Ireland Bans Puppy Mills

Irish Puppy Farm Photo courtesy MVFA

According to Irish Central, Ireland has banned puppy mills.  New Irish laws took effect on New Year's Day that outlaw intensive dog breeding operations.  All puppies must now be microchipped so that the dog breeder can be identified, and authorities can inspect and shut down any facility that fails to meet the standards set by the new regulations.

The new anti-puppy farming legislation makes it impossible to produce hundreds of puppies in filthy and overcrowded kennels.  Dog breeders will be allowed to keep large numbers of animals, but only under strict conditions and standards set down by the new regulations.  All dog breeders must also be registered with their local authority to comply with the new rules.  


Activists have fought for years to protect puppies from unscrupulous breeders and get rid of Ireland's reputation as the Puppy Farm of Europe.  Now the Welfare of Greyhounds Act and the Dogs Breeding Establishments Act will enable the Irish government to clean up the country's act.

Missouri Puppy Mills: 42 Dogs Surrendered By Breeder to Wayside Waifs

On December 15, 2011, Wayside Waifs received dozens of dogs rescued from a puppy mill in southwest Missouri.  42 dogs were surrendered by the dog breeder.  According to NBC Action News in Kansas City, that man also surrendered his dog breeding license.

The dogs are mostly small breed and all are in need of medical attention.  According to Wayside Waifs, it was clear the dogs had never received proper medical care, food or shelter.  They observed mammary tumors, eye infections, and severe dental problems among other medical issues.  The Wayside Waifs medical team is addressing a number of health issues, beginning with routine vaccinations. 

Some of the dogs rescued could be available for adoption as soon as next week.  For information about adopting one of these puppy mill survivors, contact Wayside Waifs at www.waysidewaifs.org  Wayside Waifs is the largest no-kill animal shelter in the Kansas City area.

Missouri Puppy Mills: SB 161 Final Regulations and More

MO Puppy Mill Photo from HSUS..

According to the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation, last week the Missouri Department of Agriculture issued final regulations for implementing SB 161, the Missouri compromise bill on puppy mills.  The regulations clarify the requirement that a veterinarian personally examine every animal in a breeding facility at least once a year and that those exams be documented with written records.

You may remember the recent controversy about this portion of SB 161 and the efforts of some to make sure the vet exam was simply a visual overview.

In addition, the Missouri Department of Agriculture has toughened enforcement.  This is a shift that began when Missouri Governor, Jay Nixon, named Jon Hagler as director in January 2009.  A horse rancher with a PhD in political science from Washington University, Hagler has overseen a 123 percent increase in inspections and 85 percent more citations for violations by breeding operations.  With that has come a 33 percent decline in the number of licensed commercial dog breeders.  With new funding appropriated this summer, Hagler increased the number of inspectors to 14 (four more than 2008) and added an investigator and a full-time veterinarian to his staff.

Hagler also launched a program called Bark Alert which allows citizens to report substandard and abusive breeders, most of them illegal and unlicensed.  The Missouri Department of Agriculture says it has rescued some 5,200 dogs in the past 30 months.

Missouri animal welfare advocates have another challenge regarding SB161:  Fixing the grossly unfair fee schedule that treats non-profit animal shelters and rescue groups the same as for-profit breeders.

Puppy Mills: HSUS Investigation of NY Pet Stores Selling Puppies

MO Puppy Mill Photo from HSUS  

In anticipation of the busiest puppy-buying season of the year - the winter holidays - The Humane Society of the United States has revealed the results of its latest hidden-camera investigation; exposing more than 100 New York state pet stores that supply unsuspecting consumers with puppies from inhumane large-scale commercial breeders known as puppy mills. 

Many Web sites or employees of these stores imply or explicitly state that the puppies come only from small-scale “private breeders”—not from notorious puppy mills.

“These high-priced pet stores claim to sell dogs from small private breeders, but are actually pushing dogs from huge Midwest puppy mills with some of the worst federal Animal Welfare Act violations imaginable,” said Jonathan Lovvorn, senior vice president for investigations at The HSUS. “Consumers are being duped into buying puppies born to breeding dogs who spend their entire lives trapped in tiny wire cages, churning out litter after litter.”

