Busted: Dog Fighting Ring in KS MO and TX

Photo: ASPCA

According to a press release from the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals:

At the request of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the United States Attorney’s Office, the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), in conjunction with the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department and Henry County Sheriff’s Department, assisted in a multi-state, federal dog fighting raid in Missouri, Kansas and Texas this past weekend. The ASPCA managed the removal and transport of nearly 100 dogs involved in the investigation, and is overseeing forensic evidence collection, as well as the dogs’ veterinary care and sheltering.
A search warrant was executed on Saturday night in Kansas, after the FBI raided a location suspected of holding a contract dog fight in north Texas. The ASPCA and other agencies, including the Humane Society of North Texas (HSNT), assisted in the seizure of the dogs. Two additional warrants were served on Sunday morning for the removal of the dogs in Missouri.
The dogs were transferred to a temporary shelter in an undisclosed location, where they will receive veterinary care from the ASPCA’s medical team, led by Dr. Sarah Kirk, medical director of ASPCA Field Investigations and Response. The HSNT will manage the transport of dogs seized from the Texas investigation.
Agencies assisting the ASPCA with the sheltering operation include: Wayside Waifs (Kansas City, Mo.); International Fund for Animal Welfare (Yarmouth Port, Mass.); Nebraska Humane Society (Omaha, Ne.); Humane Society of North Texas (Fort Worth, Texas); Dallas Animal Services (Dallas, Texas); Sumter Disaster Animal Response Team (Bushnell, Fla.); and Great Plains SPCA (Merriam, Kan.).

The ASPCA Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) team, assisting under the direction of the FBI, is collecting forensic evidence to be submitted for prosecution. The CSI team brings state-of-the-art forensics tools and expertise to crime scenes in order to strengthen cases. The ASPCA will also collect DNA samples from the dogs and submit them to Canine CODIS (Combined DNA Index System), the nation’s first criminal dog-fighting DNA database, which will help law enforcement agencies identify relationships between dogs and enable investigators to establish connections between breeders, trainers and dog fighting operators.

The ASPCA was contacted for assistance by the FBI and the Missouri State Highway Patrol in the criminal investigation, evidence collection, rescue and sheltering efforts of the case. The ASPCA has assisted local and federal authorities in previous dog fighting cases, including the largest dog fighting seizure in U.S. history in Missouri in 2009, and the following year established its Blood Sports unit to investigate dog fighting and cockfighting across the country.

Dog fighting is a felony in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Additional illegal activities are often connected with dog fighting, such as drug and weapons violations. Earlier this year, the Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act was reintroduced in the U.S. Congress, which would make it a federal offense to attend an organized animal fight and impose additional penalties for bringing a minor to a fight. For more information on the ASPCA’s efforts to tackle animal fighting and to join the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade, please click here.

According to the Associated Press, two men were charged in the U.S. District Court for Kansas, with one count each of transporting animals for participation in an animal fighting venture in interstate commerce. 

The complaint accuses the men of holding weekly dogfights in northwest Missouri, training the dogs at a home residence in Kansas City, Kansas, where the dogs were put on treadmills with live chickens used as bait.  The complaint also says at least one dog was taken to Texas last weekend for fighting.

Missouri Puppy Mills: Dog Breeders Ordered to Provide Humane Care

A judge has denied the request presented by a group of Missouri dog breeders for a preliminary injunction and has ruled that dog breeders must continue to provide humane care.

I just received this news from the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation.  Some of the assertions by the dog breeders in this lawsuit were pretty unbelievable.  So, I'm re-printing straight from MAAL.  I've used bold and red to call your attention to some of the most shocking court statements.

"A group representing 83 dog breeders in the state of Missouri has brought a lawsuit in an effort to thwart the new regulations promulgating humane standards of care for dogs confined in puppy mills. These new regulations are the result of the passage of the Canine Cruelty Prevention Act in 2011. The breeders' group sought a temporary restraining order against the regulations and when that failed, they sought a hearing to argue for a preliminary injunction against the regulations. After the hearing on January 11, Judge Jon Beetem, of the Circuit Court of Cole County, dismissed the request for preliminary injunction but will allow the dog breeders to argue their case at trial later this year.

