North Penn Puppy Mill Watch

04-28-08 -- Humane Agent Says PA Sanctuary Took in Thousands of Cats
By:  Dan Nephin, The Associated Press

PITTSBURGH - A cat sanctuary's records indicate that it took in nearly 6,500 cats in 2007, almost 5,000 more than the owner's estimate, and adopted out just 14, a humane society agent testified at a preliminary hearing Monday.

Rebecca McDonald of the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals testified that she saw hundreds of sickly cats, many coated in mucus about the face, and others with open, bloody wounds.

Linda Bruno, 45, of Frazer Township, is charged with hundreds of summary and misdemeanor animal cruelty offenses. Authorities allege that her failure to provide veterinary care amounted to cruelty.

Bruno has pleaded not guilty, and her attorney, Ron Valasek, argued unsuccessfully for dismissal of the most serious charges. Valasek said Bruno would be cleared.

McDonald and an Allegheny County Sheriff's detective testified that the walls of Bruno's house, including her bedroom, and the walls of other buildings on the 29-acre property were covered in mucus from sick cats sneezing.

Video footage played in court showed the walls along with seemingly lethargic cats. Also shown in court were photos of dozens of cats, many appearing sickly and with open, bloody wounds.

McDonald testified that she found some medication, but no evidence indicating that any cats had been treated.

Records indicated that the sanctuary took in 6,482 cats in 2007, but adopted out 14, McDonald said.

On a recorded statement played in court from a March 13 raid by law enforcement and humane agents, Bruno estimated that she took in 1,500 cats in 2007 and adopted out several hundred, most to qualified horse farms. McDonald said she found no records that any cats went to horse farms.

Other records indicated that Bruno took in 786 cats in the first 10 weeks of 2008 and adopted out nine, McDonald said.

During the raid, investigators removed 380 live cats, of which 263 were being housed in a Clarion County animal shelter, McDonald said. The rest died or had to be euthanized.

Officials found 108 dead cats on the property during the raid , 107 in a freezer and one dead in a litter box, according to McDonald and Detective Richard Manning.

In her recorded statement, Bruno said 70 to 80 percent of the cats were in "perfectly good health." She also said she had 292 live cats and perhaps 40 to 50 dead cats awaiting burial.

Sick cats were to be expected, Bruno said.

"That's like going to a hospital and saying 'Look at all these sick people here, you son of a gun,'" she said on the recording.

Bruno has said she took in cats that no one else wanted and that she did not euthanize cats. A statement on Tiger Ranch's Web site called it a place "where mercy triumphs over justice."

McDonald also testified that she found an unused burial pit 32 feet long, 12 feet wide and 12 feet deep. Two other filled pits of similar size were also found, she said.

Bruno said on the recording that perhaps 250 cats died a year.

The hearing resumes Tuesday, with several veterinarians expected to testify.


04-24-08 -- Elderly Manayunk Woman Charged with Animal Cruelty
By: KWY-CBS Channel 3 Philadelphia


04-24-08 -- Adams County SPCA Aids German Shepherd's Recovery
By:  Erin James, Evening Sun Reporter

With the freedom to roam the farmland at his new Littlestown home, Jericho is living the good life.

It is a big difference from the 2-foot chain and ice-filled shelter to which the 8-year-old German shepherd was confined only weeks ago, when Adams County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals officer Brandi Luther rescued him from near starvation.

When she found him, she said Jericho was the worst case of animal neglect she had ever seen. At the time, he weighed only 38 pounds.

For weeks, SPCA staff watched the dog make a comeback none of them expected, and his life is nothing short of a miracle, Luther said.

"He went from being unable to stand and walk by himself to, just in two to three weeks, he was able to jog and play with other dogs," she said.

Jericho's recovery has been so remarkable that Luther said she feels compelled to tell people about it.

In March, Luther said she received a tip from a utility-company worker that a dog was being neglected at a home in Heidlersburg. When she arrived to investigate the allegation, Luther said she immediately determined that Jericho was in imminent danger and needed to be removed.

The dog - whom SPCA staff gave his biblical name - was taken to the Confederate Woods Veterinary Hospital in Gettysburg, though veterinary workers said there was little hope Jericho would recover.

But a long-shot blood transfusion administered by the Frederick Veterinary Referral Group saved Jericho's life, Luther said.

There was little debate over whether to attempt a transfusion in an effort to save the dog's life, she said.

"If that was his only chance of recovering, that was what we were going to do," Luther said.

Jericho's former owners, Owen and Jennifer Sterner of Heidlersberg, have since pleaded guilty to charges of animal cruelty, according to the office of District Justice Mark Beauchat.

Meanwhile, Jericho weighs 70 pounds and is expected to be given a clean bill of health within weeks.

Then, the dog will be removed from his Littlestown foster home and become available for adoption at the Adams County SPCA, Luther said.

So far, the Merrick Foundation has covered Jericho's medical costs, but donations are needed to supplement that fund. Soon, Jericho will need a new place to call home.

For a dog who was literally dying in front of her, Luther said Jericho's new name is more than appropriate.

"All his walls came tumbling down," she said.

Those interested in adopting Jericho or donating to his medical-bill fund can contact the Adams County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at (717) 334-8876.


04-23-08 -- Animal Cruelty Charges Refiled Against Uniontown Couple
By: Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Charges related to animal cruelty have been refiled against a Fayette County couple.

Joyce A. Swaney, 33, and Timothy M. Swaney, both of Bierer Avenue, Uniontown, have been charged by the Fayette Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals with 38 counts each of animal cruelty.

In addition, they are charged with eight counts each of failure to dispose of domestic animal carcasses within 48 hours and 19 counts each of failure to vaccinate a dog or cat against rabies.

The Swaneys faced summary charges earlier this year after humane officials executed a search warrant in November at their residence, but the original set of charges were withdrawn. The newly filed charges include misdemeanor offenses, which are considered more serious than summary offenses.

In criminal complaints filed with the original set of charges, humane officials said they found feces and garbage scattered throughout the Swaney residence.

A foul odor emanated from the structure, and agents removed 34 animals, including dead ones.

The new set of charges were filed Monday in District Court 14-1-01 in Uniontown, which is being served by senior judges.


04-23-08 --  Reading Dog Ordinance Appeal Denied
By:  Don Spatz, Reading Eagle

Reading, PA -  Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court has turned down Reading’s request to reconsider its February order throwing out the so-called aggressive breed ordinance.

City officials said Tuesday that they will appeal to the state Supreme Court.

The new appeal, as with the former, has no immediate effect.

The overturned ordinance imposed severe restrictions on owners of dogs considered aggressive, but no breeds have been put on the aggressive list since 2003.

In a 2-1 decision Feb. 26, a three-judge Commonwealth Court panel had thrown out the 1998 ordinance, ruling that it violates state law banning municipalities from prohibiting or otherwise limiting a specific breed of dog.

On March 11, city Solicitor Charles D. Younger asked the panel to reconsider, claiming it had misunderstood the differences between the city’s efforts to regulate a dog breed and the state’s long-time ban on limiting a breed.

But in a one-line order issued Monday, the panel said it wouldn’t reconsider.

Younger said he was surprised it took the court more than a month to deny the appeal.


04-22-08 -- Fayette County Humane Officers Seek Help in Abuse Cases
By: Mary Berecky, KDKA Television


04-20-08 --  NJ SPCA Rescues 28 Puppies - Ties to PA Puppy Mills
A Franklinville man was charged after buyers complained of puppies with contagious ailments.
By: Amy Worden, Philaelphia Inquirer

Authorities raided a Gloucester County residence yesterday morning and seized 28 sick dogs that were part of an illegal sales operation crammed in a sweltering basement closet.

Officers with the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said they found the puppies, recently purchased from two of Pennsylvania's largest puppy mills, in filthy crates stacked on top of one another in the unventilated closet in Franklinville.

"They were very sick," said Sy Goldberg, lieutenant colonel of the NJSPCA in New Brunswick. "They were lethargic. They had pus coming out of their noses and swollen eyes."

The dogs were taken to the Columbus Animal Hospital in Burlington County for treatment of pneumonia, hookworm, and other highly contagious diseases.

Officers arrested William J. Roberts, 57, and charged him with the fourth-degree criminal offense of willfully selling an animal with a contagious disease.

Roberts, who was released on bail, faces up to three years in jail and a $7,500 fine if convicted. He also faces multiple animal-cruelty charges on allegations that he failed to provide adequate care.

The NJSPCA will also recommend to federal and state agencies that they file charges relating to tax fraud and dispensing prescription drugs without a license, Goldberg said.