An HSUS investigator, along with businessman Lorenzo Borghese from ABC’s “The Bachelor,” went undercover as “shoppers” and caught sales staff at 11 New York City-area pet stores making misleading claims concerning the origin of their puppies. Shipping documents were also obtained for more than 100 New York State pet stores. The investigation revealed:

• All 11 stores videotaped by HSUS investigators purchased their puppies from large-scale commercial breeding facilities, despite specific claims of “no puppy mills” or misleading statements implying that their sources were small “private breeders.” When HSUS investigators filmed some of these breeding facilities they found hundreds of dogs confined to small cages.
• More than 100 pet stores in New York that were investigated through a public records search were shown to have purchased more than 4,500 puppies from similar commercial large-scale breeding or brokering operations in Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri and Oklahoma during approximately a four-month period in 2011. More than 3,000 puppies were shipped to New York stores from Missouri alone during that period. Missouri is the puppy mill capital of America.
• All of the stores visited by investigators and many of the 100 stores whose puppy transport records were examined were found to be buying puppies from suppliers with known Animal Welfare Act violations, including some with citations for filthy conditions, lack of adequate space, underweight breeding animals, dogs found in the freezing cold or high heat without adequate weather protection, or sick or injured dogs in need of veterinary care.
• Some of the stores investigated (but none of the stores visited in person) were even found purchasing from an unlicensed, convicted animal abuser, Kathy Jo Bauck, aka Kathy Cole, whose USDA license was revoked after years of extreme state and federal animal care violations for issues such as dogs with open and bleeding wounds who had not been treated by a vet, piles of accumulated feces, and puppies found shivering in the cold in temperatures as low as 12 degrees F. Bauck was ordered to stop performing surgeries on dogs without a veterinary license in 2006, and convicted of animal cruelty and torture in 2009.
• Seven of the stores investigated by The HSUS were buying puppies from Brandi Cheney, who was identified in The HSUS’s Missouri‘s Dirty Dozen report last year as one of the worst puppy mill operators in Missouri. More than 500 pages of USDA inspection and enforcement reports on breeding facilities linked to Cheney reflect the facilities’ failure to provide vet care to sick and dying dogs, dogs subjected to below-freezing temperatures with inadequate shelter and dogs with such severe matting that the removal of the mats left oozing, open sores. Four additional puppy mills highlighted in the HSUS’ Missouri’s Dirty Dozen report were also found selling to New York pet stores.
• One salesman refused to give breeder information to the undercover shoppers, repeating three times, “I have nothing to hide.” The investigation found his store purchased puppies from Brandi Cheney.

 

Puppy Mill Facts:

• Dogs at puppy mills typically receive little to no medical care, live in squalid conditions with no exercise, socialization or human interaction and are confined inside cramped wire cages for life. For more information, see humanesociety.org/puppymills.
• Dogs from puppy mills are sold in pet stores, online and directly to consumers with little to no regard for the dog's health, genetic history or future welfare.
• The HSUS urges people who want to get a puppy to consider adopting from a shelter or rescue group first. If deciding to buy from a breeder, potential buyers should always visit the breeder in person to see that the dogs are treated humanely and ensure the puppies and their parents are living in spacious, clean areas. For more information, see humanesociety.org/puppy.

Missouri Puppy Mills: New Definitions for Canine Cruelty Prevention Act

There's a bit of good news for dogs in Missouri.  According to the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation, the new regulations to fully implement the Canine Cruelty Prevention Act (CCPA) have been finalized.  They contain the following definition for examination:

"Examination means a complete physical evaluation from head to tail of a covered dog or cat by a licensed veterinarian to include auscultation, palpation, and a visual inspection in which the heart rate, respiratory rate, breeding soundness, and the results of palpation are assessed and recorded as indicated on the forms provided."

The long time practice of paying veterinarians to simply walk through the barns and kennel buildings, without ever actually taking the dogs out of their cages to exam them to verify that the dogs are healthy, is about to come to an end. The attending veterinarians will now be required to perform a thorough hands-on physical examination in commercial dog breeding facilities in Missouri.

Puppy Mills: Some Good News for Dogs

Well, the news is not so good that we're jumping for joy or anything, but when it comes to puppy mills, we cheer for any little bit of good news and our tails are wagging today.

According to the Missouri Department of Agriculture, not only has there been a dramatic increase in the number of commercial dog breeder inspections in the past two years, but 60 more dog breeders have closed their operations since June 2011.  Translation:  from January 2009 to the present, there has been a one-third reduction in the number of licensed commercial dog breeders in the state of Missouri. 

Now, that's definitely something to bark about!

