I’m sure many will overlook the message and just talk them down for protesting the event. But, the message should not be lost that dog and cat overpopulation is directly caused by Breeders.
Article:
Scottie Sadie wins Westminster after PETA protest
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100217/ap_on_sp_ot/dog_show
AP – Security closes in on a protester holding a sign that reads 'Breeders Kill Shelter Dogs' during the best …
By BEN WALKER, AP National Writer Ben Walker, Ap National Writer – Wed Feb 17, 9:48 am ET
NEW YORK – Sadie the Scottie was fully expected to reach the purple podium at America's top dog show. She did, after two intruders turned the center ring at Westminster into their own platform.
The heavily favored Scottish terrier won best in show Tuesday night and seemed to be an easy choice. Her team waited quite a while for this victory — it took a little longer, too, because of a startling protest inspired by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Shortly before judge Elliott Weiss picked Sadie, a pair of well-dressed women walked into the big ring at Madison Square Garden and held signs over their heads that said "Mutts Rule" and "Breeders Kill Shelter Dogs' Chances," the latter a slogan popularized by PETA.
The crowd of 15,000 gasped at the sudden protest, booed the women and then cheered as a half-dozen security guards ushered them away without incident.
PETA members Dana Sylvester and Hope Round were charged with criminal trespass, police said. They acted on their own, the organization said, but it supported them.
The interruption lasted about a minute and came between judging of a Doberman pinscher and brittany. Moments later, 4-year-old Sadie climbed the best in show podium where one of the women had stood.
"I thought it was well-controlled by our people," Westminster spokesman David Frei said, without elaborating. Frei, the host of USA Network's coverage, is a veteran of the show world and a longtime advocate of therapy and rescue dogs.
Sadie was a big favorite coming into the show, which is for 2,500 purebred dogs. There have been previous PETA protests at Westminster, but none nearly so dramatic. During every day of the show, the public-address announcer at the Garden reads an announcement urging people to visit shelters and adopt their dogs.
PETA contends the focus on purebreds leaves many mutts homeless. In a statement, vice president Daphna Nachminovitch said "euthanasia becomes a sad necessity."
Sadie earned her 112th best in show ribbon. The last time a show dog came to Westminster ranked No. 1 in America and actually won was 2001, when a perfectly primped bichon frise called J.R. did it.
"She was perfect," said Sadie's handler, Gabriel Rangel. "I couldn't ask for anything more."
Also reaching the final ring were a brittany that recently had two litters, a whippet that can run 35 mph, a Doberman pinscher headed into retirement, a white toy poodle who overcame his anxiety around crowds, a Canadian-bred French bulldog and a puli that twice won the herding group.
Her tongue out and her tail wagging, Sadie was right in step with Rangel. She is owned by Amelia Musser of Mackinac Island, Mich., and sports the champion's name of Roundtown Mercedes of Maryscot.
Rangel kidded that his relationship with Sadie was like a marriage. "I'm happily married," he said, "as long as I say, 'Yes, honey.'"
Sadie became the eighth Scottie to win at Westminster, second most to the 13 wins by wire fox terriers. She was the record 45th terrier to win in a show that began in 1877.
Judge Elliott Weiss picked the winner. He'd already seen Sadie — he chose her as the winner of an event in North Carolina last September.
Sadie became the first Triple Crown winner of dogdom. She took the National Dog Show in suburban Philadelphia in November and the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in California in December.
She also did well last year at the world's largest show — Crufts, in England, draws nearly 25,000 dogs — when she was judged as the best Scottish terrier.
This was Sadie's third try at Westminster. She got spooked by strange sounds at the Garden two years ago, and last February had a potty accident on the green carpet.
Dogs from 173 breeds and varieties entered this show. Sadie takes over as Westminster champ from Stump, the 10-year-old Sussex spaniel who'd come to New York as an underdog.
Sadie was set to go on the talk-show circuit Wednesday and make a visit to Donald Trump. By night, maybe she'd see herself.