The puppies - all 6 to 10 weeks old - included West Highland terriers, Pomeranians, golden retrievers, and Yorkshire terriers.

They were among the 40 to 50 dogs Roberts sold each month for an average of $400, officials said.

Roberts had been operating for at least six years as an underground broker, buying puppies from kennels in Lancaster County, stashing them in his home, and selling them out of his car, officials said.

He regularly placed ads in The Inquirer and other newspapers. His cash-only sales often took place in parking lots and netted him $200,000 a year, officials said.

The NJSPCA launched its investigation with an undercover agent three weeks ago after five consumers who bought sick puppies from Roberts complained.

Records seized in the raid showed Roberts had bought dogs from Pennsylvania breeders Nathan Myer and David Zimmerman, both of whom sell hundreds of dogs a year.

Myer, a former member of the state Dog Law Advisory Board, has been cited for numerous dog-law violations in the last year.

Zimmerman, reached by phone at his kennel in Ephrata, said he did not recognize Roberts' name. Asked whether he sold healthy dogs, he said: "We try to."

It was unclear whether any charges will be brought against the breeders in Pennsylvania. Lancaster County Assistant District Attorney Christine Wilson said yesterday that she would have to review the case before commenting.

Roberts has a history of problems relating to dog breeding and sales dating to mid-1990s, and was well-known to a group called New Jersey Consumers Against Pet Shop Abuse.

"He preyed upon naive consumers," said group founder Libby Williams, who has tracked complaints about Roberts since 2002. "The puppy prices were cheaper than breeders and pet shops, and he was selling sickly animals."

Williams estimated that a dozen underground dog brokers operated in New Jersey.


04-18-08 --  Dog Rescued after Run-In with Porcupine
KDKA Television, Pittsburgh, PA



04-18-08 -- Man Who Led Oprah To Puppy Mills in New Dog Fight
Both Sides Have Lawyers; Pet's Owner Threatens to Sue
By: Lu Ann Cahn, NBC Phila Channel 10

A local woman says one of the most well-known dog advocates in the area won't return her beloved pet.

He said she's not a good pet owner, the NBC 10 Investigators' Lu Ann Cahn reported.

The woman said at first she was so relieved to find out her lost dog was in the hands of such a fine animal advocate. Now, she is fighting him to get her dog back.

Twelve-year-old Sarge opens his own Christmas presents, likes dress-up parties and sometimes gets in trouble when he picks up things that don't belong to him.

He has been part of the Joyce home since he was 6 weeks old. But he wasn't home Friday.

"I wake up in the middle of the night and pray about my dog and this man who has kept him from us. I don't know what else to do," Susan Joyce said.

"After 48 hours, in the state of Pennsylvania, the dog is legally ours," said Bill Smith, who you might recognize. He was recently on Oprah, single-handedly convincing her to investigate Pennsylvania puppy mills.

Smith runs the Main Line Animal Rescue near Phoenixville. That's where Sarge has been for over two weeks. NBC 10 was not allowed to see him.

"We return strays all the time but, in this case, she couldn't give us any kind of assurances that the dog wouldn't be run over by a car because the dog apparently had just been hit by a car," Smith said.

Joyce said a car hit Sarge in October in front of her Roxborough house, and she's still paying the $5,000 bill to repair his hip. On April 2, she said he left the yard.

Joyce admits she has not been the perfect dog owner. He didn't have a chain or collar. She said she reported him missing everywhere she could think. Days later she put up fliers. And she found out Sarge was taken to the animal rescue.

But Smith wouldn't release him.

"I've learned my mistake, but I don't think that it should cost me my dog that I've cared for for 12 years, that was a huge part of our family. I don't think this man has any right to keep him from us any longer," Joyce said.

"The dog clearly shows signs of neglect. The next day we heard from her attorney," Smith said.

"Even if what Bill Smith were saying is true, and it's not, he has no right to confiscate her dog for two weeks and not return it," said Debra Valenti-Epstein, Joyce's attorney.

Joyce's attorney said her client has proof from the SPCA and Pennsylvania Animal Control that she reported the dog missing the day he disappeared. And so Smith does not own the dog.

"I've know that family for many, many years," Valenti-Epstein said. "It happens. She's human; he's a dog."

"It's not an unreasonable thing for people who spend this much money on the animal to expect the owner to keep it safe after they give it back," Smith said.

He said his rescue has spent over $2,000 in veterinary bills on the dog to neuter, vaccinate him and treat him for Lyme disease. He said he would give the dog back if Sarge's owner would change her ways.

She said she has bought a new chain and tag, but said Smith has no legal right to make demands.

"I'm not going to give up. He's wrong and he needs to return my dog," Joyce said.

Both sides now have attorneys. The Joyce family is threatening to sue.


04-18-08 --  Deal for Animal Abusers who Burned Great Dane
Couple Ordered Not To Own Animals For One Year
By: Cory Nealon, Ellwood City Ledger

A Beaver Falls couple, whose emaciated and burned dog was put to death in January, won't be allowed to have a dog for one year, according to a deal reached Thursday.
 
Ronald and Rebecca Tomko, both 27 and of 1709 Fourth Ave., had been charged with three counts of cruelty to animals.

The couple took their dog, a Great Dane mix named Tank, to the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society in Pittsburgh on Jan. 7. Tank had severe burns to his face, inside his mouth and trachea, said Lee Nesler, the society's executive director.

The dog was "grossly" emaciated and in pain, Nesler said. The society euthanized Tank.

The Tomkos, who have declined to speak about Tank, waived their preliminary hearing in Beaver County Court on Thursday. They agreed to enter the state's Accelerated Rehabilitative Program, or ARD, for first-time offenders.

The Tomkos must surrender their second dog, a pit bull, and pay restitution to the humane society and the Allegheny County crime laboratory, said Beaver County Assistant District Attorney Michael D.I. Siget.

The Tomkos will appear in court June 6 to formally enter ARD. After the appearance, one of the Tomkos' parents will care for the second dog, Siget said.

The cruelty charges will be expunged from their records if they successfully complete the ARD program.


04-17-08 --  PA Puppy Mill Puppies Need Fosters ASAP
By: Rose Hayes, Central Pennsylvania Animal Alliance, YDR Pets

Mount Gretna, PA – Due to “Oprah Fever” following Ms. Winfrey’s recent show exposing the horrors of puppy mills, a local CPAA affiliate animal rescue is being inundated with placement requests for former puppy mill dogs from several breeding mills. While this is wonderful news for the animals, it brings an unprecedented urgency for help from the public in various ways.

A Tail To Tell Inc. is accepting 52 dogs this week and another 35 over the weekend – all of various ages and genders. The animals include several Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Yorkipoos, Maltipoos, an Eskipom mix (male), a Blue Heeler (male), a Golden Retriever (female), a Husky (female), an 8-week-old Malamute puppy missing part of a leg, Cocker-Puggles and Poodles.
 
Foster help is needed! Potential adoptees are needed! Transportation assistance is needed! Supplies are needed! Tax-deductible monetary donations may be sent to “A Tail To Tell”, PO Box 524, Mount Gretna, PA 17064. To complete foster and adoption applications, or for more information visit A Tail To Tell.


04-12-08 -- Local Vet Saves Injured & Abandoned Designer Dog
By: Howard Frank, Pocono Record

An abandoned dog with devastating injuries got a second chance at life Thursday through the compassion of a Pittston veterinarian disguised as an angel.

The dog, a young male Jack-A-Pug, about 1 year old, was found in the Stroudsburg area 10 days ago. He had a displaced fracture of the left hind leg. Unfortunately, no local veterinarian was willing to treat the owner-less animal. So, for 10 agonizing days, he laid close to death, with a high fever and gangrene setting in.

With the clock ticking, animal rescue organizations Camp Papillon and Second Chance Pet Rescue got in touch with Dr. Inayatullah H. Kathio of Pittston, who, according to someone who knows him, never turns an animal down.

Kathio's clinic received the dog on Thursday. The staff called him Montel.

"The dog was bleeding into his leg. He had severe muscle and nerve damage and a rupture of major blood vessels. The muscles were getting gangrene inside," Kathio said.

Montel had become septic, meaning the infection had gone into his general system.

A Jack-A-Pug is a mixed-breed dog — a combination of Jack Russell Terrier and Pug. And although technically a mutt, they're not cheap. "A Jack-A-Pug is a specially bred and expensive dog, usually selling for between $1,200 and $1,500," Kathio said.

Montel didn't have any tags or microchip for identification. Kathio had a theory of why the injured dog was deserted. "Someone saw this $1,500 dog, looked at a $3,000 surgery and abandoned him," Kathio said.

