout Pennsylvania have been virtually assured of passing grades from state regulators even with feces-filled living areas, cramped cages, dirty water bowls and diseased or dead dogs, according to an investigation by The Morning Call based on a first-ever analysis of 20,000 state inspection records.

Dog wardens are charged with protecting puppies. But the analysis of kennel inspection records from 2003-2006 shows the wardens have been the kennel owners’ best friend.

Kennels received perfect ratings — no violations in the 26 categories inspected by wardens on each visit — more than nine times out of 10 during that time, the newspaper’s analysis of the state’s computerized records showed.

This record of perfection flabbergasts animal welfare organizations, including the Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which have long criticized Pennsylvania for allowing substandard kennels and puppy mills to operate.

The newspaper’s finding “sort of verifies in a very strong way what we’ve been complaining about for years,” said Bob Baker, a national ASPCA investigator. “I don’t think even the harshest critics would have thought” nine out of 10 inspections would be perfect. “It shows [the lack of enforcement] is even worse than what we thought.”

To fix the problem, the state Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement would have to know it existed. Until The Morning Call demanded kennel inspection records, the bureau had no idea how to analyze its own data. It took the newspaper three months to get the state database of inspections using the state public records law.

Even then, bureau officials mistakenly believed their computer system could only provide inspection records one at a time. The state’s ignorance of its own system’s capabilities prevented officials from analyzing records in a way that would have revealed troubling patterns among kennels.

The Morning Call assembled the records in its own database and completed an analysis that presented the accurate picture of the state’s kennel inspection system. [To view the inspection records for your kennel, visit www.mcall.com/dogs.]

A technical flaw also became apparent during the analysis: The state’s computer software inadvertently cut off wording in the narratives of hundreds of inspections, leaving some of the most critical information off the electronic record.

In addition to the nonexistent analysis of records, the bureau’s practices set its mission up for failure. Its unofficial policy tilted toward instructing kennel owners on how to comply with the law rather than issuing citations or closing kennels. That left hundreds of kennels with violations marked on their inspections still scoring an overall “satisfactory” grade for the inspection.

The bureau also tacitly permitted incomplete inspections by allowing wardens to file reports even when they were unable to go inside a kennel. That practice, along with the unofficial policy to educate rather than cite kennel owners, has been curtailed, officials said.

Finally, existing laws hampered more-effective enforcement, since state law allows only police and humane officers to file cruelty charges. So the one group allowed to enter a kennel without a warrant — dog wardens — has no authority to file cruelty charges even if wardens witness mistreatment.

Also in the mix are wardens’ other duties, including chasing strays, checking on licensing and enforcing dangerous-dog laws.

A need to get tough

All of the above can translate into misery for the animals and heartache for their prospective owners. Consider the case of Long Lane Kennel. Dog warden Richard Hess cited the Narvon, Lancaster County, kennel twice after a March 15, 2006, visit, but gave it a satisfactory grade. It was Long Lane’s 10th consecutive satisfactory inspection by Hess.

Before the year’s end, however, other inspectors and a Humane League of Lancaster County cruelty investigator found conditions so horrible at Long Lane they seized 23 dogs, with one so sick it had to be euthanized. The kennel had a broken heater, exposed wires, chewed wood and feces throughout the structure, according to an affidavit of probable cause. Charges against the kennel are pending.

In another case, a dog warden found two dead puppies and other violations at Rocklane Kennel in Martinsburg, Bedford County, about 18 months ago. Rather than pull the kennel’s license the warden issued six summary fines. The state took three months to do a follow-up inspection, after which it licensed Rocklane for another year.

Follow this link to read the rest of the article, watch the video and see more information.

Follow this link to use the database or to get a button to add to your site so others can find the database through you.

Categories: Dog News, Crimes Against Dogs and Cats, Politics, Puppy Mills
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The following comes from a recent email from Its Their Destiny, a group fighting Asian dog abuse. The article itself came from Manila Standard Today on 26th February. You may not be able to do much to help Fillipino dogs, but you can do one thing that costs you nothing other than a few seconds. You can sign the petition!

As many of you may know, the person who started the petition is a Dogster (she’s Luc’s furmom) and has worked with other Dogsters to make life a little better and safer for canines in the Phillipines. Add your voice and your signature!

Here is a link to the original blog post.

BAGUIO CITY—Team Unity’s candidates may be united as far as political and economic issues are concerned, but for some of them, there are things that they literally cannot stomach. Like dog meat.

