ABC Nightline investigates puppy mills 3/27/09

Many of us in the animal care world have received this message from Bill Smith of Main Line Animal Rescue in Chester Springs, PA (I’ve received it from at least three listservs already today!).  Sadly, Pennsylvania has some of the worst puppy mills in the country.  Here’s hoping this spotlight calls to attention both the problem and what folks can do to combat it.

—

Well friends, once again, the cat is out of the bag – or should we say the dog out of the hutch!  This Friday night, March 27, ABC’s Nightline will be investigating puppy mills! <emphasis mine>

ABC Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi and investigators from Nightline travel the byways and back roads of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania – visiting numerous puppy mills and filming Main Line Animal Rescue’s volunteers as they rescue breeding dogs and puppies from Lancaster County’s notorious Amish commercial breeding facilities.

This promises to be a very special program. If you are involved in rescue, advocate on behalf of the millions of puppy mill dogs interned in our nation’s commercial dog breeding facilities, or if you just simply love animals, you will not want to miss this.

Sharyn Alfonsi interviewed, on camera, an Amish breeder while touring his facility – a first for network television. With approximately 500 dogs housed on his property, this commercial breeder speaks openly about an industry cloaked in secrecy and suspicion – the cruel factory farming of man’s best friend.

PLEASE tell your friends, your family, your coworkers – ABC Nightline investigates puppy mills – this Friday at 11:35 pm (Eastern Standard Time). Please take the time to forward this to all the rescues, shelters, and legislators in your area.

It has been almost one year since Oprah’s puppy mill show aired. That program received the highest viewer response of any Oprah Show in years. Now we need to spread the word about this very special Nightline. Only by educating as many people as we can, will we be able to help these animals. And after you watch the program, please don’t hesitate to contact ABC and Nightline to thank them for casting such a strong light on the plight of our nation’s puppy mill dogs.

Bill Smith

Main Line Animal Rescue

Friday’s airing of Nightline’s investigation of puppy mills is subject to breaking news. If for any reason it is not shown, it will air the beginning of next week. Please check listings for your time zone.

###

 

First MCHS dogs from alleged puppy mill go home; fare best with adopters who can give extra care

After the strain of living their entire lives until recently in an alleged puppy mill in North Carolina, the first of the 15 dogs received by the Montgomery County Humane Society have found the warmth of human contact and new loving homes.

Nana, now known as Pumpkin, was the first to be adopted.  A small white poodle mix, she was somewhat intimidated at first, says adopter Kathleen Fornatora, from Ashton.  “But she’s adjusted wonderfully well,” Fornatora says.   “She’s coming out of her shell and is more relaxed.  She just bounces at mealtime.”

At first, Pumpkin would simply sit on her new mom’s lap for a couple of hours, watching TV.  She tolerates getting her toenails trimmed, but at only nine pounds, Fornatora says she’s easy to manage.

Pumpkin now walks out of her crate on her own, rather than waiting for someone to reach in for her.  Her housetraining is progressing as well, no small feat for a puppy mill survivor.  Thanks to confinement to a cage their entire lives before now, these dogs are trickier to train.

Most recently, Amber, a tiny Chihuahua who has been renamed Kiki, went home with Tana Stellato and her son Jason, 17.  Her family is experienced with rescue pets – their previous dog, Sabrina, was also a puppy mill survivor who lived 16 years under their loving care.

“Kiki is so sweet and really doing well,” Stellato says.  “She was slow to eat and drink the first 24 hours while she was checking out her new environment, but now everything appears normal.”

Stellato says Kiki is also smart.  She already knows how to sit on command and understands “outside” when it’s time to do her business.  She loves her little bed and wants to be petted a lot.  “I never leave her alone,” Stellato adds.

Upon arrival last month at the MCHS Private Rescue in Rockville, the dogs were groomed and examined by a veterinarian before being made available for adoption.  Prospective adopters are advised that there needs to be an adult at home around the clock and extra precautions are important to help the dogs adjust to everyday activities most people and pets take for granted.  Commitment to the animal’s rehabilitation is key, whether for housetraining, feeding treats, or playing.

FAQs on Rehabilitation of a Puppy Mill Dog

###

 

Fight puppy mills in MD, NC, and elsewhere

(This is one of my articles in the Fall 08-Winter 09 issue of Animail, published by the Montgomery County Humane Society)

Sweet NC puppy mill survivors receive TLC at MCHS Rescue

Just in time for Valentine’s Day,  the Montgomery County Humane Society saved 15 dogs rescued a week earlier from a puppy mill in Wayne County, NC.  Mostly small breeds – Yorkies, Poodles, Chihuahuas, Pomeranians and Shih-Tzus – many were emaciated, severely matted, had overgrown their collars, and were suffering from dental and other serious medical ailments.

The scene on the day of their arrival showed MCHS teamwork in action.  Staff and volunteers lined up at the MCHS Private Rescue to welcome the dogs and start them on the path to recovery and love.  Some had severely matted coats, all were filthy, and all had overgrown nails.

“It is appalling that any breeder would allow animals to be raised this way,” said MCHS President and CEO Cris Bombaugh.  “These dogs are now getting the medical attention, grooming and TLC they so badly need with our staff and volunteers.”    

Truly the lucky ones

A year-long investigation by The Humane Society of the United States into Thornton’s Kennels led to the seizure of these dogs.  The HSUS and Wayne County Animal Control partnered to rescue almost 300 neglected animals.  Volunteers with United Animal Nations oversaw a temporary emergency shelter in North Carolina.

