OH: Animal Neglect Case in Columbiana County

OH: Animal Neglect Case in Columbiana County

Humane agents removed 15 dogs from a South Egypt Road residence in Salem township Tuesday morning. All were Australian Shepards that mostly lived in outdoor pens. This follows over a year of efforts by agents to get the owner to improve living conditions for the animals. Ten dogs were removed previously. The owner may face up to 15 charges of animal neglect. Police believe he was breeding the dogs. They will all be placed in foster care. The investigation remains ongoing.

More details here and on our broadcasts as they become available.

Source:  http://www.wytv.com/content/news/local/story/Animal-Neglect-Case-in-Columbiana-County/8dOvcTxpj0q_xf7VmAk-Rw.cspx

Canada: Staff return to Toronto Humane Society for first time since November raids

Staff return to Toronto Humane Society for first time since November raids

(CP) – 4 hours ago

TORONTO — Toronto Humane Society staff re-entered the facility today for the first time since the animal shelter was raided last month.  However, the facility remains closed to the public and there is no word on when that will change.

The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals searched the shelter in November and uncovered several alleged cases of animal neglect.
The society's former president, Tim Trow, and four senior employees were arrested and charged with animal cruelty.

THS president Bob Hambley says he is pleased the court has recognized that the "unending occupation of the THS had to stop."  He also says in a statement that staff are "very happy to be returning" to the facility to resume business operations.  Hambley adds that he will not deal with legal matters in the media but in the courts. A court action was filed last week by the Humane Society accusing the OSPCA of defamation, trespass and negligent investigation.

"This has been a difficult five weeks for all of us as we have been prevented from doing what we always strive to do, which is to treat sick, injured and abandoned animals," said Hambley.

"We look forward to updating everyone on when the THS will reopen to the public again and recommence adoptions.

Copyright © 2009 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved. 

Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5i7-yP2MQ8ciZthtFwTl-AhClLTnw

OR: Pet Talk: Animal-protection laws put Oregon among top 5 states

Pet Talk: Animal-protection laws put Oregon among top 5 states

By Jacques Von Lunen, Special to The Oregon...

December 29, 2009, 4:18AM

View full sizeThomas Boyd/The Oregonian THOMAS BOYD/ Tucker, a Chihuahua mix whose mother was rescued from a puppy mill, and owner Terri Rise attend a March 30 rally at the state Capitol in Salem in support of House Bill 2470. The law, which takes effect Friday, aims to stop puppy mills, in the words of demonstrators' signs. Anyone exploiting, neglecting or abusing animals will have an even harder time in Oregon come Friday.

A number of new animal laws will take effect Jan.1 in Oregon, which the Animal Legal Defense Fund ranks among the nation's top five states for going after animal abusers.

This year's legislative session debated 16 bills concerning animals, an unprecedented number. Some bills -- the umpteenth attempt to ban pit bulls, for example -- died on the vine. Some deal only with the finer points of enforcing animal law.

But six of the bills the governor signed are of direct concern to animal owners. Here's a look at the most profound changes.

Puppy mills

Surely the most controversial of the bills debated last spring was H.B. 2470, dubbed the puppy-mill bill. Hotly contested in public hearings, the final legislation didn't contain all the measures its proponents wanted to keep irresponsible breeders from churning out sick, unsocialized dogs.

But it put a number of restrictions on Oregon breeders, all designed to combat the conditions found in puppy mills.

Most controversially, the law limits the number of sexually intact dogs anyone can own. Breeders cannot have more than 50 of such dogs older than 2.

The law mandates the care dogs receive in a breeder's kennel. Dogs must get at least one hour of exercise a day. They must have enough room to turn, sit, stand and lie down without touching the walls or another dog. They can't be kept in stacked cages and they must have solid flooring.

The law requires breeders and sellers of dogs to maintain strict health records.

Within 15 days of a purchase, sellers must offer a refund or a replacement pup to owners whose dogs are diseased. Within one year of a purchase, buyers can get a refund or replacement for a dog with birth defects that limit its life.

Sellers must disclose a dog's origins, including how many litters the breeder sold the previous year. It remains to be seen how effective this law will be. Two states that have such laws show two possible outcomes.