In front of Baguio’s residents who, according to animal rights advocate Network for Animals consume about 200 dogs daily, the administration’s Senate bets issued differing positions on the controversial issue, which will be discussed when Congress resumes sessions in June.

Former Senator Tessie Aquino Oreta said she could not imagine why anyone would want to eat dogs, which are known to be man’s best friend.

“I have pet Labrador, Fidel, and I know I will be very sad if something happens to him. Dogs are friends, not food for the table. I wish everybody would be kind to dogs, even those whose culture makes it acceptable to eat dogs. Anyway, culture can be changed over time,” Oreta said.

Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis Singson, despite his tough-guy image, also admitted that he had a soft spot for dogs even if he preferred Bengal tigers for pets.

“We should teach [dog-eaters] to stop this practice because this is very humiliating. I know it’s part of their tradition, but these people can be educated so they will learn to support animal rights,” Singson said.

But former Senator Edgardo Angara, Zambales Gov. Vicente Magsaysay, and Bukidnon Rep. Juan Miguel said they were satisfied with an existing law, the Philippines’ Animal Welfare Act of 1998, which prohibits the torture of all animals. Angara said the practice of eating dogs should be allowed “during cultural events,” while Zubiri, who has positioned himself as the champion of the environment, said traditions must be respected even if he maintained that people should be humane to animals in general.

But Magsaysay, a confessed dog-eater, said lawmakers should take a “calibrated response” to the problem so as not to discriminate against traditional dog-eaters in Baguio, Benguet, Ilocos and Cagayan. “I’m Kapampangan, so I have tried eating everything from dogs to goats. Stricter laws should be implemented, but [we should] talk to the people here first. For them, it’s medicine and the warm meat is a perfect partner to Baguio’s cold temperature,” he said, adding that changes could not be expected to happen overnight since this was a centuries-old tradition.

Re-electionist Joker Arroyo refused to take a stand on the issue, saying: “I do not know anything about the dog meat trade.”

But the candidate with the safest position over the issue, which Oreta said was crucial in getting the votes of the Cordillerans and other people who eat dogs, was Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram.

Kiram said that as a Muslim, he was bound by religion not to eat dog meat, which is not considered halal or clean under the Islamic tradition. But he said that if a new law was passed on the matter, he would support its implementation.

While the Animal Welfare Act has helped to partly arrest the problem of indiscriminate dog-eating, animal rights groups claim that the law has failed to prohibit commercial dog meat trading and only provides lenient penalties. Under the law, arrested dog-meat traders may plead guilty and pay a maximum fine of only P5,000.

Network for Animals representative Melchor Alipio said the fine was too small compared to the estimated P55 million in revenues that dog traders earn each year.

Even Malacañang has distanced itself from the sticky issue of ending the dog-meat trading. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo acknowledged that the people from Baguio eat dogs “to keep them warm.”

But candidates who win in the May 14 mid-term polls will have no choice but to brush up on the issue, which is discussed in House Bill 2991 sponsored by Rep. Ma. Rhodora Maiolo and introduced by Rep. Francis Escudero, and which has the support of animal-rights groups.

“Because this barbaric industry provides a steady flow of income not only to the traders but to officials and police officers, the dog meat trade remains untouched by the Welfare Act. Traders remain elusive because the penalty is unrealistic, so with this bill the penalty will be upgraded,” Maiolo said in a statement on www.thepetitionsite.com, where 50,000 signatures are being gathered for the cause in time for the June opening of Congress.

——————————————————————————–

It remains to be seen just what will become of House Bill 2991, but it is certain that it will face opposition in a country whose President was quoted as saying “Dog meat keeps you warm, does it not?” There is also constant pressure to have the Animal Welfare Act replaced by legislation more friendly to dog-eaters who, like Magsaysay above, openly brag (with apparent impunity) about breaking the law.

See Its their Destiny for more on dog abuse in the Philippines. You can also visit the website of Rhodora Maiolo, sponsor of the Bill and author of the petition, at Dog Meat Trade.

Categories: Dog News, Crimes Against Dogs and Cats, Politics
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This issue keeps cropping up around the world where some Muslim believes run head on into European-based and American laws. Now I’m as sensitive to inercultural concerns as just about anybody (a BA in International Relations, MA in Political Science and MSBA in Management specializing in Intercultural Relations will do that for you) but where the law says service dogs are to be allowed taxi service, well that’s the law. If you’re a taxi driver with problems with that law, then you’re in the wrong line of work!