Dr. Kathio performed surgery on Montel Thursday to put the bones together and fix the damaged muscles and blood vessels. The surgery was a success.

The dog's prognosis is good, according to Dr. Kathio. "Now it depends on how his body heals. His limb went unattended for 10 days," he said.

Kathio sounded disappointed no one would treat the injured animal. "It's a very simple operation. Any vet should be able to do it," he said.

Kathio, who grew up in Pakistan, explained why he performs these acts of charity. "I've been doing this since I was a little child. I grew up in a place where poverty was a daily thing. I could feel the pain — I want to do something about it. I feel I am in a position to deliver. I am one of them," he said.

Kathio has been practicing veterinary medicine since 1977. He has two practices. One is a traditional veterinary practice, and the other is a low-cost clinic. "You bring in an animal and I charge $50," he said.

Why? "There are 10 to 15 million animals put to sleep in this country because of irresponsible pet owners. Most of the victims are cats. I do it to reduce unnecessary euthanasia," he said.

Trooper Michael Mulvey of the Blooming Grove state police barracks is a client of Kathio. "I don't know when he sleeps. He is a saint. One of the best persons I've ever met," Mulvey said.

Just one day after surgery, Kathio said Montel's spirits are high. "He's kissing, loving. His disposition is wonderful," he said.

What happens next is up to the public, though. "Hopefully someone will come and adopt him once he heals," Kathio said. Anyone interested in adopting Montel can contact Camp Papillon at 420-0450.

Despite his acts of kindness, Kathio spoke of his own good fortune. "I am very grateful for America. This country has everything," he said.

And the good doctor had a final wish. "If I were a millionaire, I would do this for nothing for the rest of my life."


04-12-08 -- United Against Puppy Mills
By:  Jane Holahan, New Era Newsmaker

They often spend their entire lives in small cages, stacked one on top of the other.

They endure intense heat and cold, rarely get medical care and never get any exercise. Some lose the ability to walk because they never leave their cages.

Vocal chords are crushed with a metal pipe so they won't bark.

Mothers are forced to have two litters a year, year in and year out. And when they've served their purpose, they're often shot and dumped in a compost pile.

Millions of viewers of "Oprah" recently discovered just how brutal conditions are for some dogs when the popular daytime talk show focused on the puppy mills here in Lancaster County.

Helen Ebersole, 59, knows all about it.

Three years ago she founded United Against Puppy Mills, which has been fighting to educate the public, change legislation and fight zoning laws that allow puppy mills to thrive on the seemingly bucolic farms that are so popular with tourists.

"Oprah has raised the level of awareness about the issue," says Ebersole. "We hope it's going to get people to take action, particularly legislative action."

Ebersole is a longtime animal lover, though right now she has only two cats and no dogs in her Wheatland Avenue home, something she says she'd like to change soon.

She decided to get organized after reading about the Puppy Love Kennel in Peach Bottom, which was in trouble for animal cruelty and sick dogs since the early 2000s.

After reading about a police raid and a description of the conditions under which the dogs lived, Ebersole decided to do more than get upset about it.

"I was talking to a friend and I said, 'Let's start an organization,' " she remembers. "I knew puppy mills existed here, but they were hidden under the radar."

So they organized a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and announced a meeting in March 2005.

"We had our first general meeting at the Quality Inn on Oregon Pike," Ebersole recalls. "There was a huge storm that night, with thunder and lightning and rain and wind, but still, there were more than 100 people there."

Ebersole didn't want the organization to become an overly emotional haven for dog lovers. There was too much work to do.

"We have been based on fact and research since day one," she says.

Indeed, many of the things United Against Puppy Mills does are not exactly thrilling and exciting. It doesn't rescue dogs, as Bill Smith of Main Line Animal Rescue did on the "Oprah" show. In fact, Ebersole has never been to a puppy mill.

A lot of their work is about keeping puppy mills from being established in the first place.

"We have a specific strategy," Ebersole says. "We make sure kennel owners are adhering to the rules with the land use, the building structure. We find out where their water sources are to see if the puppy mill would foul the water."

That means hard, often tedious work reading through the endless legal notices in the newspaper, where zoning boards are required by law to announce meetings and agendas so the public can attend.

If a farmer is looking to open or expand a kennel, he has to submit proposals to the township that follow the established laws. In most cases, the public has the right to see those proposals.

"(Our) people are looking in the newspapers every day at the legal notices. And we contact members from that township and coach them about how to deal with the zoning boards," Ebersole says.

Zoning officers often tell them that, from a legal standpoint there is only so much they can do. What goes on inside the kennel building is not under their jurisdiction.

For example, when members of United Against Puppy Mills provide evidence that the water may become tainted from a kennel, the zoning officials tell them that is not under their jurisdiction, but is the responsibility of the Environmental Protection Agency.

"But we always get it on the record," says Ebersole.

And townships often don't communicate well with the state, which oversees the conditions under which dogs live.

"We want the state to be more proactive," Ebersole says.

She is pleased that in October 2006 Gov. Ed Rendell created the job of special deputy secretary of dog law enforcement, now being held by Jessie Smith.

"They are making an effort to clean up the industry," Ebersole says. "But they have a long way to go."

Laws have to be changed, Ebersole says. When animal cruelty is found, kennel owners often get only a slap on the wrist.

She is concerned that the owners of Puppy Love Kennels now run a kennel called C.C. Pets LLC. Others, Ebersole notes, have gotten their dogs returned to them, which she says is obscene.

Part of the problem is that dogs are under the oversight of the Department of Agriculture.

"We want them under their own jurisdiction. They are companion animals, not livestock," she says. "They have to be socialized. They will be living with families."

Under the brutal condition of puppy mills, dogs' health and behavioral problems only intensify.

Another part of United Against Puppy Mills' mission is education.

"A lot of people don't realize that when you get a dog from a pet store, 99 percent of the time it comes from one of these puppy mills," says Ebersole. "Our mission is to educate people, to tell them to go to reputable breeders or to a rescue or a shelter.

"I find any excuse I can to talk about puppy mills," says Veronica Craig, of Ephrata, a member of United Against Puppy Mills and a friend of Ebersole's. "I find so many people didn't know they are right here in their backyard. Education is so important."

She heard about United Against Puppy Mills when she was on vacation in Africa and joined as soon as she came home.

Craig also works with Tails to Tell, a group that takes unwanted puppy mill dogs and finds them homes.

Both women know how depressing it can be to become immersed in the world of puppy mills.

"But when I see a dog rescued who is getting a wonderful home, it makes it all worth it," says Craig.

"Dogs do so much for us," adds Ebersole. "They bring out so much in us."

A petite and energetic woman, Ebersole always has taken an active role in the community. A former elementary school teacher in Derry Township, she and her husband, J. Glenn Ebersole, moved here in 1986.

"I joined the Humane League's auxiliary and volunteered at the shelter when I first moved here," she says.

She has been involved in a number of other causes, including the Second Mile, an organization that helps troubled children in foster homes, the Women's Symphony Association and the Penn State and Elizabethtown alumni associations.

She currently works part time for Intellectual Properties Administrators.

She has a bachelor's degree and two master's degrees in education and worked with sales and marketing in adult education for Penn State for 16 years.

That experience has helped her run United against Puppy Mills.

"Helen may be small," says Craig. "But she is mighty."

Anyone interested in learning more about United Against Puppy Mills can go to www.unitedagainstpuppymills.org or head over to Long's Park Pavilion 2 on April 26, for "Ruffin It … A Day in the Park."

This is a fundraiser for the organization and will include activities for kids, a K9 dog, a pet communicator, the Barnstormers' Cylo and an agility demonstration. A number of vendors will be there, too, and, of course, dogs are welcome as long as they come on a leash.


04-11-08 -- Teen Gets Year Probation in Washing-Machine Death of Dog
By: The Associated Press

EBENSBURG, Pa. - A Cambria County teenager will serve one year's probation in the washing-machine death of a terrier.

Eighteen-year-old Klynn Cvejkus of East Conemaugh is in an accelerated rehabilitative disposition program, where first-time offenders' criminal records can be expunged when they complete conditions set by the judge.

Cvejkus also was fined $300 on Thursday.

She was charged with animal cruelty after police say she entered an unoccupied house in March 2007 and put the dog in the washer.

Police say the dog did not drown, but died of a broken neck because water service had been shut off.

Police say the girl said she found the dog dead by a road.


04-09-08 -- Cat Ranch Owner Charged with 574 Counts of Cruelty
By:  Linda Wilson Fuoco, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The 218-page criminal complaint lists each cat by a letter and a number.