Many folks, like Bob Baker, Executive Director for the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation, believe this decrease can be attributed to increasing public awareness brought about by the MO Prop B campaign, increased enforcement efforts by the MO Dept of Agriculture, as well as the passage of the Canine Cruelty Prevention Act.  Baker also reports:

"Not only have we seen increased efforts by the Missouri Department of Agriculture, but we are also witnessing a remarkable change in attitude from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).  At a recent meeting with commercial dog breeders, USDA officials proclaimed that their days of educating breeders are over and that the USDA is now in "enforcement" mode. The message repeated over and over again, by several USDA officials, was to clean up your act and comply with the law or get out of the business.  One USDA inspector told the 200 plus breeders in attendance that if they truly want to rid themselves of the moniker of "puppy mill," they need to stop confining their dogs in tiny cages.  He stated that the new law here in Missouri will help accomplish that change.   

"Dr. Chester Gipson, who is responsible for the enforcement of the federal Animal Welfare Act, admitted at this meeting that public awareness of the puppy mill issue has been very successful in gaining their attention and moving them toward more vigorous enforcement. It is reassuring to learn that all of our efforts, while less than encouraging at times, are beginning to pay off. 

"Dr. Gipson further announced that USDA will, within a year, be issuing new rules that would require breeders who sell multiple puppies over the Internet to be federally licensed and regulated by the U. S. Department of Agriculture for the first time ever. Currently, Internet sellers are exempt from the Animal Welfare Act which only covers breeders for the wholesale market such as those who breed dogs for pet stores. This is a significant development as many wholesale breeders have merely switched to selling over the Internet to avoid federal inspections and regulations. "

Now, that is good news.  Excuse us while we do some more barking.

Puppy Mills: White House Petition Signatures Over 10,000

According to the Humane Society of the United States, in less than ten days since its filing, a petition submitted to the White House asking President Obama to crack down on puppy mills has gathered more than 10,600 signatures - doubling the threshold needed to assure an official response.

The Humane Society of the United States, the ASPCA, and the Humane Society Legislative Fund submitted this petition using a new feature on the White House website called "We the People," which allows individuals to seek federal action.  In turn, the White House promises a response to any petition gathering at least 5,000 signatures within 30 days.  The anti-puppy mill petition met the requirement in less than one week, and as of yesterday has received more than 10,600 signatures.  The petition is now the most popular animal related petition on the White House website, and one of the top 15 overall.

The US Department of Agriculture recently issued a proposed rule to prohibit the import of puppies younger than six months of age from foreign puppy mills for commercial resale in the United States, implementing a law passed by Congress in the 2008 Farm Bill.  This White House petition calls on that agency to close a loophole in the Animal Welfare Act which regulates large scale commercial dog breeders who sell puppies wholesale to brokers or pet stores, but provides no oversight or standards for those who sell directly to the public through newspaper ads or the Internet.

Additional signatures are still encouraged to allow the petition to reach the status of "most popular" on the White House website.  Those who wish to sign should go to:  wh.gov/gdb.

Puppy Mills: US Pet Stores Take Pledge

Thanks to the efforts of local advocates, 46 pet stores across the nation have recently signed The Humane Society of the United States' Puppy Friendly Pet Stores pledge — committing not to sell puppies, and instead support local animal adoption programs and provide literature that helps customers learn how to locate a reputable dog breeder. The HSUS applauds these retailers because their actions prove it is not necessary to support the cruel puppy mill trade to operate a successful pet-related business.

"These stores have set a positive example of corporate responsibility for other businesses to follow," said Melanie Kahn, senior director of the puppy mills campaign for The HSUS. "Pet stores that profit from the cruel puppy mill industry need to step up and do the right thing by stopping their puppy sales. I am thrilled to have wonderful local advocates working in our area to increase the public's awareness of puppy mills."

Store owners and managers who sign The HSUS' pledge receive a placard proclaiming, "We love puppies; that's why we don't sell them," to display in the store, as well as materials about adopting a dog or finding a responsible breeder. The HSUS encourages shoppers to purchase pet supplies at stores displaying the puppy-friendly sign.

