Warning! Sad Story Ahead

This is such a sad story. A beagle rescued from a laboratory in Spain and brought to the Los Angeles has run off and his humans are trying to find him. :-(

German Artist Wants to Kill Puppies to Protest Dog Killings

I had to read this twice before it sunk in. I wonder if he was just threatening to do this for the publicity. Bizarre.

An unidentified German actor has been stopped by Berlin’s administrative court, following his announcement that he planned to strangle two puppies with cable wires on stage to protest against the slaughter of sled dogs in Alaska and hunting dogs in Spain, with their death being accompanied by a funeral march music and loud gong. The performance, entitled “Death as Metamorphosis,” was to take place at a Berlin Theater in the Spandau District.

Chinese Dogs Rescued En Route to Butcher

These dogs were rescued by Chinese activists before they could be slaughtered for meat. According to this article from the NPR site, such rescues are occuring more regularly as dogs are increasingly becoming pets. A good story from China for once.

Very Sweet Story about A Rescued Puppy

Awwwwwww.........

Quebec to Review Puppy Mill Laws

The fallout from the huge puppy mill seizure is fueling calls for a review of Quebec's animal rights laws, which are abysmal even for Canada. It's unbelievable that the maximum penalty would be $1,200 if convicted.

Exerpted from CTV News...

Animal welfare workers are calling for stricter laws on breeding facilities after more than 500 allegedly malnourished dogs were seized from a Quebec puppy farm last week.

The dogs were confiscated from Paws "R" Us Kennel in Clarendon Township, about 90 minutes northwest of Ottawa. The raid might represent the largest puppy seizure in Canada.

Under Quebec law, the kennel owners could face a maximum penalty of only $1,200 if convicted of animal cruelty — a penalty that some animal rights advocates say is too lenient.

"You need to reopen the law to change the fines," said a representative from an animal welfare group.

Huge Dog Seizure at Quebec Kennel

This is huge.

Excerpt from the Vancouver Sun....

One of the largest animal rescue operations in Canadian history just got a lot bigger: about 90 puppies have been born since hundreds of dogs were seized northwest of Ottawa.

"We have a lot of puppies here and a lot more puppies coming," said Rebecca Aldworth, the executive director of Humane Society International Canada.

More than 500 dogs were removed from the Paws 'R' Us kennel in Clarendon Township, Que., about 90 kilometres northwest of Ottawa, during the weekend seizure, which was carried out by Humane Society International Canada, Quebec's agriculture and fisheries ministry and area police. The dogs were taken to an emergency shelter in Lachute, about 115 kilometres east of Ottawa.

The dogs will remain there until a custody hearing determines whether they will be returned to the owner of the kennel or placed under the care of the province.

If custody goes to the province, Aldworth said, the humane society will put the dogs up for adoption, regardless of whether the owner is charged or not.

The owner of the kennel has maintained she was targeted by animal rights activists and that inspectors found only trivial violations.

Aldworth said about 100 dogs received critical veterinary care, but could not say how many were expected to survive or suffer long-term health problems. She said the humane society has already received calls from people wanting to adopt from all over Canada.

Mexican Border Town Offers Tax Exemption for Euthanizing Dogs

There's a stray dog problem in San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico. The solution? If you bring in the dog for euthanization, you get a tax exemption...hooray!

Sarcasm there of course. Clearly, there's no spay/neuter program in this place. But there are animal rights activists in Mexico that will hopefully take notice and try to establish some kind of long-term and humane solution.

From Latino Fox News...

Mexican border town has a big dog problem, and it’s not sure what to do about it.

There are about 70,000 stray dogs roaming San Luis Rio Colorado in northern Mexico. That’s one dog for every two inhabitants, according to the BBC.

The town has become so overrun with dogs, that the government began offering a tax exemption of $17 per stray that was offered for euthanasia.

That move prompted an uproar in northern Mexico after animal rights groups argued the government was barking up the wrong tree, and they demanded the town stop what they called unnecessary “dog killings.” Activists said what the government was doing qualified as “animal torture,” and they called for legislative reform.

Legal Issues Arise Surrounding Dogs in Court Cases

Now this is an interesting legal issue! Can dogs be allowed into court rooms as comfort animals for traumatized witnesses or would they be swaying the jury?

Missouri Lawmakers Repealing Puppy Mill Measure Approved by Voters

This is infuriating. Here's a link to the full story...

Months after Missouri voters approved a measure that cracks down on what animal advocates say are some of the nation’s most notorious puppy mills, lawmakers are poised to repeal much of the law, saying the rules are too costly and punish legitimate dog-breeders who generate an estimated $1 billion annually in the state.

Animal advocates complain that elected officials essentially have overruled the will of the people, and they are prepared to put the issue on the ballot again next year.

Mysterious Sled Dog Deaths

Bad allegations connected to Whistler. Full article at the BBC News...

Canadian police are investigating the reported killing of 100 huskies which had been used to pull tourist sleds in the ski resort of Whistler.

An animal rights group claims the dogs were killed inhumanely by an outdoor adventure company and thrown into a mass grave.

Local media reports say business slumped after the 2010 Winter Olympics and the dogs were no longer needed.

The company could not be reached for comment.

"We've opened a police file and assigned an investigator," Police Sergeant Steve LeClair told AFP.
'Throats slit'

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in British Columbia, alleged that an Outdoor Adventures employee was told to cull the dogs in April last year.

Research Animals Rescued from North Carolina Lab

Awful story, but this is the reason I support PETA, even when they do wacky things sometimes. Their investigations produce results.

From the PR Newswire...