Virginia, first in the nation to enact a similar law a year ago, has barely made use of the new tool, the Waynesboro News Virginian reported. One high-volume breeder was shut down this year, but authorities didn't use the puppy-mill law to bust him. Instead, he was accused of animal cruelty.

Pennsylvania, infamous for having many puppy mills, reports dramatic changes since a new law went on the books last fall. In Lancaster County alone, 52 kennels have either closed or announced they'll do so by the end of the year, the York Daily Record/Sunday News reported.

Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/pets/index.ssf/2009/12/pet_talk_animal-protection_law.html

Canada: Dogs rescued from illegal Taiwan meat factory

Rescued in Taiwan, brought to Island

Judith Lavoie, Times Colonist: Tuesday, December 29, 2009 10:04 AM

Vixen on a Christmas walk in Cowichan Bay, a world away from the illegal Taiwanese meat factory, where the chubby Siberian husky was being fattened up as a dinner entrée.

Photo Credit: Island Dogz Rescue, Courtesy

In her four years of life, Vixen has seen a lifetime of horror.  The chubby Siberian husky, now in foster care in Duncan, was being fattened up as a Taiwanese dinner delicacy when she was rescued from an illegal meat factory by an extreme group of Taiwan-based animal rescuers known as the Compassionate Mamas.

"It's hard to look at her and think they were going to eat her," said Gem Zolciak founder of Island Dogz Rescue, who is fostering Vixen.  The dog already has lost almost three kilograms and is now a relatively svelte 25 kg (55 pounds). Her hips and back are slowly recovering strength after being kept in a small cage.

Vixen is among three dogs brought to Vancouver Island from Taiwan by Island Dogz this month. They represent the first shipment from Taichung Universal Animal Protection Association, a no-kill shelter that takes in stray and abandoned dogs, including those rescued from meat factories.  At the shelter, six volunteers care for more than 1,000 dogs.

Eating dogs and cats has been discouraged in Taiwan for two decades. A 2001 law banned the killing of dogs for skin or meat. Legal loopholes were then closed by a 2004 law banning the sale of dogs as food, but underground markets still exist.  The laws are rarely enforced, said a spokeswoman for the Taichung group.

Some dogs are "farmed." Others are snatched off the street and stuffed into tiny cages until they are killed.  "Some people feel the adrenaline coursing through the body makes the meat taste better and the dogs are tortured before they are killed," Zolciak said.

Taichung group volunteer Johanna Quinn, who arranges dog shipments to rescue organizations in Canada, the U.S and Germany, said the Compassionate Mamas go on random, night-time raids when they hear of a factory and then turn the dogs over to rescue organizations.  Others go in undercover and buy the dogs, Quinn said.

In addition to Vixen, Mooch, a nine-year-old malamute cross, and Heidi, a nine-month-old mixed- breed puppy, are in foster care in the Cowichan Valley.  "I could bring 100 dogs here if I had the foster homes. We foster them before we adopt them out so we can assess their personalities," Zolciak said.

Dogs brought to Vancouver Island are checked by veterinarians and fully immunized. They are shipped from Taiwan in crates with canine amenities, usually accompanied by a human caregiver.

jlavoie@tc.canwest.com

Source: http://www.globaltvbc.com/entertainment/Dogs+rescued+from+illegal+Taiwan+meat+factory/2388894/story.html

UK: Warning after two dogs rescued from icy lakes

UK: Warning after two dogs rescued from icy lakes
By Steve Lloyd
December 29, 2009

DOG owners are being warned about the dangers of frozen water after two pets were rescued from area lakes.  The first rescue was on December 21 when fire fighters were called to a dog stuck in ice at Hawley Lake near Farnborough at 11.37am.  The border collie was being walked by her owners and had chased ducks across the frozen water.  She managed to scramble around 30 metres across the ice before loosing her footing, falling into the water and becoming trapped in the ice.

Fire engines from Yateley and Rushmoor were called to the lake, along with a multi-role vehicle containing specialist equipment and animal rescue kit.  Two fire fighters in special dry suits made their way out to the tired dog on two inflated ice-rescue paths.  Martin Walters of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service said the dog was trapped in the water for around 20 minutes.  “She showed extraordinary endurance and the ongoing encouragement from the fire fighters must certainly have helped her in these treacherous conditions,” he added.