"She likes to watch TV," Rangel said. "We have dinner together at the hotel and watch Animal Planet.
Showing posts with label dog breeding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dog breeding. Show all posts
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Inherent Cruelty of Puppy Mills / Dog Breeders Begin to be Exposed
For more on the truth behind dog breeders, puppy mills and pet stores see http://geari.blogspot.com/search?q=puppy+mills
Article:
States attempt crackdowns on puppy mills
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070603/ap_on_re_us/puppy_mills_1
By ERIC OLSON, Associated Press Writer Sun Jun 3, 1:41 PM ET
OMAHA, Neb. - Bob Baker has seen the worst of the worst in his 27 years as an animal cruelty investigator.
There was the Missouri breeder who would skimp on food by skinning dead dogs and feeding them to other dogs in his kennel. There was the South Dakota breeder who used a handsaw to amputate the leg of a pregnant Rottweiler, injured in an attack by another dog, in hopes that the Rottweiler would survive long enough to give birth to another litter.
Baker says such cases are the exception, but adds that mistreatment of dogs in large-scale breeding operations remains common and troubling.
"Most breeders learn how to keep their standards just above violating cruelty statutes, but the conditions are still unacceptable," said Baker, a St. Louis-based national investigator for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "It's difficult dealing with these people. We file charges on the most egregious ones."
State legislators across the nation are attempting to crack down on rogue breeding operations and pet sellers.
The week after the May 16 rescue of 173 dogs from the property of a Dawson County man, the Nebraska Legislature passed a law that increased the number of state kennel inspectors from one to four and requires new operations to be inspected before opening.
Puppy lemon laws, which let buyers get their money back if health or genetic defects are discovered within a set time, are on the books in 16 states and were introduced in four others this year.
California lawmakers are studying a bill that would require cats and dogs over 4 months old to be spayed or neutered, unless the person caring for them obtains a breeding license.
Laws that would tighten the regulation of retail pet shops are pending in Oregon, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and bills establishing standards for breeding operations were introduced in Minnesota and Ohio.
Mass breeding has been a hot-button issue for decades with animal welfare activists, who use the term "puppy mills" to describe the most unsavory of operations, which are usually situated in rural areas.
The Humane Society of the United States has long identified Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Ohio and Pennsylvania as the major puppy-mill states, said outreach director Stephanie Shain.
Of the 7 million to 9 million dogs brought into U.S. families each year, Shain said, an estimated 2 million to 4 million are products of puppy mills.
The demand for popular breeds, and the high prices people are willing to pay, keep breeding operations churning, Shain said. A quick Internet search showed many puppies with four-figure sale prices, and some breeds, including bulldogs and Belgian Malinois, with top prices exceeding $3,000.
Many dog breeders chafe at the term "puppy mill," saying it is inflammatory and lumps conscientious commercial dog breeders together with the unscrupulous.
Clem Disterhaupt, president of the Nebraska Dog Breeders Association, said most commercial breeders have the animals' best interest at heart.
"We don't associate ourselves with puppy mills, but sometimes people are under the impression that if you have a lot of dogs, you must be a puppy mill," Disterhaupt said.
Disterhaupt said reputable breeders are licensed with state or federal agencies and provide adequate space, cleanliness, heat and air conditioning and ventilation.
"That's not a puppy mill," he said. "People need to distinguish the difference."
Daisy Okas, assistant vice president of communications for the American Kennel Club, said breeders, kennel operators and pet stores register all types of breeds with her organization. The AKC has 15 inspectors who visit about 5,000 places a year where significant numbers of dogs are registered.
Shain, however, said people who want a puppy should avoid pet stores and instead buy from a hobby breeder or adopt from a shelter.
Puppy mills, Shain said, damage dogs emotionally and physically because the animals are confined in tight, unsanitary quarters with little or no socialization with humans or veterinary care. Females are bred repeatedly, some when they're as young as 6 months.
The overbreeding, combined with the dismal environment, results in sickly puppies that have genetic defects and temperament problems, she said. The dogs are sold in pet stores or on the Internet to unsuspecting buyers.