The rejection of the injunction is an important victory as it means that dog breeders will have to continue to comply with the regulations--some of which are due for enforcement at the end of January. An injunction would have permitted dog breeders to flaunt the new regulations and continue to deny breeding dogs access to the outdoors until the case is resolved later in the year. 

The hearing was quite telling about the commercial dog breeding industry in Missouri.

One breeder testified that when she was told she had to provide her dogs with access to the outdoors, she chose to kill them rather than comply with the new rule. She had her veterinarian euthanize 72 of them and proudly presented a photo of 25 dead dogs to the judge as evidence of how her business has been hurt since passage of the new law.

Another breeder in the courtroom audience stated that she also destroyed her dogs rather than comply with new rules and bragged that she only had to pay her vet $7 per dog to have them euthanized.

While some of the testimony was a tragic exposure of how dogs are exploited in the commercial dog breeding industry, some of the testimony proved farcical as the breeders and their representatives argued that they did not know what "constant" and "unfettered" access to the outdoors meant. They claimed that since the regulations did not define the terms, the breeders were left in the dark. One witness under cross examination by the attorney general's office was asked to read the definition of "constant" and "unfettered" from the dictionary. After reading the definition, the witness claimed that nowhere in the regulations did it say to refer to the dictionary for meaning of the words. He claimed not to know to use a dictionary for words he did not understand. He argued that "even words with defined meaning need further clarification from the Department of Agriculture."  

Another breeder testified that her dogs cannot be outside as they are too excitable and the excitement of being outside could kill them. She said she could not risk them being outside as a car might backfire or children might walk by her yard. Any excitement could cause them to die. This, of course, raises the question as to whether she informs her customers that the puppies she is selling are restricted to indoor use only for their entire life and can never go outside even to relieve themselves. This breeder testified that "outside air causes loss of ventilation" for dogs. She alleged that six dogs died of heatstroke and excitability when she tried an outdoor exercise plan. 

The breeders argued that dogs do not need access to sunlight and even expressed objection to providing extra bedding to dogs housed outside in winter weather claiming they did not know what "extra bedding" meant. The breeders also argued against the requirement for heavy duty tarps for windbreaks for dogs housed outside.

An Assistant Attorney General summed it up well for the judge when he asserted that dogs are simply commodities to commercial dog breeders."

I guess I could have used bold and red throughout the article since almost all of the above has me banging my head against my desk.  So goes the fight in Missouri about puppy mills / commercial dog breeding.

Adopt a Pit Bull Dog: Slater, Zephyr, Titania, Bumblebee

Slater is a male adult Pit Bull who weighs 50-60 pounds.  White with brindle patches, he's a beautiful boy!

Currently in a foster home with two foster sisters, he knows "sit" and "shake."  His foster mom reports that Slater is a major cuddler and likes to be as close as possible to his humans.

Slater is available for adoption and / or sponsorship at the Missouri Pit Bull Rescue.

 Zephyr is an American Staffordshire adult male who weighs 50 to 60 pounds. This beautiful boy was on death row in an animal shelter with a breed ban.  In fact, he was scheduled to be euthanized the next day when the Missouri Pit Bull Rescue pulled him out of the shelter.   Zephyr is currently staying in the MPR mini shelter.  He's a sweet cuddler and has wonderful house members.

 Titiana is a female American Staffordshire who is somewhere between 2 and 5 years old.  She weighs approximately 70 pounds and may not be good with other dogs.  Until her arrival at MPR, life had dealt her a bad hand.  She found herself in an overcrowded city shelter, as an unwanted and neglected breeding machine.
MPR was working hard to make room for her in their program when she was adopted by possibly a worse person than her original owner.  She was then turned into a chained dog, living outside in horrible conditions, in a municipality with a breed ban.

Titiana's luck changed the day police were called to her location due to another dog being dangerous on the property.  The officers shot the other dog, but confiscated Titania for being the wrong breed at the wrong place.  Taken to another animal shelter, this time Titania was saved by MPR. Responsive, tolerant and mild tempered, this beautiful girl loves going on car rides and being a couch potato.

Currently at MPR's mini shelter, Titania is a big, lovable, wanna-be-lapdog.