Here are links to previous posts on this topic.
St. Paul-Minneapolis Muslim Taxi Cab Drivers Refuse Service to People with Service Dogs and Alcohol
Australian Muslim Taxis Refusing to Carry Blind People and Their Service Dogs
London Taxi Refuses To Carry Blind Woman and Service Dog — Against His Beliefs

I travel a great deal and get in a lot of taxis. I take the chance to discuss this issue with the drivers, and that includes MANY Muslim drivers. And if you’ve ridden in many taxis, you probably have noticed that most cab drivers are very open about what they think on many topics. Such is the case with this topic too! In fact, some of the strongest voices I’ve heard against those cab drivers who try to avoid carrying dogs and alcohol (that’s the other side of the belief that they will be spiritually contaminated) are Muslim drivers who have been in the States for a while and have made their peace with the law. They support the law and have no problem carrying dogs.

They feel that Muslim cabbies who make this fuss are putting all Muslim drivers at risk for being seen as unfriendly and unwelcome new members of society. One Minneapolis driver I listened to at length a few weeks back is openly derisive of these newer, more fundamentalist drivers and encourages them to find other jobs. So this is not really a religious issue, as those drivers who refuse to carry dogs say it is, it is much more of a cultural issue. And even if it were religious, there are many other jobs that do not require involvement with dogs. I would encourage these drivers to find one of those and not flaunt the laws of the country.

So how should you respond when confronted with one of these drivers? I always ask before I get in the cab whether or not the driver will carry dogs? Of course, they look at me oddly since I rarely have a dog with me when this happens. If they say there is a problem, I walk away and find another cab.

Thanks to The Border Mail for this article.

Taxis refuse guide dogs

A SMALL but increasing number of taxi drivers in Australia are refusing to carry passengers using guide dogs, an industry conference has been told.

Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes, who uses a guide dog himself, said such conduct was not only against the law but restricted the ability of the visually impaired to play a role in the community.

“As some of you would know, I was refused carriage by two taxis in Perth on two consecutive days early last year,‿ he told the Australian Taxi Industry Association annual conference in Adelaide.

“More recently, cabs have driven off from ranks where my dog and I have been standing in Sydney and Melbourne.

“Drivers must know that to refuse passengers with assistance animals is against the law.”

Categories: Dog News, Politics, Gnawing a Bone
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This news is like some horrendous sequel to the previous horror story of Chinese dog purges. That’s right, purges. Let’s not let these Chinese authorities get away with calling this a “cull.” Use the real name for it, purge.

Does this remind anyone else of the human purges during the 60’s and 70’s. Its the same impetus. Let’s get very real. You don’t get rid of “rabies” by killing all pet dogs. You get rid of rabies by vaccinations. The CHinese have been offered tons of help with that. So no, rabies isn’t the target here.

So what IS the target? Could it be the feelings that having dogs around inspires? You know, those feelings of protectiveness to others, acceptance of something outside of the norm, thinking in different ways, those sorts of things. What the authorities want to purge aren’t just the dogs. THose are the innocent victims. No, I strongly suspect that the authorities want to purge those feelings and all the other good things that come with feeling the love of a being who can help a person look beyond their own limited selves.

Once again, I encourage everyone who can to boycott the Chinese Olympics. These purges may be in the past by then but only because the authorities who will benefit from them have managed to kill every dissent and dissenter possible, human and canince.

Thanks to Daphne, Zeb’s furmom, for barking in this story from Yahoo News.

China district orders pet dogs killed
By DIAMOND CHENG, Associated Press Writer

HONG KONG - All pet dogs will be killed in a district of the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing as part of an anti-rabies campaign, the government said.

Residents of the city’s Wanzhou district have until March 15 to hand over their dogs, according to a directive seen Wednesday on the district’s official Web site.

“All the dogs in the area should be killed. A compulsory cull phase will begin after March 16. The forced cull will be carried out by the police,” the directive said.

The statement said government guard dogs and those animals kept for research institutions, military and commercial purposes would be spared.

Officials have rounded up dogs in other cities, such as Beijing, as they crack down on strays and unregistered pets.

A spokesman at Wanzhou’s Health Department refused to comment about the cull.

Follow this link to read the rest of the article.

Categories: Dog News, Crimes Against Dogs and Cats, Politics
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