A similar incident happened on Christmas Eve at 11.21am when a male spaniel chased ducks onto an ice-covered Fleet Pond before falling through the water.  Fire fighters wearing protective clothing waded out around 20 metres to reach the dog.  A total of 18 fire fighters from Fleet and Rushmoor helped with the rescue.  Mr Walters added:  “The fire fighters have worked well in cold and perilous conditions.

“During the freezing weather it is important for owners to ensure their dogs are kept on leads at all times so that this kind of incident can be avoided.”  Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service is also warning people not to venture onto the ice or throw animals toys onto or near frozen water.


Source: http://www.gethampshire.co.uk/news/s/2063179_warning_after_two_dogs_rescued_from_icy_lakes

CT: Top Ten Crimes

CT: Top Ten Crimes

Cock-fighting and dog-fighting get more headlines, but a police raid in Shelton in July uncovers a much less well-known combination of animal abuse and betting, bird-fighting. 

Nineteen people, eight of them Danbury residents, are arrested on cruelty to animal and illegal gambling charges, nearly $8,000 in cash is seized, and some 150 saffron finches and canaries are confiscated in a case that puts the national spotlight on an activity virtually unknown previously.

Investigators believe the fights, which draw gamblers from Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey, as well as Connecticut, have been going on for years and also take place in Danbury.

Source: http://www.connpost.com/news/article/Top-10-crimes-300621.php

MO: Animal Welfare Groups Propose Ballot Measure to Tighten Rules for Missouri Dog Breeders

MO: Animal Welfare Groups Propose Ballot Measure to Tighten Rules for Missouri Dog Breeders
By Chris Blank
The Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY | Several animal welfare groups are urging Missouri voters to adopt new rules for dog-breeders that cap the number of dogs, require rest periods after breeding and establish care requirements.

Under the proposal, dog-breeders could only have 50 breeding dogs and would be required to feed animals daily, provide annual veterinary care and not breed animals more than twice every 18 months. Breeders also would have to follow rules for the dogs’ living space and house animals indoors with unfettered access to an outdoor exercise yard.

The rules would apply to people with at least 10 dogs for breeding. Violators could be charged with a misdemeanor and face up to 15 days in jail and a $300 fine.

The Missouri secretary of state’s office Monday approved a ballot summary for two initiative petitions involving dog-breeding. That means supporters can begin collecting signatures for the 2010 ballot. They need about 100,000 signatures by May 2.

The dog-breeding ballot measure is backed by Missourians for the Protection of Dogs — a coalition comprised of the Humane Society of Missouri, Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and The Humane Society of the United States.

Critics said Monday they plan to challenge the petition in court and contend the proposal could harm dogs by creating the same set of rules without considering differences between breeds.

For example, opponents say exercise requirements could pose problems by forcing large dogs with thick coats to be outside during the summer and small dogs with thin coats to be outside during the winter. Also, the mandatory rest periods between litters could lead to dangerous infections.

If approved by voters, the new breeding rules would be called the “Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act.” Animal groups say Missouri is a national leader in “puppy mills” with thousands of inhumane dog-breeding businesses.

Ginger Steinmetz, the executive director for the Missouri Alliance of Animal Legislation, said Missourians want dog-breeding laws strengthened. Steinmetz said Monday that some of the most important changes would be requiring a solid floor underneath dogs and barring the stacking of cages.

“This measure will mean less suffering for thousands of adult breeding dogs, which currently spend their entire lives in wire cages,” she said in a written statement. “As the leading puppy-producing state, Missouri should also lead the nation when it comes to the conditions under which puppies are bred for sale.”

Karen Strange, a leader for the Missouri Federation of Animal Owners that opposes the ballot measure, said Missouri’s existing laws are adequate and should be enforced. Strange said nearly every dog-breeder in the state would need to make changes to comply with the proposed rules and that capping the number of dogs inhibits ownership rights.

“What this measure does is one-size-fits-all,” she said. “There is a huge difference between a Chihuahua and a Great Dane, and one size does not fit all.”

The secretary of state’s office on Monday also approved ballot summaries for several versions of an initiative petition to limit an earnings tax on those who work in cities such as St. Louis and Kansas City but live elsewhere.

According to a cost estimate prepared for the ballot measure, Kansas City expects to collect $199 million from its earning tax this year and St. Louis has budgeted $141 million.

Posted on Mon, Dec. 28, 2009 04:35 PM

Source: http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics/story/1653334.html