The retailers that have recently signed the puppy friendly pledge to not sell puppies are:

• An-Jan Feed & Pet Supply (Calif.): locations in San Jose, Milpitas, and Morgan Hill.
• PET CLUB (Calif.): locations in Corte Madera, San Mateo, Hayward, Mountain View, Emeryville, South San Francisco, San Jose, Elk Grove, Fairfield, Santa Rosa.
• Centinela Feed & Pet Supplies (Calif.): locations in Burbank, Costa Mesa, Culver City, Encino, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Rancho Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, Santa Monica, Torrance, Westchester, and West Los Angeles.
• Natural Pawz (Texas): locations in Houston, The Woodlands, Vintage Park, Sugar Land
• Woof Gang Bakery: locations in Naples, Fla., Celebration, Fla., Orlando, Fla., Sarasota, Fla., Windermere, Fla., Lutz, Fla., Austin, Texas, and Asheville, N.C. 

Policy Helps Dogs Across the United States

The majority of pet stores that sell puppies carry dogs from puppy mills, which are mass production facilities that churn out large numbers of puppies under inhumane conditions. The breeding dogs at puppy mills spend their entire lives in cramped cages or kennels with little or no personal attention or quality of life. Consumers who purchase puppies from pet stores or over the Internet without seeing a breeder's home firsthand are often unknowingly supporting this cruel puppy mill industry.

Facts:

• Approximately one-third of the nation's 9,000 independent pet stores sell puppies.
• The HSUS estimates that 2 million to 4 million puppy mill puppies are sold each year in the United States.
• 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 online sellers often use attractive Web sites to hide the truth and to dupe consumers into thinking that they are dealing with a small, 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.
• Over the past three years, 16 states have passed laws to crack down on puppy mills.

New Puppy Mill Regulations Proposed in Missouri

Recently the Missouri Department of Agriculture issued proposed regulations as required by law to fully implement the Canine Cruelty Prevention Act (CCPA).  This new law establishes increased standards of care for dogs housed in commercial breeding facilities in Missouri.  

One very important piece of this law is the requirement for an annual veterinary exam which is essential to protect the health and physical welfare of these breeding dogs.  At the time this CCPA compromise legislation was worked out the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation, the Humane Society of Missouri and other animal welfare groups insisted an annual vet exam of each dog be written into the CCPA.

As written and passed by Missouri lawmakers, the new CCPA law requires dog breeding facility owners to provide "necessary veterinary care" for each dog over the age of six months.  This is further defined as "at minimum, examination at least once yearly by a licensed veterinarian, prompt treatment of any serious illness or injury by a licensed veterinarian, and, where needed, humane euthanasia by a licensed veterinarian..."

Now the Missouri Department of Agriculture is feeling pressure from commercial dog breeders to weaken this provision to require only a "visual inspection" of the dogs rather than a complete hands-on physical examination.  Many of these breeders are even insisting that the dogs do not need to be removed from their cages for this required annual examination.  Predictably, one of their main concerns appears to be the added expense of a hands-on exam versus a visual inspection of their dogs.

An adequate veterinary examination is crucial to ensure the welfare of dogs in mass breeding establishments. Most responsible companion animal owners take the time and spend the money to have their dogs physically examined by a veterinarian at least once a year.

Commercial dog breeders seek to make a profit off their animals. They should be expected to provide an appropriate level of veterinary care, especially in light of the dogs' constant stressful living conditions and the intense physical demands of incessant breeding, pregnancy, nursing puppies, and so on.

No reasonable person taking their dog to a veterinarian for an "examination" would be satisfied if the vet merely looked inside the carrying crate and deemed their dog to be healthy. Yet this is what many commercial breeders in Missouri have accepted for years as adequate standard procedure, and this is what many are demanding once again.

What can you do?  The official comment period for changing or approving the proposed regulations ends on September 30.  Missouri's state veterinarian, Dr. Taylor Woods is in charge of the regulations.  Write a letter to Dr. Woods urging that "veterinary examination" in the regulations be clearly defined as an annual "hands-on physical veterinary examination."  And that this mandatory requirement be specifically written into the regulations.

Your letter should be send to:

Dr. Taylor H. Woods

State Veterinarian

Missouri Department of Agriculture

PO Box 630

Jefferson City, MO  65102-0630

Missouri Puppy Mill Owner Surrenders 50 Dogs

On September 13, a commercial dog breeder contacted Wayside Waifs in Kansas City for assistance.  The Collins, Missouri dog breeder had decided to shut down his operation and wanted to immediately surrender more than 50 dogs.  If Wayside Waifs was unable to take them, he planned to send the dogs to auction where they would be purchased by another dog breeder and subjected to more years of non-stop breeding.