 Bumblebee is a female Pit Bull / French Bulldog who is somewhere around 3 years old.  She's a beautiful buckskin color and weighs 32 pounds.  She was confiscated by animal control from a cruel situation.  Living on a chain with inadequate food and shelter all her life, Bumblebee was a breeding machine and might have been used for dog fighting.

A forgiving little soul, Bumblebee loves people and is fantastic with children, even toddlers.  She is very gentle and loves to be held and cuddled.  Awkward socially with other dogs, she would probably be happiest as an only pet.

All of the dogs featured today are available for adoption from the Missouri Pit Bull Rescue.

The Missouri Pit Bull Rescue (MPR) is dedicated to promoting responsible Pit Bull ownership, providing breed education, combating pet overpopulation, fighting unfair legislation, and finding qualified homes for sound Pit Bulls in Missouri.

Located in Independence, Missouri, MPR is an all volunteer rescue group.  They're committed to rescuing any Pit Bull that needs help, regardless of where they come from.  MPR works with several animal shelters and animal control facilities in the Kansas City region and regularly pull Pit Bulls from "death row."  They are licensed with the State of Missouri and authorized to rescue dogs from animal shelters that do not adopt out Pit Bulls to the public.

Dogs adopted from Missouri Pit Bull Rescue adoption information:

• spayed or neutered prior to adoption
• microchipped, up-to-date on vaccinations and on heartworm prevention according to age.
• an on-line application, homecheck and references are required. 

Can't adopt right now?  Consider becoming a sponsor of an MPR dog.  MPR rescues and treats dogs with all kind of medical issues. From mange to broken bones, flea infestation to severe malnutrition, heartworm disease to allergies, cruciate knee, luxating patellas, etc. Not only do these dogs survive, they flourish and become cherished pets. Some have even gone on to be Canine Good Citizens, Therapy Dogs, Search & Rescue Dogs, and more. 

Rescuing dogs is a very expensive endeavor and volunteers have their hands full. We can't always keep up. You can help out by donating money or sponsoring a Pit Bull in MPR care to ease our burden and make it possible to continue rescuing more precious souls. MPR does not have paid staff. 100% of all donations received go directly to the care of our rescued dogs. Donations are tax deductible.

VA Says No Service Dogs Benefits for PTSD Sufferers

Though I'm really not a big (personal) fan of social media, I do rely on it for news bites.  And I saw something shocking on Facebook yesterday.  Canines with a Cause posted a link to an article about service dog benefits no longer being allowed by the US Department of Veteran Affairs (VA).

What?!

You read that correctly.  If you are a veteran with vision, hearing or mobility related injuries, you may receive service-dog benefits.  However, veterans who only suffer with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) or another mental health disability, will not qualify.

The VA justified its decision by saying that they'd not been able to determine that service dogs provide medical benefit to veterans with mental illness.  They also cited nationally established and widely accepted training protocols for sight, hearing and mobility assistance dogs and the lack of similar training protocols for mental health service dogs.

According to an article written by Christine Stapleton of The Palm Beach Post:

“Veterans with service dogs were baffled by the rule.

“You get doctors and people telling you that you’re not disabled enough,” said Jim Stanek, an infantryman in the U.S. Army who served three tours of combat duty in Iraq. Stanek, who has been diagnosed with PTSD and traumatic brain injury, helped found Paws and Stripes, a non-profit group in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that provides service dogs and training to veterans with PTSD and mental health disabilities.

“What do I have to do? Have my leg amputated?” Stanek asked. “Is that what I need to do to get what I need to recover?

"Service dogs are individually trained to perform tasks for a specific person. Some of the tasks performed to assist veterans with PTSD include surveying darkened rooms, turning on lights, re-orienting their owner during nightmares or flashbacks, navigating through crowds, sensing anxiety, enforcing boundaries for personal space and retrieving a cellphone, said Sally Chester, secretary of Genesis Assistance Dogs Inc. of West Palm Beach.”

You can read the final draft of rules concerning veterans in need of service dogs here.

Canines With a Cause is a non-profit organization that helps shelter dogs find homes by training them to work as companion, therapy and service dogs for veterans in need.  According to them, a Pentagon study found that one in four veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from PTSD, depression or anxiety.