Investigators such as Baker inspect breeding operations after receiving complaints. Breeders usually cooperate, but when they don't, he said, he gathers information by interviewing neighbors and observing the facility from afar.
Baker, who said he has visited more than 750 breeding facilities since 1980, said that when he finds evidence of animal cruelty, he notifies local law enforcement.
"Most abuse we see is neglect," Baker said. "They know some of the stuff they're doing is wrong, and they're embarrassed. They apologize a lot of times when we come see them. But they're blinded by the greed and money they're making off of this.
"Some start out with the right intentions. They breed a few and make money, so they get more dogs but don't put money back in. They get swamped."
____
On the Net:
Humane Society of the United States: http://www.hsus.org
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: http://www.aspca.org
Article:
States attempt crackdowns on puppy mills
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070603/ap_on_re_us/puppy_mills_1
By ERIC OLSON, Associated Press Writer Sun Jun 3, 1:41 PM ET
OMAHA, Neb. - Bob Baker has seen the worst of the worst in his 27 years as an animal cruelty investigator.
There was the Missouri breeder who would skimp on food by skinning dead dogs and feeding them to other dogs in his kennel. There was the South Dakota breeder who used a handsaw to amputate the leg of a pregnant Rottweiler, injured in an attack by another dog, in hopes that the Rottweiler would survive long enough to give birth to another litter.
Baker says such cases are the exception, but adds that mistreatment of dogs in large-scale breeding operations remains common and troubling.
"Most breeders learn how to keep their standards just above violating cruelty statutes, but the conditions are still unacceptable," said Baker, a St. Louis-based national investigator for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "It's difficult dealing with these people. We file charges on the most egregious ones."
State legislators across the nation are attempting to crack down on rogue breeding operations and pet sellers.
The week after the May 16 rescue of 173 dogs from the property of a Dawson County man, the Nebraska Legislature passed a law that increased the number of state kennel inspectors from one to four and requires new operations to be inspected before opening.
Puppy lemon laws, which let buyers get their money back if health or genetic defects are discovered within a set time, are on the books in 16 states and were introduced in four others this year.
California lawmakers are studying a bill that would require cats and dogs over 4 months old to be spayed or neutered, unless the person caring for them obtains a breeding license.
Laws that would tighten the regulation of retail pet shops are pending in Oregon, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and bills establishing standards for breeding operations were introduced in Minnesota and Ohio.
Mass breeding has been a hot-button issue for decades with animal welfare activists, who use the term "puppy mills" to describe the most unsavory of operations, which are usually situated in rural areas.
The Humane Society of the United States has long identified Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Ohio and Pennsylvania as the major puppy-mill states, said outreach director Stephanie Shain.
Of the 7 million to 9 million dogs brought into U.S. families each year, Shain said, an estimated 2 million to 4 million are products of puppy mills.
The demand for popular breeds, and the high prices people are willing to pay, keep breeding operations churning, Shain said. A quick Internet search showed many puppies with four-figure sale prices, and some breeds, including bulldogs and Belgian Malinois, with top prices exceeding $3,000.
Many dog breeders chafe at the term "puppy mill," saying it is inflammatory and lumps conscientious commercial dog breeders together with the unscrupulous.
Clem Disterhaupt, president of the Nebraska Dog Breeders Association, said most commercial breeders have the animals' best interest at heart.
"We don't associate ourselves with puppy mills, but sometimes people are under the impression that if you have a lot of dogs, you must be a puppy mill," Disterhaupt said.
Disterhaupt said reputable breeders are licensed with state or federal agencies and provide adequate space, cleanliness, heat and air conditioning and ventilation.
"That's not a puppy mill," he said. "People need to distinguish the difference."
Daisy Okas, assistant vice president of communications for the American Kennel Club, said breeders, kennel operators and pet stores register all types of breeds with her organization. The AKC has 15 inspectors who visit about 5,000 places a year where significant numbers of dogs are registered.
