NPPMWATCH

North Penn Puppy Mill Watch

News From January, 2009 01-31-09 -- Vigil Held for Slain Dog By:  David Hare, The Reporter UPPER GWYNEDD — About 50 people stood huddled together in frigid temperatures near the main entrance to The Reserve at Gwynedd condominium complex where a candlelight vigil was held Friday for a 6-year-old Akita-mix named Bruce, who last week was allegedly shot and killed by an off-duty police officer from Tempe, Ariz. Stan Rosenblatt, Bruce’s owner, said the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office is still investigating the shooting. He declined commenting further, saying only that “the shooter is back in Arizona.” The officer, whose name is being withheld by authorities, was visiting his father who lives near the Rosenblatt family inside the complex. The man said he shot Bruce because he feared the dog was going to attack him, according to Rosenblatt. During Friday’s vigil, rather than dwell on the shooting, the Rosenblatt’s and their friends paid homage to Bruce in story and song. “I miss Bruce laying his head on my lap, and stroking his velvet ears and soft fur,” Rosenblatt said. “I miss taking him for walks. I used to talk to him and the way he moved his head it was like you knew he understood.” Rosenblatt’s wife Joan said she never owned a dog until Bruce. “He taught me so many things,” she said, “like it’s OK to relax and enjoy being in your home. I also became more aware of nature when I took him out for walks.” It was the Rosenblatt’s son David who first brought Bruce home a little more than two years ago. The couple had just returned from vacationing in Europe when David introduced them to the new, albeit four-legged, addition to the family. “We always thought of Bruce as our other son, he was never a dog to us,” Stan Rosenblatt said. Bruce was the former house dog of the Zeta Psi fraternity at Pennsylvania State University, where David Rosenblatt went to school. Several fraternity members at the vigil spoke about their former friend and mascot. Also lending their support were members of the North Penn Puppy Mill Watch. Long-time member Jenny Stephens implored the crowd to fight for abused and neglected dogs. “I’m sure Bruce is looking down on us tonight, and he’s wagging his tail,” she said. Note from NPPMWatch:  The vigil attendance was closer to 95 when we counted - Thanks to All Who Came Out for Bruce and The Rosenblatts. ### 01-31-09 -- Almost Heaven Kennel Denied 2009 License State acted against Upper Milford facility after a delayed hearing By:  Tim Darragh, The Morning Call The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Friday denied Upper Milford Township kennel owner Derbe Eckhart a license to operate for 2009. Agriculture spokesman Chris Ryder said a formal denial is being sent to Eckhart, the owner of Almost Heaven Kennel, who will have 10 business days to appeal. If he appeals, Eckhart will be allowed to remain in operation until the appeal concludes. The department indicated to Eckhart last year that his license application would be denied, but delayed action pending Eckhart's appearance in court this week over summary and misdemeanor animal cruelty and kennel sanitation charges. However, the case is continuing, so Agriculture officials decided not to wait any longer before issuing the denial. An attorney for Eckhart, Jason Berger, had no comment. Eckhart pleaded not guilty to the charges, which stem from an Oct. 1 raid at the kennel. Dozens of dogs were seized, and officials issued Eckhart and associate Bryan Smith citations for animal cruelty. Eckhart also was charged with failing to keep the kennel clean, as well as misdemeanor cruelty charges. District Judge Donna Butler's office said the case will continue at 9:30 a.m. Feb. 18 in the Lehigh County Courthouse. In a related matter, the department Friday sent a cease-and-desist order to T.A.S. Kennels. Almost Heaven's Web site last week posted a notice that T.A.S. took over the kennel, with ''April W.'', whom officials said was longtime Eckhart assistant April Dotterer Welter, as the owner. T.A.S., however, has no license to run the kennel, Ryder said. ''It's unclear at this time who owns the kennels,'' he said. The Web site now is out of service. Ryder said department officials also seized a computer at the kennel during a Jan. 8 inspection and are reviewing its contents. T.A.S. also will have 10 days to appeal the order if it is running the kennel. If either Almost Heaven or T.A.S. does not appeal within 10 days, the department would have the right to seize the animals still at the kennel. The kennel passed its most recent inspection Jan. 8, and none of the 418 dogs on site appeared to be endangered, according to a report. ### 01-30-09 -- PA. Appeals Court Says Owners Can Shoot Dogs, Cats By:  Mark Scolforo, Associated Press, Philadelphia Inquirer HARRISBURG, Pa. - A Pennsylvania law regulating animal cruelty is so confusing and ambiguous that owners cannot be prosecuted for shooting and killing their dogs