S.O.S. for Lilly - Guest Post

Lilly and Roxanne Hawn 

Talking Dogs:  Many years ago a stray Border Collie dog adopted me.  I named her Lizzy and loved her dearly.  She became ill and I could not afford thousands of dollars for surgery and treatment.  I had to let her go to the Rainbow Bridge.  I vowed that day that money would never be the cause of any of my dogs' deaths ever again.  

 Today we have a guest post by Jana who writes the Dawg Business blog.  I asked Jana to tell you about another Border Collie, Lilly, who desperately needs our help.  I chipped in and I hope you will, too.

*     *     *

Lilly of Champion of My Heart is a spirited Border Collie, who was rescued from the Humane Society of Boulder Valley in October 2004.

Lilly is fighting for her life. Over half a year ago she suffered severe adverse reaction to her routine rabies vaccine. At first she just seemed under the weather, which was not unusual for her after getting vaccinated. A week later, though, she ended up in an intensive care with high fever, extreme lethargy, and inability to walk. She was diagnosed with vaccine-induced meningoencephalitis (inflammation of the brain the the lining around the brain).

This was a start of a long battle, paved with struggle and setbacks. She was slowly improving, with new challenges popping up.

And then came the latest setback, with Lilly ending up back in intensive care, nearly dead. The inflammation returned with a vengeance and hit the brain stem this time. For several days she was fighting for her life. She survived this last horror, but her life is still hanging by a thread.

On top of all the other medications, she needs a course of specialized chemo therapy. Nobody knows how many treatments this will take or if it will work at all.

Meanwhile, the finances have been exhausted. On top of worrying about Lilly's health, now the worry of not being able to afford the care she will need to make it and recover looms over her head also.

I am no stranger to such situation, been there twice. The first time we did ended up having to put our dog down, simply because we didn't have the money to save her life. The second time, an online community of dog lovers answered our call for help. It was the best gift I was ever given – the gift of
life for my dog!

Today, I am turning to you, asking for help to save Lilly. Can we be there for her?

Puppy Mill News

In Missouri...  Attorney General Chris Koster recently pledged to close down abusive puppy mills in Missouri.  Koster stated:

"I'm sick of hearing people refer to our state as the puppy mill capital of the nation.  These mills are notorious for viciously abusing their dogs.  And these breeders are known for putting their own profit above proper dog care."

Shortly after making this announcement his office shut down a Carter County, Missouri, dog breeder for violations of the MO Animal Care Facilities Act. We applaud Koster's aggressive efforts against abusive puppy mills and wish him well in the November elections.

First Quantitative Evidence:  Puppy Mills Injurious to Mental Health and Welfare of Dogs
According to the Missouri Alliance for Animal Welfare (MAAL):

Abbreviated Study Abstract:
Canine commercial breeding establishments (CBEs) are kennel facilities where puppies are produced in large numbers for commercial sale. In the popular media, CBEs are commonly referred to as "puppy mills" or "puppy farms." Conditions in CBEs vary widely in quality. Dogs in these facilities are routinely housed for their entire reproductive lives in cages or runs, and provided with minimal to no positive human interaction or other forms of environmental enrichment. Numerous anecdotal reports have suggested that after removal from CBEs many of the former breeding dogs display persistent behavioural and psychological abnormalities when compared with the general pet dog population. The purpose of this study was to determine if this anecdotal evidence could be confirmed empirically.

By demonstrating that dogs maintained in these environments develop extreme and persistent fears and phobias, possible learning deficits as evidenced by lower trainability, and often show difficulty in coping successfully with normal existence, this study provides the first quantitative evidence that the conditions prevailing in CBEs are injurious to the mental health and welfare of dogs.

Read the entire study by  Franklin D. McMillan, Deborah L. Duffy, and James A. Serpell.

Largest Dog Brokers in the US Goes Out of Business
Mahaska, Kansas based Lambriar Kennels blames the poor economy, increased rules and regulations, and animal welfare activists for their closure.  Many puppies brokered through this facility over the years were purchased from Missouri dog breeders.  In business for 44 years, Lambriar Kennels made their last shipment of puppies in June.