Shain, however, said people who want a puppy should avoid pet stores and instead buy from a hobby breeder or adopt from a shelter.
Puppy mills, Shain said, damage dogs emotionally and physically because the animals are confined in tight, unsanitary quarters with little or no socialization with humans or veterinary care. Females are bred repeatedly, some when they're as young as 6 months.
The overbreeding, combined with the dismal environment, results in sickly puppies that have genetic defects and temperament problems, she said. The dogs are sold in pet stores or on the Internet to unsuspecting buyers.
Investigators such as Baker inspect breeding operations after receiving complaints. Breeders usually cooperate, but when they don't, he said, he gathers information by interviewing neighbors and observing the facility from afar.
Baker, who said he has visited more than 750 breeding facilities since 1980, said that when he finds evidence of animal cruelty, he notifies local law enforcement.
"Most abuse we see is neglect," Baker said. "They know some of the stuff they're doing is wrong, and they're embarrassed. They apologize a lot of times when we come see them. But they're blinded by the greed and money they're making off of this.
"Some start out with the right intentions. They breed a few and make money, so they get more dogs but don't put money back in. They get swamped."
____
On the Net:
Humane Society of the United States: http://www.hsus.org
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: http://www.aspca.org
Monday, March 05, 2007
PA Senator Mike Brubaker Caught Meeting with Dog Breeders in Parking Lot of Store: Then Attempts to Restrain and Intimidate Person Who Took Photos
The senator is now being sued for his and his associate’s aggressive actions when they realized they were caught on camera.
There’s a few concerns about this and why this is worth posting.
One, it shows how business is actually run – politicians meet with lobbyists and business heads in places where they think they can’t be seen. If they meet at their office it will be registered.
Money is what makes the final decision.
In this case, once caught, they actually attempted to restrain the woman who took the pictures, violating free speech rights and her right of movement and to be free of harm.
In essence, it’s all dirty business complete with buying votes, intimidation and attempted physical restraint. All crimes.
Article:
Animal-rights activist sues over encounter with Pa. state senator
http://www.yorkdispatch.com/pennsylvania/ci_5349910
By MARK SCOLFORO The Associated Press
Article Last Updated: 03/03/2007 09:30:48 AM EST
EPHRATA, Pa. -- An advocate of tighter restrictions on dog kennels claimed Friday in a federal civil-rights lawsuit that a state senator and his aide intimidated her after she photographed them meeting with dog breeders in a convenience-store parking lot.
Barb Showalter, 41, of Denver, Pa., sued over a Monday encounter with Sen. Mike Brubaker, R-Lancaster, and Kristin Ebersole, executive director of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee that Brubaker chairs, outside a Turkey Hill store just off Route 222 in Ephrata.
Showalter claims Brubaker reacted to her taking pictures of participants in the gathering by trying to prevent her from driving away and that Ebersole pounded on her car window in an attempt to take her photos or camera.
Ebersole accused Showalter of exaggerating and called the allegations an "unfortunate" misunderstanding. Brubaker's office said the group assembled at the store for a fact-finding tour of dog kennels.
"In no way, shape or form was the senator trying to be threatening," Ebersole said
In the federal lawsuit mailed Friday to U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, Showalter alleges her rights under the U.S. Constitution related to free speech and search and seizure were violated.
The other defendants are four men who Brubaker and Ebersole were with at the store: Lancaster County kennel operators Nathan H. Myer and David W. Zimmerman, dog-industry lobbyist Kenneth E. Brandt and American Canine Association founder Bob Yarnall Jr.
The lawsuit accuses the four of violating Showalter's rights in allegedly concurring "that Brubaker and Ebersole should pursue (her) and presumably acquire her camera."
"She was there taking pictures," said Showalter's attorney, Don Bailey. "What are you going to chase somebody down for, block their car, beat on their windows? Obviously they wanted the pictures, and that's what blew the whole thing out of proportion."
Showalter said she purchased a disposable camera inside the store after recognizing people connected to the dog industry. She said she took several pictures, then locked herself inside her car as Brubaker and Ebersole approached.