In all, Tiger Ranch animal sanctuary owner Linda Bruno was charged yesterday with 574 counts of animal cruelty stemming from a March 13 raid at her 27-acre Frazer property where investigators found hundreds of sick and dying animals, including, according to the complaint, some "so ill that the veterinarians had to euthanize them at the scene."

Ms. Bruno, 45, of Tarentum, pleaded not guilty yesterday at her arraignment before District Judge Suzanne R. Blaschak of West Deer.

Each of the 203 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty represents a cat "that was either dead on March 13, 2008, or has died since that date or has been euthanized due to an irreversible illness or condition," the court papers say.

Most of the 371 summary offenses also represent individual cats, except for four horses that prosecutors alleged are several hundred pounds underweight and a goat that investigators said did not have adequate shelter.

According to the complaint, each of the cats suffered from or died from one or more conditions including severe malnutrition and dehydration, respiratory or gastrointestinal infections from exposure to infectious conditions, and untreated abscesses, wounds, oral ulcerations, neurological diseases and circulatory system abnormalities.

The misdemeanor charges are punishable by a fine of up to $10,000, a sentence of up to five years in prison, or both. The summary offenses are punishable by a $50 to $750 fine, up to 90 days in prison, or both.

A preliminary hearing for Ms. Bruno, 45, was scheduled for 1 p.m. April 17.


04-05-08 -- Oprah Features Grim Video of County's Puppy Mills
By: Susan E. Lindt, Lancaster Intelligencer Journal

Oprah Winfrey's daily talk show airs in 117 countries, from Zimbabwe to Australia.

So when she featured grisly images of Lancaster County's infamous puppy mills on Friday's show, there was a little shame, but a lot more relief that the word is out.

"I'm not real proud of being a Lancastrian right now," said Lititz resident Shane Long, who tuned in to the 4 p.m. broadcast on NBC affiliate WGAL. "The images spoke for themselves. I'm hoping that something politically happens now that we're on the national news. Oprah was just the vehicle to get the word out there."

Winfrey featured correspondent Lisa Ling's hidden-camera footage of more than a dozen Lancaster and Berks county puppy mills on her hourlong talk show.

The footage was grim — so grim that Winfrey warned viewers, but asked them not to look away from the truth.

While the footage rolled, audience members could be heard gasping at the sight of filthy breeder dogs crammed into cages, dogs with chains embedded in raw neck wounds and a Plain farmer lifting large dogs off their feet by their collars.

Winfrey told the audience she saw a billboard in February just blocks from her Chicago studios asking her to feature puppy mills on her daily talk show, which is viewed by an estimated 49 million Americans a week.

The billboard was paid for by Main Line Animal Rescue, a Chester County shelter where thousands of breeder dogs have been rescued after being cast out from mills when too old or too sick to turn a profit.

Winfrey producers called MLAR founder Bill Smith just a week after the billboard went up.

Since word got out about Friday's topic, local anticipation has been building for weeks. E-mail alerts darted not only among animal-welfare groups, but also among the wider population.

They tuned in Friday at the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office, where prosecuting animal abusers and illegal puppy-mill operators has become a priority in the past year or so

"Unfortunately, we have too many illegal puppy mills, so media exposure such as this can lead to much-needed support for our upcoming efforts," said Lancaster County District Attorney Craig W. Stedman. "It is pretty simple. The more community and media support we have, the more successful we can be."

Meanwhile, Humane League of Lancaster County's Kerry Flanagan also tuned in. She has been to a few county puppy mills, and she's cared for their "cash crop" products at the Route 30 shelter.

"It's horribly upsetting for people who have never been to a puppy mill to see footage like that, but it's no different than what I've seen," she said. "That's really what puppy mills look like. It's really that bad."

The League often ends up footing the bill for vet care and shelter for animals seized from puppy mills and criminal cases of abuse. Flanagan said the show's message was presented well and could have an impact on where people choose to get pets.

"I thought the show really highlighted the connection between puppy mills and the overabundance of animals flooding shelters, which is really the problem here in the heart of Lancaster County," Flanagan said. "I thought it was great. Maybe now people will think about adopting from shelters instead of buying from pet stores and the Internet."

Helen Ebersole of United Against Puppy Mills didn't see the 4 p.m. broadcast, but taped it to watch Friday night. She said the footage might have been graphic, but she's glad it's out there.

"It's human nature for people to avoid the truth. People tell me, 'I can't watch that.' But I tell them to just watch a little of it because this is the fact of what it is," she said. "This was not sensationalizing — these are the facts."

Heidi Prescott of The Humane Society of the United States said the exposure Winfrey gave the issue in a single hour packs a powerful punch that even the most committed welfare groups can't match.

"Oprah just did more for the puppy-mill issue than any pending policy change we could pass," Prescott said.

Long, who has two Jack Russell terriers, said he often sees yard signs opposing puppy mills outside Lancaster homes. But it was Oprah's show that gave him new perspective on the anti-mill movement.

"I always thought of those yard signs as being a weird, radical thing," he said. "But now that I've seen the show, I kind of want to put one outside my house."


04-04-08 --  PSPCA Issues Statement on Tiger Ranch & LCA Campaign
By:  Lisa Rodgers, Director of Outreach, Philadelphia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

Editor's Note: Immediately following the PSPCA raid at Tiger Ranch, Last Chance for Animals founder Chris DeRose launched a campaign to dispute the investigation and subsequent removal of animals. The Philadelphia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has issued the following statement pursuant to the statements and claims of Mr. DeRose:

“The campaign of lies being perpetrated specifically against the PSPCA, and generally with respect to the Tiger Ranch case by Mr. Chris DeRose has reached such a point as to warrant a response about the true facts of this case. 

As a soap opera actor, Mr. DeRose is no doubt very familiar with creating drama and sensationalism, and clearly he has employed his acting skills with great success in garnering media attention for himself and his group, Last Chance for Animals (LCA). While this case is one that should be tried in the court of law and not in “court of public opinion,” it is nonetheless important to dispel untruths so that people understand Mr. DeRose’ s motives and the real issues in this case.  This is a serious, real life and very sad situation - not another acting job for Mr. DeRose.

“First, despite what Mr. DeRose claims, this is not an investigation of the PSPCA.  This is a legal case against Lin Marie, owner of Tiger Ranch, for alleged animal cruelty and neglect.  Mr. DeRose’ s organization has no authority to conduct an investigation of PSPCA, nor does LCA have any legal standing in Pennsylvania with regard to the Tiger Ranch case.  PSPCA is responsible for investigating animal cruelty cases in Pennsylvania and has done so with great distinction.  The merits of the case against Lin Marie will be decided in court, and evidence will be presented that includes hundreds of photos, hours of video footage, and documentation of a thorough investigation into neglect and cruelty at Tiger Ranch.  Prior to this raid, Mr. DeRose had never visited Tiger Ranch.  It is convenient timing that he should appear just as a big news story breaks in which he can insert himself and garner publicity.

“Second, though Mr. DeRose never visited Tiger Ranch before this raid, he was aware of complaints about the facility as reported to him by his own former investigator, Mr. Mike Winikoff. Winikoff previously issued the following statement regarding Tiger Ranch and its relationship with the Last Chance for Animals:

"I was working for Last Chance for Animals when the initial complaints about Tiger Ranch came in to the office. I was assigned to conduct a preliminary investigation, which I did. I concluded that there was evidence of horrible suffering at Tiger Ranch, and requested authorization to conduct a more thorough investigation. My request was approved but then abruptly withdrawn. I've never fully understood why LCA pulled me off of that investigation. After I left LCA, I continued to look into Tiger Ranch and became more and more convinced that the allegations were valid.

As a 20-year veteran of the animal rights movement, including a decade as an undercover investigator, I remain convinced that Tiger Ranch deserved to be closed and investigated for animal cruelty. I believe that our mission as animal advocates is to prevent and alleviate suffering wherever it occurs, even when the suffering is created by those who may be trying to do good things for animals. I do not believe that good intentions absolve us of the consequences of our actions. That applies both to Tiger Ranch and the people who dumped cats there without fully investigating their likely fate."

“Third, the most important fact is that hundreds of cats were suffering at Tiger Ranch from serious communicable and easily preventable infections that have even sent human volunteers to the hospital with infections as a result of their work with the diseased cats.  Blood and tissue samples from the cats have tested positive for parasites and viruses including:  ESCHERICHIA COLI, STAPHYLOCOCCUS, PROTEUS MIRABILUS, FELINE CALICIVIRUS, HERPES VIRUS, BORDETELLA, MYCOPLASMA FELIS and CHLAMYDOPHILAFELIS.  The cats were suffering from this array of illnesses and were exhibiting symptoms from oral ulcers that prevented them from eating and a discharge from the eyes that was left unchecked and resulted in loss of vision and then the eyes themselves. These animals were clearly suffering for lack of adequate medical intervention and some were literally falling apart. The assertion that all of these cats were brought to the facility with these illnesses is not true. The incubation period for Calicivirus is three to four days. These diseases were being harbored at Tiger Ranch. Any cat left there would have a grim prognosis at best. 