Westminster Dog Show 2012 Welcomes 6 New Dog Breeds

The 2012 Westminster Dog show is February 13 and 14 at Madison Square Garden.  This year they welcome six new dog breeds to this competition which is in it's 136th year and includes 179 other dog breeds.

• The American English coonhound - bred from Virginia hounds which were descended from English foxhounds.
• The Cesky terrier = a short-legged hunting dog
• The Entlebucher mountain dog - the smallest of the four dog breeds native to Switzerland.
• The Finnish lapphund - reindeer-hearding dogs from northern Scandinavia
• The Norwegian Lundehund - the six-toed "puffin" dog of Norway
• The Xoloitzcuintli - formerly known as the Mexican hairless and the national dog of Mexico.

Dog Rescue and Shelters: $750,000 Awarded in Pedigree Foundation Grants

Congratulations to the Dog Rescue and Animal Shelter groups who will receive a total of $750,000 from the Pedigree Foundation!  Seven Innovation and 691 Operational grants have been awarded thanks to donations from dog lovers.

These one-time grants help fund creative programs and basic operating costs aimed at increasing dog adoptions and helping the more than four million homeless dogs find loving homes.  In 2010, Pedigree Foundation helped shelter and rescue groups give more than 80,000 dogs comfort until they found their forever homes.

This year the 691 shelter and rescue groups receiving Operational grants will each receive $868.  For the second year, the Foundation is awarding $150,000 in Innovation grants.  These grants recognize shelters and rescues that are pioneering the industry with new ideas and efforts to help find dogs forever homes.  

Seven selected shelters will receive between $10,000 and $25,000 in grant money to fund their unique programs aimed at helping increase dog adoptions.  They were chosen out of almost 200 grant applications.

2011 Pedigree Foundation Innovation Grant Winners:

• Paw Prints Humane Society of Sedona, Ind of Sedona, AZ was awareded $10,000 to help fund the Mobile Adoption Vehicle to help increase adoptions, increase community education and awareness and serve as an emergency evacuation vehicle for at-risk animals in the Northern Arizona area.
• Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Eatontown, NJ was awared $25,000 to help fund a Dog Behavioral Department which uses positive reinforcement training and enrichment to increase the adoptability of shelter dogs.  The program focuses especially on those who come into the shelter with behavioral issues or who deveolp behaviors as a result of an extended stay in the shelter system.
• Humane Society of Rochester and Monroe County PCA of Fairport, NY, was awared $10,000 to help fund the Behavior Modification and Enrichment Program to help dogs change behavior and ultimately find an adoptive family and forever home.
• Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) of Philadelphia, PA, was awarded $25,000 to help fund "Adopt a South Philly Dog" program which increases dog adoptions in this densely populated area with few walk-in adoption facilities.
• Nashville Humane Associating of Nashville, TN, was awarded $14,000 for a research program that will evaluate staff training and adoption policies of collaborative organizations that use visual and staff-based experience to identify dog breeds and mixes of those breeds.  This program is aimed ato increase dog adoption and retention.
• Oklahoma Humane Society of Oklahoma City, OK, was awarded $25,000 to help fund the Homeward Bound Transport Program to safely and efficiently transport 80 dogs at a time from high-risk situations to safe outcomes.
• SPCA for Monterey County of Monterey, CA, was awarded $25,000 for its "Take the Lead" program which pairs dogs with at-risk youth.  During each five week course, the youth are tasked with teaching their dogs basic skills and providing one-on-one interaction.  The dogs learn new skills which make them more adoptable and the children learn important life, leadership and communication skills as they work to teach un-socialized dogs who to be great canine citizens through positive reinforcement.

 
For a complete list of 2011 Operation and Innovation Grant recipients, to make a donation or gather more information on Pedigree Foundation, visit www.PedigreeFoundation.org

Dog Shoplifts Christmas Bone

Even if you've seen this video news footage before, we think it's worth another look.  In December 2008, a dog trotted into a grocery store in Murray, Utah and shoplifted a rawhide bone. 

Mystery solved.  The shoplifting dog came forward and made restitution!  Though we're not crazy about the fact this dog was free to walk the 5.9 miles to commit the crime, it is an amazing story.