Ebersole said they walked to Showalter -- whose name they recognized when someone else in their group identified her -- to introduce themselves, not to take her camera.
She said she tapped on Showalter's car window but did not hit the car aggressively. Brubaker did not try to prevent Showalter from leaving when he stood behind the car, Ebersole said.
Yarnall said Brubaker told him he thought Showalter might be with the news media and wanted to see if she had any questions.
"I would think it would have to be illegal to even put such a ridiculous lawsuit up," he said Friday by phone from California. Messages for Myer, Zimmerman and Brandt were not returned.
The Agriculture Department has proposed controversial new rules for larger kennels. Some people in the business of breeding and selling dogs have criticized the proposal as potentially too costly.
There’s a few concerns about this and why this is worth posting.
One, it shows how business is actually run – politicians meet with lobbyists and business heads in places where they think they can’t be seen. If they meet at their office it will be registered.
Money is what makes the final decision.
In this case, once caught, they actually attempted to restrain the woman who took the pictures, violating free speech rights and her right of movement and to be free of harm.
In essence, it’s all dirty business complete with buying votes, intimidation and attempted physical restraint. All crimes.
Article:
Animal-rights activist sues over encounter with Pa. state senator
http://www.yorkdispatch.com/pennsylvania/ci_5349910
By MARK SCOLFORO The Associated Press
Article Last Updated: 03/03/2007 09:30:48 AM EST
EPHRATA, Pa. -- An advocate of tighter restrictions on dog kennels claimed Friday in a federal civil-rights lawsuit that a state senator and his aide intimidated her after she photographed them meeting with dog breeders in a convenience-store parking lot.
Barb Showalter, 41, of Denver, Pa., sued over a Monday encounter with Sen. Mike Brubaker, R-Lancaster, and Kristin Ebersole, executive director of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee that Brubaker chairs, outside a Turkey Hill store just off Route 222 in Ephrata.
Showalter claims Brubaker reacted to her taking pictures of participants in the gathering by trying to prevent her from driving away and that Ebersole pounded on her car window in an attempt to take her photos or camera.
Ebersole accused Showalter of exaggerating and called the allegations an "unfortunate" misunderstanding. Brubaker's office said the group assembled at the store for a fact-finding tour of dog kennels.
"In no way, shape or form was the senator trying to be threatening," Ebersole said
In the federal lawsuit mailed Friday to U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, Showalter alleges her rights under the U.S. Constitution related to free speech and search and seizure were violated.
The other defendants are four men who Brubaker and Ebersole were with at the store: Lancaster County kennel operators Nathan H. Myer and David W. Zimmerman, dog-industry lobbyist Kenneth E. Brandt and American Canine Association founder Bob Yarnall Jr.
The lawsuit accuses the four of violating Showalter's rights in allegedly concurring "that Brubaker and Ebersole should pursue (her) and presumably acquire her camera."
"She was there taking pictures," said Showalter's attorney, Don Bailey. "What are you going to chase somebody down for, block their car, beat on their windows? Obviously they wanted the pictures, and that's what blew the whole thing out of proportion."
Showalter said she purchased a disposable camera inside the store after recognizing people connected to the dog industry. She said she took several pictures, then locked herself inside her car as Brubaker and Ebersole approached.
Ebersole said they walked to Showalter -- whose name they recognized when someone else in their group identified her -- to introduce themselves, not to take her camera.
She said she tapped on Showalter's car window but did not hit the car aggressively. Brubaker did not try to prevent Showalter from leaving when he stood behind the car, Ebersole said.
Yarnall said Brubaker told him he thought Showalter might be with the news media and wanted to see if she had any questions.
"I would think it would have to be illegal to even put such a ridiculous lawsuit up," he said Friday by phone from California. Messages for Myer, Zimmerman and Brandt were not returned.
The Agriculture Department has proposed controversial new rules for larger kennels. Some people in the business of breeding and selling dogs have criticized the proposal as potentially too costly.
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