or cats, a state appeals court ruled Friday. The Superior Court overturned the conviction of a northeastern Pennsylvania woman on conspiracy to commit cruelty to animals in the 2006 shooting outside Weissport of her 6-year-old pit bull-chow mix, named Bouta. "If the Legislature wishes to make it criminal to shoot one's own dog or cat, it must do so in a clear, unambiguous manner to give reasonable notice that the act is criminal," wrote Judge Richard B. Klein for the majority. "It did not do so in this case." It was the second time in less than a year that the appeals court ruled in favor of Wendy Colleen Kneller of Carbon County. A decision last February was issued by only three judges, but the court agreed to hear it argued again and on Friday issued an 8-1 ruling. The dissenting judge, Correale F. Stevens, wrote there is nothing in the Pennsylvania Dog Law "to suggest that the legislative intent was to give carte blanche authority of a dog owner to kill her dog for any reason or no reason." "A sweeping policy conclusion that a dog owner can shoot a healthy, happy dog for no reason ... would replace the call of 'Lassie, come home' with 'Lassie, run for your life,'" Stevens wrote. The court said Kneller told a state trooper that the dog had bitten her child. Prosecutors said Kneller gave her boyfriend a .40-caliber handgun and told him to shoot the dog; the man was convicted of other crimes and has sought another trial. Her lawyer, Paul Levy, said Friday that some people do not have the money to have their pets euthanized at an animal clinic. "The idea behind it is that an owner of a pet is going to have a vested interest in that pet, and the normal assumption's going to be that they're going to make sure their pet is disposed of in a humane manner," Levy said. The phone at the office of Carbon County District Attorney Gary F. Dobias rang unanswered Friday afternoon. To read the court opinion, click HERE Note From NPPMWatch:  The PA law that allows owners to shoot their companion animals is Pamphlet Law 83.  ### 01-29-09 -- Monroe SPCA Closes By: Trish Hartman, Channel 16 WNEP Monroe County's SPCA shelter closed for good Thursday with little notice. It was an emotional day at the shelter in Stroud Township. Officials with the SPCA in Philadelphia said lack of funds, lack of leadership and little community support led to the last-minute decision to close the shelter Jeremy Murcelo is a volunteer at the Monroe County SPCA near Stroudsburg. Now that the shelter is closing, he's decided to temporarily foster Bettis until he can find a permanent home. "It's a horrible situation.  The county needs this shelter.  There's a lot of unwanted animals and this is the only place to actually bring them," Murcelo said. Volunteers said they found out hours ago. Sarah Richman came to say good-bye to the animals she's been caring for. "I love to. It makes me feel good," Richman said. "I adopted my first rabbit, Toby, here and ever since then it just grew, my love for rabbits." Workers with the PSPCA are prepared to take the animals to Philadelphia if they have nowhere to go but local organizations are stepping up to take care of some of the animals in the Stroudsburg area. About 15 cats are being taken by an animal rescue called Animals Can't Talk. "We currently have our cats being adopted out by the PetSmart on (Route) 611.  We're pulling out all the cats that we can from here and taking them to the lady who runs it," said Anne Cowles of Animals Can't Talk. Many of the dogs will find temporary homes through a no-kill animal rescue called Camp Papillon in Stroudsburg. Future dog owners, like Natalie Kish, said they will miss coming and looking for that perfect pet. "There's a lot of rescue groups, but the shelters are few and far between.  Every time I come here it's always packed with dogs," Kish said. Anyone interested in adopting, volunteers ask you to contact Camp Papillon. ### 01-28-09 -- Slain Dog to be Memorialized Friday By:  Terri Alderfer, Montgomery Newspapers Though still no official word has been released from the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office about the alleged shooting of a 6-year-old Akita-mix that took place Jan. 16, the dog's family will try to find a sense of closure at a candlelight vigil scheduled for Jan. 30 from 6:30 to 7 p.m. Stan Rosenblatt and his wife, Joan, and son David invite anyone interested in supporting them to the vigil, to be held near the main entrance to The Reserve at Gwynedd, located on Morris Road near Route 202. Rosenblatt said he expects friends and family to attend, and has confirmed that members of the North Penn Puppy Mill Watch will come out to show their support. According to Rosenblatt, his family's dog, Bruce Willis Rosenblatt, was shot by an off-duty police officer from Tempe, Ariz., who was visiting his father, a resident of the unit block of Lilac Court inside the development. Rosenblatt said the Upper Gwynedd Police Department responded to the scene and interviewed him and the