Joplin Tornado: Over 650 Pets Adopted, More Are Available

According to the ASPCA more than 650 dogs and cats were adopted from the Joplin Humane Society on Saturday and Sunday at the special Adopt-a-thon held for the homeless pets that survived the devastating tornado that hit Joplin on May 22.

The event offered people the chance to adopt a dog or cat without the usual adoption fees.  Over 5,700 people from 24 different states attended during the two day event.  On Saturday 426 pets were adopted.  On Sunday another 234 found homes.

If you couldn't attend the Adopt-a-thon, but would still like to adopt a pet, there are still a few that did not find homes.  In addition, another 200 pets, including newborns and injured animals, will become available for adoption in the coming weeks.  

The Joplin Humane Society will continue to offer free adoption of these animals through July 9.  All pets are spayed or neutered, micro-chipped, vaccinated and come with a free ID tag

Visit the Joplin Humane Society website for more information.   You'll find photographs and detailed information of some of the special needs dogs that are available for adoption.  Please note that you will need to complete an online adoption application and specify which animal you are interested in adopting.

I must note here the good news that a couple of these pets were returned to their owners in the past day!

Many Pets Found New Homes Today: Wayside Waifs Pet Adoption Event

What a pleasure to write about the happy news of so many wonderful dogs and cats finding their furever homes in just one day!

The Adoptathon is underway at Wayside Waifs and continues through Sunday, June 19.  It's a joyful thing to watch this video they just posted of so many dogs and cats who've found new homes and families today!

Pet adoption fees are reduced this weekend only and apply to every animal in their shelter.  Over 300 adoptable dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens, many of them rescued from the storm stricken areas of Joplin and Caruthersville, MO.  These animals were evacuated from those tornado and flood devastated communities and brought to Wayside Waifs for adoption.  Many were surrendered by their owners who can no longer care for them, others were homeless before the storms hit and needed to be transferred to make room for animals displaced by the storms.

Wayside Waifs is located at 3901 Martha Truman Road in Kansas City, MO.  Phone is 816-761-8151 or you can visit the Wayside Waifs web site for more information.

Now, settle in for a great slide show of adopted pets and their new peeps, accompanied by Kenny Chesney's You Had Me from Hello.

Joplin Missouri Tornado: Pet Rescuers Race Against Time

The race is on. The window of opportunity to rescue pets after the devastating tornado that hit Joplin on May 22 is closing.  The bulldozers are on the way and demolition will soon begin.

Postings at community forums around the area point out the fact that not all pets have been found and time is running out. Just one example:  With the talk of demolition starting we NEED to get the word out about the still missing Miss Hanah! PLEASE help circulate her picture and information. White American Bulldog, 110lbs, two different colored eyes. Last seen as recently as Saturday at: 4224 E. 26th street. Her house once stood at 4915 E27th st. Searchers meeting tomorrow at 430 to go into the area to look for her. Please look at her pictures and circulate.  I cannot express how dearly she is missed.

Multiple animal welfare organization are using the Joplin Humane Society as a clinic for sick and injured pets.  Three warehouses are being used as an emergency shelter.  As of this past Friday, 944 pets have been rescued and 292 of those have been reunited with their owners.

One dog gives rescuers hope and underscores their belief that there are other pets that need to be saved.  12 days after the EF5 tornado struck, the ASPCA's on site rescue team found a dehydrated dogin a twister-demolished house, huddled under a bed with debris covering it.

Agencies are still deciding when to draw the line.  Until then they'll keep searching.  As Kyle Held, ASPCA Midwest Director of Field Investigations and Response said:  That's why we do what we do to save the one animal that couldn't be saved.

 

Adopt Rocky: Dog Surrendered Due to Active Military Service

Rocky   Photo: Nathan Gray 

The world turned upside down recently for a dog named Rocky.  His owner, a serviceman from Anderson, South Carolina, is being deployed.  And Rocky is left behind.  He needs a home.  FAST.  He's got only 21 days to find that home.

Inside a cage at Anderson County’s animal shelter, the shy tan and white Labrador-shepherd mix does not compete with his neighbors for the attention of visitors. He won’t run up to the door of his cage and stand on it, begging to be let out. He won’t whine or wag his tail, at first.

But he does appreciate a visitor who will take time with him. And after a few minutes of gentle encouragement, he will burrow his head into the nearest person’s lap.