Kathy Jordan, president of the Philadelphia Community Cats Council and cat expert, assisted in the raid at Tiger Ranch is currently hospitalized as a function of a bite wound from one of the cats has issued a statement from her hospital bed, “I was struck by the bowls of food present though the cats were not eating. Their mouths were so ulcerated that they could not eat and were literally starving to death. They were so weak from starvation that they could barely walk.” Many of the volunteers have had to seek medical treatment as a function of their contact with the cats. The level of infection present was so high that the zoonotic potential may never be known.

At no point in the Last Chance for Animals media intervention into this case has Chris DeRose contacted the PSPCA to ask about the conditions at Tiger Ranch prior to the frantic clean up by Lin Marie or the thousands of young, healthy cats brought to Tiger Ranch only to get sick, suffer, and ultimately be buried in huge burial pits on the property.

“In light of all the accusations and threats directed at PSPCA by DeRose, we suggest it is equally important for Mr. DeRose to answer questions about his involvement and integrity.

1.    According to Mr. Winikoff and other sources close to Last Chance for Animals, a woman Mr. DeRose refers to as his “niece” dropped off hundreds of cats to Tiger Ranch and referred to Lin Marie as her best friend.  Mr. DeRose instructed Mr. Winikoff to cease his investigation of Tiger Ranch upon his “niece’s” urging though he had never at that point visited Tiger Ranch himself to know the true conditions and was basing his decision solely on her statements to him.  How can Mr. DeRose be deemed an impartial source of any information on this issue when it seems he is acting to protect his own self-described family member and the reputation of LCA?    Is this the proper investigative techniques LCA mentions in its multiple statements to the press regarding Tiger Ranch?

2.    Mr. DeRose has never inquired with PSPCA, currently caring for the cats, as to their welfare or medical status.  He has rarely even demonstrated true concern about these surviving animals and the suffering they have endured, not to mention the thousands that died in pain at Tiger Ranch. Jen Utley, wife of Phillies All-star 2nd baseman, Chase Utley, personally visited the cats at the Clarion shelter to check on their progress. She has called Chris DeRose two times to inform him of the terrible condition of the cats taken from Tiger Ranch and the great work of the staff and volunteers to help save the cats. He has yet to return her calls. His main purpose has been to defend Lin Marie.  Does Mr. DeRose really care about the animals in this case or is he simply trying to save his own reputation, which he has staked on Lin Marie?

3.    Mr. DeRose never visited Tiger Ranch before the news of this raid.  If he cared about the animals and had heard concerns from his own investigator, why didn’t he?  What is he trying to achieve, other than self publicity, by being there now?


4.    The Pennsylvania SPCA investigates thousands of cruelty cases in Pennsylvania each and every year, and through all its programs, cared for over 60,000 animals.     How many actual investigations were conducted by LCA in Pennsylvania during 2007?  How many resulted in arrests and convictions instead of media opportunities?  And how many animals did LCA actually care for (provide shelter, medical treatment and love) from its offices on Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles?

“Finally, PSPCA would like to clarify the role of the Animal Cops TV program with regard to this case, since Mr. DeRose has been leveling accusations and innuendo in this matter, suggesting the raid was conducted for television value.  The truth is that no media outlets were permitted on the Tiger Ranch property during the raid and this includes Animal Cops.  As of this point in time, Animal Cops producers have not even reached a decision about whether to use any of the outside footage they did gain in any future programs.  Again here, Mr. DeRose is trying to divert attention from the seriousness of this case and encourage questioning of PSPCA, which, unlike Mr. DeRose, has actual legal authority to conduct investigations and participate in this trial.”   


04-04-08 -- Charges Dismissed Against Shelter Owner
Additional Charges to be Refiled Immediately
By:  Francine Garrone, Valley News Dispatch

Linda Bruno, the owner of a cat shelter in Frazer that officials shutdown last month, had a brief reprieve from criminal charges Thursday, but prosecutors vowed to refile them and hundreds more.

Animal cruelty charges against the owner of Tiger Ranch were dismissed after her attorney was unable to enter a plea.

But the Allegheny County District Attorney's office looks to soon refile those 14 counts and add another 477.

District Justice Suzanne Blaschak agreed to dismiss the charges after Bruno's attorney, Ron Valasek of Lower Burrell, said it would be impossible to enter a plea. He said the charges, as filed, were not specific enough to provide a clear picture of what Bruno is accused of doing.

"There's nothing I can do but show up and ask to have the complaint dismissed," Valasek told Blaschak.

According to the criminal complaint, Bruno was charged with 13 counts of willfully and maliciously killing, maiming, mutilating, torturing or disfiguring a dog or cat; and a single count of cruelly ill-treating, beating, or otherwise abusing an animal, or neglecting the animal from care, food, water, clean shelter, and veterinary care.

"I am not able to prepare a defense with the complaint," Valasek said. "I need more information."

In response, Assistant District Attorney Deborah Jugan told Blaschak said Bruno's actions resulted in the death of hundreds of cats at Tiger Ranch. She said the charges allege that their deaths were due to dehydration, exposure to diseases, and lack of veterinary care.

Allegheny County officials and the Pennsylvania branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals raided Tiger Ranch, on Miller Drive, March 13 after an undercover sting confirmed suspicions of what it determined to be animal cruelty.

Officers began to search the premises and found that the vast majority of the estimated 400-plus animals living on the property were in "extraordinarily bad shape," according to the criminal complaint.

The complaints said each structure on the property was filled, primarily with cats -- the majority of which were malnourished, dehydrated, deformed, ill, sick, dying or dead.

According to the complaint, about a dozen sick or dying cats were observed in the "isolation room," which was described as putrid and pungent.

"There was a 13th cat that was dead upon our arrival and was lying in a litter box that contained more feces than litter, with one of the other 12 cats that appeared to be unresponsive and near death."

County officials described frozen cat carcasses found in a deep freezer as having deformities and open wounds. Some had missing eyes, and others had a frozen puss-like film on their snouts and around their mouths.

Allegheny County District Attorney Office spokesman Mike Manko said in a news release that the district attorney's office had reviewed the evidence, criminal complaint and affidavit related to Bruno's arrest.

"Based on the concern raised today by the magisterial district judge, this office will once again review the materials and re-file the charges in a timely fashion," the release said.

When the DA's office refiles the 14 counts and adds the others, there will be 491 counts of animal cruelty. Of those, 208 will be misdemeanor charges and another 283 will be summary offenses.

The misdemeanors will include a count for each of the 106 cats found in the freezer and one count for each of the 102 cats that died or had to be euthanized since being taken from Tiger Ranch.

All but five of the summary counts concern the 277 cats still remaining in the makeshift animal hospital in Shippenville, Clarion County.

Four of the summaries are connected to four of the six horses that are allegedly several hundred pounds underweight; and there's a single count for allegedly not providing shelter for a goat.

Nearly a hundred Tiger Ranch supporters and protesters packed the courtroom and the hallway leading into the courtroom, hoping to hear Blaschak's verdict.

For nearly an hour before Bruno's preliminary hearing, Adrienne McGrail and almost a dozen other protesters held enlarged photos of sick cats, some with puss oozing from their eyes.

"Basically, I came out to show actual images and accurate images that show the visuals of Tiger Ranch," McGrail said. "I have no animosity. I am here for the animals and to make sure it never happens again."

Kathy Stack of Munhall said she doesn't know Bruno, but is against what she didn't do for the animals.

"This is just tearing me up inside," said Stack as she drove back tears. "You don't see this kind of horror on the streets. Homeless cats don't look like this."

But Tiger Ranch supporters spoke of the good that they claim Bruno did for every cat that came through the sanctuary's gate.

"She took the cats that none of the shelters would take," said six-year Tiger Ranch volunteer Ruthanne Thomas of North Versailles. "Were there sick cats? Yeah. But they were brought to her that way.

"At least they were given a chance at life. It was a hospice for cats.

"My brother was just diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. And when the doctor said there is no hope, did we put him down?"

Animal rights activist Chris DeRose, president of Los Angeles-based Last Chance for Animals, said the SPCA and assistant district attorney are "telling a big enough lie."