alleged shooter and completed a report. When contacted Jan. 20, the UGPD said it would not release that report and referred all calls to the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office. Assistant District Attorney Abby Silverman said Jan. 23 that the police report was received by the district attorney's office and is under review, but details were not available by press time. "It is something we're taking very seriously, and the fact that he is a police officer is not going to affect any decision that we make," Silverman said. According to Rosenblatt, Bruce was shot by the man outside the main entrance of his condominium building at The Reserve. Rosenblatt said the dog was secured on his leash throughout the incident. The man was allegedly outside the main entrance door with another dog, when he opened the door and Bruce made his way outside, still on his leash. "I shouted at him, 'don't come in until I clear the lobby,'" Rosenblatt said. "Instead of heeding my request, he pulled the door open just enough for Bruce to squeeze through." Rosenblatt said that Bruce, a former fraternity dog at Penn State University, was then shot three times in his side by the man. According to Rosenblatt, the man claimed that he shot Bruce because he thought that Bruce was going to attack him. But Rosenblatt claims that Bruce did not have any history of aggression or behavioral problems and he was not being aggressive toward the shooter. "He never bit anyone, he never attacked another dog," Rosenblatt said. After the incident, Rosenblatt said he "screamed at the shooter," who then allegedly threatened Rosenblatt. Rosenblatt then backed off and took Bruce, whom he said was still breathing at that time, to the Gwynedd Veterinary Clinic on West Point Pike. By the time he reached the veterinary clinic, Rosenblatt said Bruce's heart had stopped and he had stopped breathing. When contacted Jan. 20, the alleged shooter's father said it would be "inappropriate to comment" on an ongoing police investigation. But he did offer his condolences to the Rosenblatt family, including Stan, his wife, Joan, and his son, David. "My heart goes out to the Rosenblatts at this point," he said. "It's an unavoidable but very regrettable and tragic incident." An investigation is ongoing. ### 01-29-09 -- Kennel Video, Photos Provoked Strong Emotions By:  Bill White, The Morning Call I showed up at the Lehigh County Courthouse about half an hour early for Almost Heaven Kennel owner Derbe "Skip" Eckhart's cruelty hearing Tuesday, and it's a good thing. All the seats in the courtroom were filled well before the scheduled starting time. This was a hot ticket. It wasn't until District Judge Donna Butler agreed to sequester witnesses -- sending a bunch of the previously seated people, including several Eckhart supporters, outside -- that space opened up for the overflow attendees, many of them rescue people who have been itching to see the kennel owner get what they believe is his just desserts. As it turned out, nothing was resolved. The preliminary hearing for six misdemeanor charges against Eckhart, and the trial for summary charges against Eckhart and his associate Bryan Smith, all were continued to an unspecified future date after two prosecution witnesses and about 2 1/2 hours of testimony. It looks like this is going to take a while. The charges arise from the Pennsylvania SPCA's Oct. 1 raid on the kennel, which not only resulted in the seizure of some sick animals and cruelty charges against Eckhart, but also the revocation of Almost Heaven's kennel license, although he appealed and still is operating. As I wrote the other day, the kennel's Web site recently announced new ownership -- longtime Eckhart assistant April Dotterer Welter -- and a new name, T.A.S. Kennels. This in turn resulted in a state Dog Law Enforcement investigation and search of the kennel, since neither Welter nor T.A.S. has a kennel license. That investigation is continuing, and I noticed Tuesday that in the meantime, the Web site has been taken down altogether. Anyway, back to the courtroom drama. The centerpieces of the case so far had to be the video of conditions inside the kennel and photos of some of the dogs. The video and pictures documented what the Pennsylvania SPCA told reporters on the day of the raid. They show pens and dog runs covered with feces, drainage areas clogged with dog droppings, empty or fouled water and food dishes, very crowded conditions, and underweight dogs with filthy coats and a multitude of health problems. Some of the matting was so severe that the fur had torn away, leaving patches of damaged skin. If you love animals, it was heartbreaking. PSPCA Director of Law Enforcement George Bengal and PSPCA veterinarian Rachel Lee provided commentary for the visual images. Bengal described the sickening smell -- easily discernible from the street that day, so I can only imagine what it must have been like inside -- and Lee described health conditions created by the filth and