Rocky was surrendered to the staff at Anderson County’s animal shelter three weeks ago, when his owner, whose name is kept confidential under shelter rules, found out that he would soon have military orders to leave the country.

But the 3-year-old dog could not be put on the shelter’s adoption floor at first; it was already crowded.

This week, Rocky made it to the adoption floor, with his own cage and a bright yellow mat to stretch out on. If he is not adopted, he has 21 days left to live.

Brande Kupfer, who handles day-to-day operations at the shelter, said the staff typically gets at least a dozen dogs a year that are surrendered by military families.

“There are foster programs that are out there for military families with pets,” Kupfer said. “But most of the time, what we hear from families is that they don’t know how long they’ll be deployed, how long they’ll be gone. It might be six months. It might be a year or even longer. They don’t want their dog to get used to living with another family for a year or two, and then suddenly, their owner comes to reclaim them. It’s a shock. They would rather leave their pet at the shelter and hope that another family adopts it.”

The reality is that most of the dogs and cats that come in to Anderson County’s animal shelter don’t get adopted. Of the 14,000 animals that come in every year, 70 percent of them will be euthanized instead of adopted.

This week, the animal shelter advisory committee briefly discussed the possibility of creating a county policy that any pet surrendered by a military family would be fostered until the deployed could come home. Rocky’s arrival was the catalyst for that discussion.

If such a program did exist, officials said, no dog or cat that belonged to a military family would be fostered without its owner’s consent.

But so far, the program is just an idea; it would have to receive the blessing of the county council to become a reality.

In the meantime, Rocky is up for adoption, wearing a red cloth collar, and a separate tag that identifies him only as animal No. 1103448.

Contact the Anderson County PAWS animal shelter at 864-260-4151.  The adoption fee is $65 which includes vaccinations and neutering.

Joplin Missouri Tornado: Pet Rescue in Action by HSMO

Exclusive video of the Humane Society of Missouri Disaster Response Team animal rescue operations in action in Joplin after the May 22 tornado.  Since early last week the 23 member trained Disaster Response Team has been on the scene in Joplin searching for trapped, injured and lost pets.  They've been hard at work rescuing them, transporting them to shelter and helping reunite them with owners affected by the devastation wrought by last Sunday's tornado.  If you're able to make a contribution you may do so at their website.

Dog Saves Dog in Joplin Missouri Tornado Wreckage

A search and rescue dog found another dog yesterday who'd been buried in rubble since the tornado swept through Joplin, Missouri on May 22. 

Joplin Missouri Tornado: Stray Dogs, Cats and More Find Shelter

Pomeranian found Friday. Photo: Amy Buckley

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Dogs, cats, rabbits, parakeets, cockatiels, more than 30 chickens and a pot-bellied pig – animals of all kinds have found shelter at the Joplin Humane Society following last Sunday’s deadly tornado.

Approximately 500 animals have been brought to the temporary shelter set up by ASPCA at the old Dent and Ding appliance next to the humane society’s new building. With close to 100 staff, volunteers and a temporary shelter set up by the ASPCA ,they can house up to 1,200 animals now and they plan to dispense donated pet food and supplies to those affected by the tornado.

Calls started rolling in early Monday and a temporary shelter was set up later that day, opening to the public Tuesday. Wednesday they took in nearly 250 animals. Many families have been reunited with their pets, but even if they cannot take their pets with them it is important to come down and identify them, Aquino said.

They will look at a 14-day window to identify the pets before moving to the adoption process and may reach out to local foster networks to help house the animals. Members of the Neosho-based Faithful Friends Animal Advocates say they’re ready to step in when the temporary operation rolls out, but that moment has not come yet said Kathryn Destreza, southeast regional director ASPCA Investigations and Response.

The shelter will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Organizers ask anyone who is sheltering a dog, but does not know it’s owner to bring them to the shelter so they can be reunified with their families. Pets are also being listed at www.joplinhumanesociety.com. Finding families for the stranded pets is why they are there, Destreza said.

“We love them and we walk them and we take great care of them, but we’re not their family,” she said. “This is all about reunification with the owner.”

Those reporting to the shelter are asked to bring as much identifying information as possible and a picture if possible.