"From what I have seen of the place and the photos that were sent to my office, there's nothing wrong with Tiger Ranch," DeRose said. "It's all very inflammatory. What they did was really wrong."

The SPCA issued a statement claiming that DeRose is mounting a "campaign of lies" against the Pennsylvania branch of the SPCA and its case against Tiger Ranch.

"As a soap opera actor, Mr. DeRose is no doubt very familiar with creating drama and sensationalism. And clearly he has employed his acting skills with great success in garnering media attention for himself and his group, Last Chance for Animals."

DeRose has a long history of movie and television appearances, according to the Web site Internet Movie Data base (IMDb). In 1963, he played Dino on "General Hospital," and also played characters in the "CHiPs" TV show and a movie, "Murphy's Law."

Last year, DeRose appeared in an episode of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," in which he played an animal control officer.

The SPCA statement goes on to say, "This is a legal case against Lin Marie, owner of Tiger Ranch, for alleged animal cruelty and neglect. Mr. DeRose's organization has no authority to conduct an investigation of the PSPCA, nor does LCA have any legal standing in Pennsylvania with regard to the Tiger Ranch case."

Lin Marie is the name that Linda Marie Bruno goes by when conducting Tiger Ranch business.

Deborah Urmann, the woman who prompted the investigation and shot undercover video inside Tiger Ranch, denied allegations that she had a grudge against Bruno. She said she blew the whistle to get help for the cats.

"She helped a lot of people," Urmann said. "But things have deteriorated over there. I saw bad things, and I wanted to try to get help for the cats."

Natrona resident Randy Wagner said Bruno helped to save his cat, Simon, when he got a urinary tract infection. "After helping to get my cat back to health, she never took a dime," Wagner said.


04-03-08 -- Ex-Breeder Sentenced for Cruelty But Regains Custody of Dog
By: Susan E. Lindt, Lancaster Intelligencer Journal

A county judge Wednesday sentenced Elvin L. High, a former dog breeder and twice-convicted animal abuser, to fines and probation for animal cruelty.

A jury convicted High in January on one misdemeanor count of animal cruelty. In related charges, Lancaster County President Judge Louis J. Farina found him guilty of six summary counts of animal cruelty for cropping his dogs' ears without a veterinary license.

Farina fined High $1,100 and sentenced him to a year of probation. Farina also ordered him not to engage in commercial breeding. However, High's West Hempfield Township business, Highgrade Kennels, 4406 Marietta Ave., has been idled since last May, when the state Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement revoked his kennel license for repeated regulation violations related to unsanitary and unsafe conditions.

Two of High's dogs were seized last April by humane police officers, who testified both animals needed immediate veterinary care. High was charged with misdemeanor-level animal cruelty for not providing the ailing dogs with medical care.

The jury convicted High of animal cruelty in the case of Zeus, a Neapolitan mastiff, who was starving and suffering a seizure when he was removed from High's care. High later had Zeus euthanized.

But the jury did not find High guilty of animal cruelty in the case of Sally Jane, a French bulldog, who, according to testimony, had raw skin from infection and straw embedded in infected wounds on her ears.

Farina's sentence seemed lackluster to those involved in prosecuting High, who was convicted of animal cruelty in 2002 as well.

"We are extremely disappointed in the judgment, especially considering High is a repeat offender," said Kerry Flanagan of Humane League of Lancaster County, which bore financial responsibility for housing, maintaining and veterinary care for High's dogs since they were seized.

After High's trial in January, Assistant District Attorney Christine L. Wilson asked Farina to prohibit High from owning any animals for 2½ years, as law permits Farina to do.

Although Farina said he received lots of mail from different organizations about High's conviction, he did not bar High from keeping animals. In fact, he reverted ownership of Sally Jane back to High.

"We requested this prohibition in light of the facts and the verdict," Wilson said Wednesday. "The court rejected our request and allowed (High) to keep all three of his family dogs and regain ownership rights of (Sally Jane), which he must sell for monetary gain."

Sally Jane has been living with a Humane League foster family since recovering from her afflictions.

High is not responsible for any costs related to extensive emergency vet care his dogs received, their follow-up care or boarding expenses.

In October, High requested a special exception from West Hempfield Township zoning officials to open a new stud service business at his property, even though township officials said he operated his previous kennel business for 21 years without township approval. High later withdrew his request.

High is now limited by township ordinance to owning no more than three dogs.

Read Elvin High's Inspection Reports: Click Here


04-03-08 --  Tethering Law Twisted, K-9 Club Repairs Damage Made
By: Jasmine Gollup, K-9 Club Secretary, The Daily Etownian

The article that ran in a previous edition of the Etownian concerning the K9 Club’s involvement with Pennsylvania Legislative Animal Network and House Bill 1065 highlighted a very serious and important issue amo¬ngst many animal rescue groups and I would like to thank the Etownian for bringing this issue to the students of Elizabethtown College. I would also like to take this opportunity to provide some additional information about the bill to further awareness of the plight of chained animals.

Every year, local SPCA’s and humane societies receive hundreds of calls from people concerned about chained and neglected dogs. Unfortunately, because dog tethering is legal, there is little these agencies can do to help the animals. House Bill 1065 was created in response to this situation. The bill would prohibit the tethering of dogs between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and would also demand that animals kept outside receive proper shelter.

The continuous chaining of an animal is undoubtedly an abusive practice. Tethered dogs rarely receive sufficient food, water, shelter, exercise, or veterinary care. They are given minimal attention by their owners, a deficiency that can lead to disastrous results.

Dogs are social beings by nature; they thrive on interaction with humans and other animals. A continuously chained dog becomes neurotic, anxious, and aggressive. Dogs are naturally protective of their territory. When confronted with a perceived threat, they will respond with either a fight or flight instinct. Unable to flee, a chained dog feels forced to fight. In 2007 alone there were 73 cases of children who were killed or seriously injured by tethered dogs.

Many recognize the consequences of tethering and urge owners to properly care for their animals. The American Veterinary Medical Association states “Never tether or chain your dogs as this can contribute to aggressive behavior.” The United States Department of Agriculture stated in 1996 “Our experience in enforcing the Animal Welfare Act has led us to conclude that continuous confinement of dogs by tether is inhumane.” In 1997, the USDA ruled that people and organizations regulated by the Animal Welfare Act cannot keep dogs continuously chained.

There are numerous alternatives to tethering. These include, but are not limited to, keeping a dog in a fenced yard and training to make a dog’s behavior suitable for indoor living. Placing an animal on a restraint can be acceptable if done for short periods of time; however, keeping an animal tethered for long periods is never acceptable.

House Bill 1065 is supported by numerous national and local organizations including the Humane Society of the United States, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Pennsylvania Legislative Animal Network, and the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

This reasonable anti-tethering law would make life more difficult for dog fighters, animal abusers, and neglectful owners. In conclusion, House Bill 1065 is a reasonable and responsible solution to a cruel and inhumane situation.

Please help us help abused animals by supporting this bill. Thank you.


04-02-08 --  Winfrey Dedicates Show to her Late Dog
Associated Press - Chicago

CHICAGO (AP) — Oprah Winfrey plans to dedicate a show investigating abuses at puppy mills to her cocker spaniel, Sophie, who died last month from kidney failure.

"Sophie gave me 13 years of unconditional love. She was a true love in my life," Winfrey says on the broadcast scheduled to air Friday. (Advance remarks from the show were released Tuesday by Harpo Productions.)

The show features special correspondent Lisa Ling investigating puppy mills, which Ling calls "horrific" and "haunting."

Winfrey says the show is "for anybody anywhere who loves a dog, has ever loved a dog, or just cares about their basic right to humane treatment."

While Sophie was not a product of a puppy mill, and Winfrey's three current dogs were adopted from breeders, Winfrey says in the future she would look to adopt from an animal shelter.

"I would never, ever adopt another pet now without going to a shelter to do it. I am a changed woman after seeing this show," she says.

Editor's Note:  Oprah's expose on puppy mills and the U.S. pet overpopulation crisis will air on Friday,
April 4, 2008. For Philadelphia residents, watch or set VCRs: 4PM on Friday, April 4, Channel 6/WPVI/ABC


04-02-08 -- Animal Cruelty Charges Pending
By:  Wayne Laepple, The Daily Item

MILTON -- Charges will be filed against a Broadway man accused of keeping 17 dogs in his apartment under conditions so appalling officials had to use firefighters' breathing equipment to investigate.

Milton police intend to charge Gary Yannich, who rented the third-floor apartment at 10 Broadway, with cruelty to animals and criminal mischief, as well as several violations of borough ordinances.

Yannich's whereabouts are unknown, police said.