Wayside Waifs went into action.  Kennels were prepared and their volunteer Bath Brigade was mobilized.  When the animals arrived at Wayside that afternoon they received a thorough vet exam, vaccinations, food, baths, and they were also given names for the first time in their lives.  

These are just the first few steps in their transition from former puppy mill residents to a family's cherished pet.  Over the next few weeks they will be made available for adoption.

For Love of a Dog is barking about puppy mills this week as we count down to September 17 - National Puppy Mill Awareness Day 2011.

Puppy Mill Lemon Laws

We're barking about puppy mills this week as we count down to September 17 - National Puppy Mill Awareness Day 2011.

According to the ASPCA, if you buy a puppy from a pet shop, you run a high risk of taking home a sick animal.  Respiratory infections including pneumonia, as well as hereditary defects like hip dysplasia and severe allergies, are common among the indiscriminately bred puppies sold by commercial breeders.  If you have purchased a pet-store puppy who turned out to be sick, you may have some recourse.  Twenty states have enacted "Lemon Laws" that make pet stores financially responsible for sick animals purchased from them.  

These states have enacted laws that protect consumers when purchasing pets:  Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia.  While each state's laws differ with regard to time limits and conditions under which a purchaser may return a companion animal, all these states allow a consumer to return a "defective pet" and receive a refund or exchange.  Some allow pet owners to retain the pet and receive reimbursement for vet expense.  All cover dogs, fifteen states also cover cats.  For more information visit the Animal Legal and Historical Center at the Michigan State University College of Law.

As of yesterday, there's a new law proposed in Michigan that would entitle pet owners to a refund if their dog has a defect due to coming from a Puppy Mill.

Puppy Mills: Canadian Pet Store Chain Says No More

According to the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation, PJ's Pets, a large Canadian pet store chain, announced that they will no longer sell puppies in any of their 41 stores. As of September 1st, their focus will be to support pet adoption services in an effort to find homes for thousands of pets in local animal shelters and rescues across Canada. 

This is a very positive development for the welfare of dogs. It will not only help alleviate the homeless animal problem in Canada but will also help alleviate the suffering of puppy mill dogs here in Missouri and other Midwestern states. PJ's Pets has for years acquired many of their puppies from commercial dog breeders in Missouri. 

Hopefully, as more retailers and consumers become aware of the source of pet store dogs, namely puppy mills, demand for such puppies will wane and there will be a resultant decrease in the number of commercial dog breeders who mass produce dogs in often substandard conditions. 

Public awareness combined with better laws and regulations, along with increased enforcement efforts, are making a difference in the plight of dogs in Missouri's puppy mills.

Missouri Puppy Mills: Dog Kennels Closing

According to the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation, more than 500 commercial dog breeding kennels have closed up shop since January 2009.  Surely it's not a coincidence that is when animal welfare groups first launched a statewide ballot campaign (MO Prop B) to clean up the dog breeding industry in Missouri.  It is expected that such a decrease in the number of licensed facilities will mean increased inspections for the breeders who have stayed in business.

Missouri Puppy Mills: First Canine Cruelty Rescue Under New Law Video

Video of the first puppy mill rescue made as a result of the new Missouri Canine Cruelty Prevention Act.

The Office of the Missouri Attorney General and the Missouri Department of Agriculture partnered with the Humane Society of Missouri Animal Cruelty Task Force to rescue 73 adult dogs and puppies from a breeding facility in Monett, Lawrence County, Missouri.

On June 28 a temporary restraining order was issued against the owner, Linda Brisco, for violations of the Animal Care Facilities Act and the newly enacted Canine Cruelty Prevention Act.

According to inspections by the Missouri Department of Agriculture, Brisco's facility:

• failed to provide adequate veterinary care to animals in obvious medical distress
• failed to clean and sanitize the facility, allowing excrement in food receptacles and dirty, muddy drinking water
• failed to keep sick, aged, or young animals in indoor or sheltered housing facilities
• failed to equip housing facilities with disposal and drainage systems in order to keep animal waste and water eliminated so the animals stayed dry
• failed to provide shade for the dogs
• failed to collect and remove animal waste - in some places feces had accumulated to the point that it was indistinguishable from the flooring
• failed to provide housing that protected the animals from injury

In addition, the owner routinely used a gunshot as a means of euthanasia, also in violation of the law.

On July 14, 2011, Brisco agreed to surrender all animals to the Humane Society of Missouri, surrender her Missouri Department of Agriculture commercial breeder license and will not operate a dog breeding facility for at least the next 6 yearts.