Kathy McDonald was all smiles as she left the shelter Friday afternoon with her pit bull mix Sophia Marie in tow. She was not home when the storm struck, but a neighbor told her he’d seen Sophia headed toward 26th Street.

“I knew she was alive,” McDonald said.

On Thursday, she found her frightened kitten cowering under a piece of drywall. The six-pound cat had lost nearly two pounds.

“She’s still traumatized,” McDonald said.

Her search is not over yet.

“I’ve still got two kittens out there,” she said.

Tim Rickey, southeast regional director ASPCA Investigations and Respons,e once lived in the Joplin area.

“All of my family and my friends are here,” Rickey said. “I’m dealing with the same thing everybody else in this community is. We all know people affected by this.”

Getting animals back to their owners lifts their spirits and helps build the long-term community recovery, he said.

“This is a beacon of hope,” Rickey said.

What you can do:

Volunteers are needed to move supplies and clean cages. They can register at the Joplin Humane Society, but may be placed on a call list. Donations can be placed online at www.joplinhumanesociety.com.

Joplin Missouri Tornado: Dog Cat Pet Rescue Efforts

HSMO Joplin MO Disaster Response 

We live in the Missouri Ozarks.  We've spent a lot of time in the past few days watching the sky and taking cover from tornadoes.  We also recently made a donation to the Humane Society of Missouri for the Joplin Relief Fund.

Their Disaster Response Team is hard at work sifting through rubble in the tornado ravaged town of Joplin to find animals that need help.  70 dogs and cats have been transported from an overwhelmed vet clinic to the Joplin Humane Society, where displaced animals are being sheltered.  Many dogs and cats have also been removed from abandoned properties and taken to safety. 

These trained volunteer Disaster Relief Team members are canvassing the area to rescue distressed pets and providing carriers to residents who need help transporting their animals. 


The HSMO is the lead animal welfare agency (as named by the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency) to respond to disasters and other emergencies in Missouri.  Currently, a 23 person Disaster Response Team consists of animal rescue, sheltering and veterinary professionals and trained emergency volunteers are working in the Joplin area. 

If you'd like to make a donation to help their rescue efforts, you can donate online at their web site www.hsmo.org or by phone at 314-951-1542.   You may also text SAVEPETS to 20222 to donate $10.  Follow their progress at their special, new Joplin Animal Rescue Facebook page.

The Joplin, Missouri area is being overwhelmed with donations of supplies and with volunteers, so a central clearinghouse has been set up to coordinate things.  If you wish to donate supplies, or wish to personally volunteer, to help people or pets, you need to contact the area United Way.   There you'll find up to date information about the most pressing needs. 


Please note:  people are advised NOT to travel to the area unless they've received official authorization.

Purina Incredible Dog Challenge Atlanta 2011 in 3D

Wow.  Check out this 3D video of the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge Eastern Regional competition in Atlanta this year.  Truthfully, I don't own a pair of 3D glass, but I still thoroughly enjoyed this overview of events.

Corner of Your Heart: New Video from Wayside Waifs Animal Rescue

Usually we feature an adoptable dog on Thursdays.  However, today we're doing something a bit different.  Wayside Waifs has released a new video Corner of Your Heart and you may view it below.   Yes, it is targeted at raising funds for Wayside Waifs.  However, it is an excellent look at what a great animal shelter can be.

Wayside Waifs occupies a special corner of our hearts.  We found our sweet yellow Lab mix, Sherman, at Wayside years ago.  

Wayside Waifs is the largest pet adoption center in the Kansas City area.  They are a no-kill animal shelter and do not euthanize adoptable animals.  Founded in 1940, they're funded entirely by donations.

Purina Incredible Dog Challenge 2011 Dates

We can't seem to get enough of the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge and we've been on the lookout for 2011 event dates.  Information is scarce, but we've managed to find the following:

• Incredible Dog Challenge in San Diego, CA will be on June 10 and 11
• Incredible Dog Challenge in St Louis, MO will be on September 30 and October 1

The Incredible Dog Challenge National Championships will be held Sept 30 and October 1 at Purina Farms in Gray Summit, MO.

As soon as we have more information, we'll post it here at Talking Dogs.