Police and code enforcement officials went to the apartment March 27 after neighbors reported hearing dogs barking in the building.

Officers found piles of feces and urine-soaked carpeting, dogs jammed together in cages, dogs sleeping on empty dog food bags and general filth throughout the two-bedroom apartment.

The dogs were taken to Sunbury Animal Hospital, where they are being cared for. One dog has since died of injuries suffered before it was rescued.

Damage to the apartment, owned by an out-of-town landlord, is estimated at $28,000. Flooring, carpeting and walls, appliances, kitchen cabinets and bathroom fixtures will all have to be replaced before it is again fit for habitation.

Doug Diehl, Milton code enforcement officer, has posted the apartment unfit for human habitation.


04-02-08 --  Police: Man is Dog's WORST Friend
Cops accuse neighbor of trying to give poison to pair of canines
By:  Bevin Milavsky, The Express Times

HANOVER TWP. | A Bethlehem woman testified Tuesday that she watched one of her neighbors throw rat poison to another neighbor's dogs.

James Clewell, 66, of the 2000 block of Montgomery Street in Bethlehem, was charged in October with a summary offense of placing poison where it could be found or eaten by a dog. At his preliminary hearing Tuesday before District Judge James Narlesky, he also was hit with a charge of cruelty to animals.

About 30 people crammed into the courtroom for the two-hour hearing. All charges were held for Northampton County Court, and Clewell was released on $1,500 unsecured bail with the condition he not have any contact with the victim, her dogs or the witness and her family.

Clewell was charged in October after Blake Messman told police she saw him throw bright green pellets through the fence to Annie and Dixie, her next-door neighbor Diane Taylor's dogs. Messman, a stay-at-home mom who also baby-sits five other children two days a week, lets the dogs out during the day while Taylor is at work.

Bethlehem police officer Kelly Walbert said the pellets were sent to a laboratory in Willow Grove, Pa., where tests showed they contained bromethalin, which is a substance that can be used as a rodenticide. Clewell denied throwing them, Walbert said.

On Oct. 9, Messman testified, she was in her kitchen when she saw Clewell walk in the alley behind their homes. When he got to Taylor's gate, he bent down and threw the pellets, which scattered across the sidewalk and into the grass, she said. The dogs -- Annie, a 6-year-old Labrador mix, and Dixie, a 2-year-old terrier and poodle mix -- immediately began eating them.

Messman said she yelled, "What did you throw in there?" twice to Clewell, but he did not answer. She called police then gathered some of the pellets.

Taylor testified the dogs never showed signs of illness, but she rushed them to the veterinary hospital where they were kept overnight and given activated charcoal to absorb the toxins.

She took some of the pellets to The Home Depot and matched them to a similar-looking substance so the veterinarian would know how to treat the dogs.

Taylor said she then contacted the police again because she feared Clewell, who had complained about her dogs barking in the past, would try to harm them again.

Messman also testified she has heard Clewell and his wife yelling about the dogs, and that he has come onto her property in the past to complain.

Clewell's attorney, Christopher Shipman, argued for the case to be dismissed on the basis that the laboratory report said the ingredient could be used as a rodenticide, not that it definitely was one, and that the dogs never became ill.
But Narlesky maintained the report clearly identified the substance.


04-01-08  -- $10,000 Reward Offered for "Serial" Companion Animal Killer
By:  Gloria Campisi, Philadelphia Daily News

Animal-welfare investigators believe that a "serial killer" may be stalking and torturing cats in a Kensington neighborhood.

Yesterday, agents from the Pennsylvania SPCA found another cat beaten to death in the same area, near F and Tioga streets, where three cats had been found Monday with their heads caved in. A stake was rammed down the throat of one.

On Saturday, a fifth cat, also with a stake jammed down its throat, was discovered in the area by sanitation workers, according to PSPCA agents.

The agency is offering a $10,000 reward leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever killed and mutilated the cats. Tipsters are asked to call the PSPCA cruelty hot line at 1-866-601SPCA.

Neighbors were "very shocked," and had been unaware of the animal cruelty, said Elaine Rash, block captain of F Street near Venango. "We have one of the better-controlled blocks in the neighborhood."

If the torturer does something this cruel to an animal, "what are they doing to their children?" Rash asked.

The PSPCA got involved after being notified by a man who found the three cats Monday on the sidewalk on Weymouth Street near Tioga. The man, who Rash said had moved to F Street only recently, couldn't be reached for comment yesterday.

That area of Weymouth Street is lined with garages, rather than homes, said PSPCA investigator Wayne Smith and Gregory Jordan, an animal-cruelty agent.

Two of the cats found Monday had severe head injuries and the third had been nearly impaled through the mouth with a large wooden stick but also had been struck on the head, and a plastic cord was tied around its neck.

The agents said that the force needed to push the stick into the cat's mouth indicated the torturer or torturers had to be either teenagers or adults.

Smith and Jordan said none of the dead cats appeared to be pets.

After being taken to the PSPCA, their bodies were scanned for identifying microchips without success.

"We also checked lost-and-found reports and the cats didn't match," said PSPCA spokeswoman Heather Redfern.

Kensington has been the scene of dogfighting and cockfighting, Smith said, and it was not uncommon for cats to be attacked, there and elsewhere.

"We've seen cats that have been hung, hit by a bat or smacked with a stick," Smith said. "But this is a little different.

"Somebody actually took the time out to befriend" or track and trap the cats, Smith said. "It was all very deliberate and very vicious."

George Bengal, PSPCA's director of investigations, said, "We need to apprehend the person or persons responsible for these heinous acts now, before more innocent animals are harmed."


03-30-08 --  Willow Grove Base Could Go to the Dogs
By: Eric White, The Intelligencer

A new kind of animal could be coming to the air base at Willow Grove.
 
With changes in the Willow Grove base's mission, the Pennsylvania Air National Guard could be losing it A-10 Warthog attack jets.
 
But with the creation of the joint interagency installation at the base, search and rescue dogs could be coming.
 
Barry Stupine, vice dean for pubic affairs at the University of Pennsylvania's veterinary school, said the university wants to partner with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to develop a dog breeding and training center.
 
A proposal for the land at the base, which officials have cautioned is very preliminary, shows a search and rescue dog training center in an open area of the base to the east of the existing runway.
 
The facility would include 13 acres of training area, several of those sites with bleachers, plus buildings for veterinary care, administration and kennels, a report prepared for the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs shows.
 
The school would provide knowledge about genetics and dog physiology to produce a better search and rescue animal.
 
“We can breed the best dogs in world,” Stupine said.
 
FEMA and ATF would provide the training, he said.
 
Officials at the federal agencies did not return several calls for comment. However, according to a FEMA Web site, “Training requirements are intensive, to say the least. In addition to being an emergency medical technician, each task force member must complete hundreds of hours of training. Specialties such as K-9 search, rescue, and rigging carry their own training requirements.”
 
The U.S. needs more detective dogs, Stupine said. Most agencies buy from Europe now.
 
Stupine said Penn Vet has passed the threshold of the start up phase, and now is looking into getting funding.
 
Dr. Cindy Otto, one of the veterinarians working on the proposal, said the operating costs are projected to be between $3 million and $3.5 million per year. That's not including construction of the facilities. The goal is to generate about 70 dogs within five years, then continue to breed and train about the same number each year.
 
There would be about 70 to 100 dogs at the base at one time and about 45 to 50 people working at the center. That would include specialists in breeding, training and rehabilitation and administrative workers, Otto said.
 
Teams would be ready to respond to emergencies, flying out from the airstrip at the base.
 
During the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, there were only about 180 dogs trained to FEMA's standards.
 
The dogs now coming from Europe are not always the healthiest animals, Otto said.
 
In 2006, Warminster had to return had to return three German shepherds that were guaranteed to come from “the finest European bloodlines.”
 
Although she doesn't envision the program providing dogs for police patrol work, the center could help police with their detection dogs. Local K-9 teams would have access to rehab facilities at the site.

Penn hopes to improve on FEMA's standards.
 
Dogs would be bred for detecting smells, but the program would also look into exercise and nutrition, said Otto.
 
Right now, Labrador retrievers are the standard breed to start with, but Otto said research into what characteristics make the best dogs could also be applied to shelter dogs.
 
If researchers can identify the best dog they can potentially go into shelters and identify dogs that wouldn't make good pets but could be good search and rescue dogs.
 
“We could put them to work and they'd be happier,” she said
 
In addition to finding explosives and drugs, Otto said Penn hoped to break new ground with trying to detect disease in livestock.
 
Using dogs' incredible ability to detect minute scents, threats in the food supply could be discovered, she said.
 