As the dogs were handed from person to person coming off the truck in Rockville, each one was given a core vaccine and examined for ear mites and eye infections.  All allowed themselves to be held close by gentle human arms.

“Despite not having been handled with care and compassion by humans, these dogs were incredibly tolerant and trusting as we clipped nails, removed mats from those with longer hair, gave them baths and dried them, and cleaned their ears,” said Aileen Montgomery, MCHS board co-chair.  “I can assure you that they had not ever been clean before, yet they cooperated with bathing and everything else.”

Just before press time, Robert Henne, manager of the MCHS Private Rescue, said, “The dogs are doing great with social and physical rehabilitation.”  They were starting to play bow and chew on toys soon after settling in.  By the week following their arrival, they were made available for adoption visits and applications.

 “The compassion of the volunteers and community has been amazing,” he added.  “It would have been impossible for us to save these animals without them.”

From misery to comfort

Montgomery said their progress spoke to the unconditional love and trust these animals have for people, even though they had been mistreated for all of their lives until now.   “They enjoy and eagerly respond to human attention, but don’t quite know what it’s all about or how to ask for it.   Some climbed into my lap today and fell asleep when I held them.  I wonder if they’ve ever been warm, clean and able to sleep peacefully without all of the noise, stench, squalor, and discomfort they endured in the puppy mill, which was an unvented warehouse and outhouses, housing these dogs in very small wire cages.”

O’Malley, one of the smallest dogs, will make somebody a wonderful companion, Montgomery added..   “She has come a very long way already and even came to me (OK, for some canned food).  She did climb into my lap and I held her for quite some time.  She slept like a rock – I didn’t have the heart to move and awaken her.  You have to wonder if any of these dogs ever slept peacefully in that putrid, noisy dump.”

“I think they are finally able to relax,” Laureen Prebilic, manager of the MCHS Foster Program, summed up.  “The dogs that went to a foster
home have just been lying on the foster parents’ laps and sleeping.  I
don’t think they could relax like that in that hell hole.  It’s so great
we were able to get them out of that puppy mill and into a much better
life.

“I love what I do.”

—

Permission to reprint provided credit is given to the Montgomery County Humane Society /

b j Altschul

—

Speak out against puppy mills

MCHS Board Co-chair Aileen Montgomery said there are tens of thousands of other puppy mills that we don’t know about yet.  “That’s what makes all of us nuts.  Please heighten awareness however you can that puppies purchased from pet stores support these inhumane operations.”

HSUS is currently strongly urging local law enforcement to pursue criminal charges against the North Carolina mill owner and bar her from breeding dogs in the future.  Legislation has been introduced in Maryland and a number of other states to limit the number of dogs in puppy mills and to require humane treatment.  Please contact your legislators and ask them to help prevent cruelty to animals raised in these facilities.

—

Facts About Puppy Mills

Source:  The Humane Society of the United States

See the campaign at  StopPuppyMills.org

• Approximately one-third of the nation’s independent pet stores sell puppies.
• The HSUS estimates that 2 to 4 million puppy mill puppies are sold each year in the U.S.
• Puppy mill puppies often have health problems, genetic defects and behavioral issues.
• Documented puppy mill conditions include over-breeding, inbreeding, minimal veterinary care, poor food and shelter, crowded cages and lack of socialization.
• Dogs kept for breeding in puppy mills suffer for years in continual confinement. They are bred as often as possible and then destroyed or discarded once they can no longer produce puppies.
• Pet stores and puppy mills use attractive websites to hide the truth and to dupe the public into thinking that they are dealing with a reputable breeder.
• Reputable breeders never sell puppies over the Internet or through a pet store and will insist on meeting the family who will be purchasing the dog.
• Puppy mills contribute to the pet overpopulation problem which results in millions of unwanted dogs euthanized at shelters every year.

—

Key media coverage to date

Potential new owners vie for rescued dogs from alleged puppy mill
by Melissa Brachfeld on Gazette.net, 2/20/09

Puppy Rescue
Michael Jamal (sp?), WUSA 9 News Now, 2/19/09

Humane Society takes in 15 rescued dogs
by Melissa Brachfeld in The Gazette, 2/18/09

Rescued puppies need homes
by Aaron Stern in the Potomac Almanac, 2/18/09

NC puppy mill survivors ready for adoption in Mont. County. Photos!
by Michelle Critchell in DC Dogs Examiner, 2/18/09

County Humane Society takes in 15 rescued dogs
by Melissa Brachfeld on Gazette.net, 2/13/09

Puppy mill bust brings battered dogs to Rockville
Online story by Ashley E. Brown for NBCWashington.com, 2/12/09
with video reported by Miguel Almaguer for NBC 4

The NBC video has been picked up by network affiliates along the East Coast, MSNBC, and at least one national blog I’m aware of:
Puppy mill dogs headed to a better life
For the Love of the Dog, 2/12/09

Selected other mentions:

Rescued puppies brought to DC
Fox 5 TV, 2/12/09 (see end of 3rd graf and tail end of video)

Dogs rescued in N.C. destined for D.C. adoptions
News Channel 8, 2/12/09 (link to MCHS website, and mention at tail end of video clip)

###

Our rating:    Puppy mills — 0 kongs

                        Rescuers — 1,000 kongs