Missouri Puppy Mills: New Canine Cruelty Prevention Web Site

The Missouri Attorney General Office website now includes a Canine Cruelty web page where Missourians can learn more about the laws regulating animal care facilities and can file a complaint against substandard facilities.

Attorney General Chris Koster said legislation enacted by the General Assembly in April gives his office expanded enforcement authority for commercial breeders who fail to abide by the tougher standards imposed by the newly enacted Canine Cruelty Prevention Act. He has since established a Canine Cruelty Prevention Unit with an attorney dedicated to enforcing the new laws.

The new web page can be accessed at www.ago.mo.gov/CanineCruelty/. The site includes a canine cruelty complaint form where consumers can lodge a complaint against unlicensed breeders or breeders against whom they have animal cruelty or consumer complaints. The Canine Cruelty Prevention Unit will investigate all complaints. 

Also included is an information chart that explains the revisions to Missouri’s animal welfare laws, as well as a copy of the newly enacted legislation. There is also a list of frequently asked questions and access to the Attorney General’s Hotline, where individuals can call with complaints. Koster said hotline operators have been trained on the Animal Care Facilities Act and the new Canine Cruelty Prevention Act.

“We have an obligation to protect the wellbeing of animals, and Missouri has recognized that obligation by passing laws outlining acceptable standards for pet breeders and commercial pet dealers,” Koster said. “For too long, Missouri has had a reputation as a safe harbor for ‘puppy mills.’ We intend to change that reputation so that Missouri sets the standard for animal care facilities.”

The Canine Cruelty Prevention Act, aka the Missouri Solution, was approved by the Missouri legislature and signed into law by Governor Jay Nixon on April 27, 2011. The Act, the result of an agreement between the Missouri Department of Agriculture, commercial dog breeding and farming interests and Missouri-based animal welfare organizations, strengthens standards for veterinary care and living conditions for dogs in commercial breeding facilities. The Act also gives the Attorney General’s Office the authority to file criminal charges for “canine cruelty,” the authority to seek civil penalties for offenders and to seek enhanced penalties for repeat offenders.

Puppy Mills: Living Your Life Entire in a Cage

In the summer of 2010, Madonna of the Mills took their cage to Union Square in New York City to see how people would feel about living their entire life in a cage only 6 inches bigger than they are.  Just like thousands of puppy mill dogs across the country.

Puppy Mills: Conversation with a Puppy Mill Owner

A Madonna of the Mills video of a conversation with a Mennonite puppy mill owner.  He and his wife care for 300 dogs.

Puppy Mills in Missouri: Second Lawrence County Facility in Trouble

According to the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation, continuing efforts to crack down on substandard breeding facilities in Missouri have yielded charges against a second facility in Lawrency County.  The MO Attorney General's office entered a consent judgement against Shirley Gilbert for violations of the new Aninal Care Facilities Act.

Gilbert operated Wolfgang's Puppies and Gee Gee's Yorkies.  Gilbert operated her breeding facility without a license;  failed to provide adequate veterinary care to animals who were in obvious medical distress;  failed to provide adequate ventilation and odor control;  failed to provide clean, dry bedding and wind and rain breaks to protect the dogs from the elements;  failed to collect and remove animal waste;  failed to clean and sanitize the facility or to provide adequate space for the dogs;  and failed to provide housing that protected the animals from injury.

Puppy Mills: Madonna of the Mills Video

Don't miss the HBO premiere of Madonna of the Mills on August 24 (8 pm on HBO2) and take a peak at this video to get an glimpse of this documentary film that no dog lover should miss.

Missouri Puppy Mill Shut Down: Linda Brisco's Moser Kennel

The puppy mill shut down in Missouri yesterday is Moser Kennel.  Owned and operated by Linda Brisco in Lawrence County, Missouri.  She is the first dog breeder to be prosecuted under Missouri's Proposition B changes for violating the law.

Briso is charged with allowing excess build up of feces on flooring surfaces, allowing water sources to become dirty, and failing to keep sick, aged or young dogs indoors.  She's also accused of not allowing adequate veterinarian visits.  Brisco also failed to provide adequate shade for animals, as well as housing that protected the animals from injury.

On June 28, Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster obtained a restraining order stopping Brisco from operating the business and allowing the Department of Agriculture to inspect the dogs on her property in preparation for trial.