Local people would have a chance to interact with the dogs when they are young, said both Otto and Stupine. While the dogs are still pups, they could be raised in local homes to socialize them. Dogs have also been raised in prison programs, Otto said.
 
“We want to end up with a dog that's healthy, sound and can operate at the best level long term, doing jobs which they love, by the way,” said Otto
 
The project is still preliminary. Penn is gathering people together and working to get an advisory board together.
 
The school has been in contact with Sen. Arlen Specter and Rep. Patrick Murphy to try to generate funding for the project.
 
Back in 2002 or 2003 Gail Smith, another veterinarian at Penn, and Otto put together a similar proposal, but it didn't go anywhere, mostly because they didn't have space identified in which to do it. When the opportunity to use space at Willow Grove came up, they started again.
 
“I'm really excited this might become a reality. It's been dream for a long time,” said Otto.
 
Depending on the size of the base, in the best case there should be a large area of open space. If Gov. Rendell chooses to use the entire area of the Willow Grove Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base to create the joint interagency installation, space would not be a
problem, said Ken Lewko, special assistant to the deputy adjutant general for air.
 
“If it's a small area, there's not likely much space to support the project,” he said.
 
Mike McGee, Horsham township manager, said it sounds like a heck of a facility.
 
“It sounds like a research facility and a veterinary hospital,” he said. “Seventy dogs at $3.5 million a year, that's an expensive dog.”


03-24-08 -- Animal Law Revamp Neglects Cat
By:  Craig Smith, Tribune-Review News Service

State lawmakers pushing to stiffen Pennsylvania's animal protection laws are not considering new rules for cat sanctuaries and rescue operations.

Despite the recent raid at Tiger Ranch in Frazer, where hundreds of cats -- some sick, dying or feral -- were seized, lawmakers primarily are addressing the regulation of dogs and kennel operators.

Bills that would restrict the tethering of dogs kept outside, regulate kennels and increase fines for animal cruelty are among the measures that have been introduced as part of what lawmakers are calling a growing awareness of animal cruelty issues.

While kennels with more than 26 dogs must be licensed and meet state regulations, the state has no such provision for businesses housing cats, said Ron Smith, a 35-year veteran agent with the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society.

"I would like to see something for cats," he said.

Gov. Ed Rendell, who has urged improvements in rules governing dog kennels and puppy breeding farms, wouldn't mind including cats in the animal protection debate, his spokesman said.

"The governor is not only a dog lover but an animal lover, and would look at any legislation that would protect animals. It's not a stretch to say that cats deserve the same protection as dogs," said Rendell's press secretary, Chuck Ardo.

Pennsylvania remains behind the curve when it comes to protecting animals, said Stephan Otto, director of legislative affairs for the Animal Legal Defense Fund, a California-based group that ranks states according to their animal protection laws.

"A lot more protection for animals is offered in other states," he said.

Pennsylvania moved from an average ranking in protecting animals in 2006 to below average in 2007, the organization said. Pennsylvania is among 17 states "with laws that are plainly incapable of adequately protecting animals," Otto said.

For instance, sexual assault of an animal in Pennsylvania remains a misdemeanor. Other states, which are becoming more aggressive in protecting animals, have made it a felony, Otto said.

Some animal rescue officials are hoping that new laws will be enacted soon.

"Judges and legislators are beginning to realize there is a problem here," said Charlotte Grimme, executive director of the Animal Rescue League, who supports a number of the pending measures.

While lawmakers and others said awareness of the issue has been heightened at Rendell's urging and by a number of recent cases, the prospect of moving any of the bills isn't clear.

"We're an agricultural state. It's so difficult to write laws in the best interest of the animals," said Larry Gerson, a Point Breeze veterinarian who is president of the Allegheny Abused Animal Relief Fund.

State Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, a co-sponsor of many of the pending bills, is optimistic new regulations will pass this year.

"There is pressure to move this issue forward," he said.

Joke of the Month

Taking Turns: A New Leaf, A Blind Eye or Deals with the Devil
By:  Jenny Stephens

It wasn't long ago that canine animal advocates in Pennsylvania were filled with hope after sensing a whisp of change in the air.   Now, 18 months and an Oprah episode on puppy mills later, not so much.  Don't get me wrong, I do believe that hope springs eternal but, you know what?  I'm tired of waiting and not necessarily happy with what I see on the horizon.

Last week's puppy mill special on Oprah did more than just expose the ongoing abuse that's still occurring in Pennsylvania state licensed kennels.... it forced those who fight the puppy mill battle 365 days a year to take a long hard look at what is or isn't happening and caused many to wonder if the promised reformation process has stalled or possibly taken a turn for the worse.....

Let's take a look:

On April 2, 2008 animal advocates were disappointed when Lancaster Judge Louis J. Farina re-awarded custody of little Sally Jane, a French Bulldog, to convicted animal abuser Elvin High whose kennel license was revoked by the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement in 2007.  Sally Jane, who had suffered terribly, was confiscated from High's hell hole in April, 2007 and had been living happily in foster care until Farina's poor judgement landed her back into the cruel hands of a puppy miller.  View High's Inspection Reports: 2006  and  2007 

More disconcerting news landed on my desk last week in the form of a Consent Order and Agreement that was entered into by the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement and puppy miller Samuel F. King on January 22, 2008.  A review of King's USDA and PA inspection records dating back to 2003 reveal despicable kennel conditions that should have caused the revocation of his license.  Per the document, the Bureau has elected to give this animal exploiter yet another chance.  By and large, what King agrees to is not that much more than what is expected of any kennel license holder in the state with the exception of having to reduce his dog inventory from 600 to 400.

Even the $5,000 penalty intended to be levied against King for his repeated infraction of the Dog Law was, it appears, reduced at the last minute to a measly $4,000.  Frankly, and in lieu of the thousands of dogs Kings has sold over the last 5 years, $4,000 is chump change.  View King's Inspection Reports: 2006   2007   2008    View King's Consent Order and Agreement: Click HERE

Come May of 2008 it looks as if yet another deal might be brokered.  Earlier this year notorious puppy miller Ervin Zimmerman once again came to the attention of Pennsylvanians.  In case you forgot, in 2007 Zimmerman failed seven kennel inspections, ran away when authorities attempted to serve him with a search warrant, had 18 dogs removed from his custody due to horrific medical conditions, was found guilty of animal abuse by a local magistrate and had his kennel license revoked by the Bureau of Dog Law.  This saga, however, was far from over.

A report was made to the Bureau again in February, 2008, when a USDA inspector entered Zimmerman's kennel and found the facility to be in its usual deplorable condition. But why was he even operating?  His license had been revoked!  Much to the surprise of the advocacy community, the Bureau of Dog Law saw fit to stay Zimmerman's license revocation and allow him to continue operating.  The Bureau's press release of February, 2008 announced that Zimmerman was appealing the license revocation and that an administrative hearing was scheduled for May - approximately three months down the road - even though dogs were suffering in the interim. 

Why was the Bureau postponing a hearing that could have been held immediately?

Had Zimmerman's hearing been held in February, or even March, the conditions in the kennel would have warranted upholding the license revocation.  To avoid that outcome, it would seem the Bureau is seeing fit to provide Zimmerman with the time necessary to clean up his act and the online Kennel Inspection Reports would seem to substantiate this suspicion.  View Zimmerman's Inspection Reports:  2006    2007    2008

Indeed, Zimmerman is being inspected frequently and the progress of his kennel improvements are being very carefully documented. Is it possible that Zimmerman's kennel will be found in compliance with the Dog Law regulations and his license will be reinstated at the upcoming administrative hearing in May? 

Returning companion animals to convicted animal abusers and inking deals with kennels that absolutely should not be licensed to operate begs the obvious question: are Pennsylvania's breeder dogs doomed?  Are those currently in power really willing to look the other way in an attempt to avoid the ire of the special interest groups who profit from the two billion dollar a year pet breeding industry?  Will any elected or appointed official ever truly take a stand and shut down the largest and most egregious of puppy millers located in Lancaster County when there's no doubt that they are breaking of the law? 

In January an abysmal second draft of proposed Dog Law regulations (thoroughly laced with breeder concessions) was released and animal advocates were promised proposed legislation that has yet to be seen or introduced.  There is now documentation of a deal allowing a kennel that had not been in compliance for years the right to operate. Worse, most of us did watch Oprah's program on puppy mills and saw the video footage, taken just a month ago, that documents the ongoing abuse and cruelty these poor breeder dogs must endure day in and day out, year after year after year.

When will Pennsylvanians force our officials to do what's right for these dogs?  When is enough enough?