An enormous victory was achieved for animals this week when nearly 200 dogs and 54 cats were rescued from a North Carolina animal testing facility that closed its doors after an undercover investigation revealed apparent abuse of the animals by workers at the facility. Quick work on the part of the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), in partnership with the Humane Society of the U.S. and more than a dozen animal shelters and rescues[1] succeeded in placing all of the rescued animals, offering hope that they will find loving homes and solace after their ordeal.

"This event serves as dramatic testament to what can happen when the humane community comes together to oppose cruelty," says AWI President, Cathy Liss. "We applaud the dedicated efforts of animal welfare advocates who stepped up to take in these animals, and hope that the exposure of this situation will underscore the need for stricter enforcement to protect animals in research facilities."

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) conducted the initial investigation[2] that exposed the apparent cruelty at Professional Laboratory and Research Services, an inconspicuous rural lab funded by large pharmaceutical companies to test insecticides and other chemicals used in companion animal products. For nine months, a PETA investigator worked undercover at the facility, and shot video showing animals in excruciating pain from procedures, as well as employees kicking, throwing, and dragging petrified dogs, violently slamming cats into cages, and screaming obscenities at the animals for showing fear and being uncooperative.

Military Dogs Experiencing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

I had read about military dogs who, after serving in a war zone, actually experienced post-traumatic stress disorder. Here is a profile of one such dog who served in Iraq.

Beagles Rescued from Bankrupt Lab

Good news!

From ohmidog! a site for dog lovers....

One hundred and twenty beagles who faced lifetimes being used in medical research experiments have been freed — just in time for the Fourth of July weekend.

On Friday, the beagles — owned by a research facility in New Jersey whose parent pharmaceutical company went into bankruptcy — were released to the care of animal rescue groups that, after socializing them, hope to adopt them out as family pets....

Best Friends Animal Society headquartered in Kanab, Utah, and Pets Alive Animal Sanctuary, based in Middletown, N.Y., and Elmsford, N.Y., worked together on rescuing the beagles, who had been left locked in the facility operated by Aniclin Preclinical Services in Warren County, N.J.

Irish Senator Complains of Animal Welfare "Cabal"

This complaint is the result of proposed legislation to ban puppy mills in Ireland. Legislators are being contacted by people around the world to support the legislation. They are blaming the dastardly Green Party whose leader proposed the legislation.

The dog breeding legislation, intended to outlaw “puppy-farming”, was prepared by Green Party leader and Minister for the Environment John Gormley. The draft Bill proposes a new regime of annual inspections and fees for dog breeders.

Fine Gael and rural Fianna Fáil backbenchers have called for greyhound breeders to be exempt because the industry is already regulated by existing legislation. They also want an exemption for hunt kennels which do not breed dogs for commercial purposes.

UK May Require Microchipping of Dogs

From the AP...

The government's proposals are aimed at tackling the growing problem of aggressive canines being used to harass, attack and even kill. In a country where guns are tightly controlled and even carrying a kitchen knife can result in a prison sentence, animal rights experts and politicians say street thugs have turned to dangerous-looking dogs to cow their victims.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said the number of complaints about dog fights had soared tenfold between 2004 and 2008, the last year for which figures were available. In 2009, London Deputy Mayor Kit Malthouse called for action on what he called "weapon dogs."

His opposition Conservative Party says hospital admissions and court cases relating to dangerous dogs have soared.

PETA Supporters Protest at Westminster

I am a total supporter of this protest. While there may be responsible and loving breeders out there, they are only contributing to an out-of-control supply problem. There are too many animals out there and not enough homes. Why don't they stop making things worse? It's plain supply and demand. If they love animals so much, love the ones who NEED homes!

We are not encouraged to love only pure-bred humans of certain racial lines. Why does this attitude need to extend to animals?

An Animal Welfare First in Spain

From Spanish News - RTN (Round Town News)...

No need to click. Here's all it says.

Woman fined for abandoning her dog at the doors of an animal rescue organisation

It's the first time that an owner has been fined in such circumstances.First Instance and Instruction Court Five in Segovia has fined a Madrid woman 120 € after she abandoned her Rottweiler dog at the doors of the El Refugio animal refuge at El Espinar, Segovia in May 2008. She has also to pay 2,688 € to the animal refuge. Loa was six years old at the time she was abandoned, with her papers left with her. The refuge identified the owner via the microchip, but she did not want to take back the dog. Nacho Paunero, President of El Refugio, notes that this is the first time in Spain that someone has been fined for abandoning their animal at the doors of a refuge. He considers it a step forward in the protection of animals in Spain.

Eating Cats and Dogs Could Become Illegal in China

The legislation is only being drafted right now and there's a long way to go I suspect before such laws would pass. You can already read the excuses being cited in this article.

Dogtown: So Far So Good

I just watched episode 1, season 1, of Dogtown, the National Geographic Channel TV show about Dogtown at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, UT. We really enjoyed it. The first episode featured three dogs: Noche, a terrier who displayed food and people aggression; Willa, a puppy mill rescued Scottie with neurological problems and a cute wobble; and Wiley, a rescued dog who loses a leg because of a hit-and-run.

I learned a lot from this episode. My hands-on experience is with small mammals/critters and cats. I don't know much about dogs other than what I read. However, this episode featuring Noche just emphasizes my view that dogs should not be euthanized for being food-aggressive alone. I remember posting last summer about an abused pit bull mother who was euthanized by our animal shelter for being food-aggressive. Well, yeah, she was starving in a crack house....duh! I believe that a dog with food aggression can be rehabilitated. If we expend the money and energy on "rehabilitating" hardened criminals, then why can't we do so with animals. In many ways, they are probably easier to change because they don't have the same emotional baggage.

I think food aggression is just an excuse to make space for the next animal.

Happy Birthday Bo Obama!

Today was his birthday, dada dadada!!

Enjoy!