lack of veterinary attention. Cross-examination by Eckhart/Smith lawyer Kevin Fitzgerald revealed that a key element of the defense strategy may be that all this filth accumulated that afternoon of Oct. 1 while the PSPCA inspectors were preventing Eckhart and his diligent crew from going out and cleaning. At the risk of prejudging what promises to be an entertaining defense, I can't help but remark that these must have been the poopingest dogs in history to pile up that much waste in so little time. Maybe Skip gave them prunes for breakfast. One woman screamed at Eckhart as she left the courtroom, but that was the only outburst, although there were many looks of disgust while the grisly images played out on the screen. Joanne Brentari, who used to be Eckhart's neighbor and has been waging a campaign against his operation for years, said she and her husband, Herb, left after an hour because they were so disgusted. She told me afterward, "I was actually thinking, 'What's the worst that could happen to me if I jump across that row of people and choke him?' " For her sake, I'm glad she didn't put that to the test. But in the wake of that video and those photos, I'm guessing she wasn't the only one fantasizing about some instant justice. ### 01-28-09 -- Sending Love to Chained Dogs By:  The Humane Society of the United States Does the sight of a chained dog break your heart? You and your kids can help chained dogs this Valentine's Day thanks to Dogs Deserve Better, a national rescue and advocacy group dedicated to ending the practice of perpetually chaining dogs. Each year, the group sends Valentine's Day cards and dog treat coupons to chained canines across the country during its Have a Heart for Chained Dogs Week. The group includes a brochure for the dog's caretakers, explaining why the practice of continuously chaining dogs is a form of abuse. The materials encourage people to bring their dogs into the home or to find better homes for the animals. Last year's campaign reached out to 10,435 dogs. This year, the group hopes to reach 12,500 dogs. How You Can Help Check out thesuggestions (below) on how to make doggy valentines, mail coupons to dogs, submit addresses of chained dogs, and more. Also, visit the Dogs Deserve Better website to see what others have done to help. Get Others Involved  "The creation of the valentines is an ideal project for schools, scouting troops, and other similar organizations because children have a natural love for animals, especially dogs, and enjoy making art projects," said founder Tamira Thayne, an artist herself. "We receive thousands of heart-touchingly creative valentines made by school children each year, sending the dogs good wishes and hopes for a brighter future." By the end of January, the group needs 12,500 valentines to pair with addresses for chained and penned dogs. Why Chaining Hurts Dogs As social animals, dogs need to have regular interactions with their family. Dogs who are left chained up in the yard experience boredom, loneliness and isolation, which eventually lead to territorial and aggressive behaviors. Countless communities across the U.S. have enacted ordinances to address the issues related to dog chaining. The HSUS encourages you to download a free kit to help chained dogs in your neighborhood. If you want to help ensure that pooches in your community live inside with their families, download a free copy of "The Guide to a Dog's Life: Chaining and Your Community," a comprehensive, step-by-step guide on how to pass an anti-chaining ordinance in your area—and start helping dogs now! Take Action for Chained Dogs 1. Get Crafty Making valentines for chained dogs is a great project for kids! Visit DogsDeserveBetter.org to see what volunteers have created in the past. Hurry—the deadline for submitting valentines is Feb. 5. 2. Address the Problem Know a penned or chained dog who could use a valentine? Visit the Dogs Deserve Better website and submit the address of a chained or penned dog in your neighborhood by Feb. 5. Don't worry—your information will remain anonymous. 3. Send in Your Coupons In addition to a valentine, each dog will receive a coupon for free or discounted dog treats or food. Make sure your coupons go to good use—mail them to Dogs Deserve Better by Feb. 5. 4. Sponsor Valentines The cost of this campaign is quite high due to material and mailing fees. You can either sponsor valentines for addresses you provide, or sponsor valentines for others who provide addresses. 5. Download Your Free Kit Download a free copy of "The Guide to a Dog's Life: Chaining and Your Community," a comprehensive, step-by-step guide on how to pass an anti-chaining ordinance in your area—and start helping dogs now! Contact Dogs Deserve Better - Click HERE ### 01-28-09 -- Animal Cruelty Case Against Almost Heaven Owner Begins By:  Tim Darragh, The Morning Call A video and photos of diseased dogs and cats with matted fur -- so heavy in some cases that it pulled away, leaving the animals looking partially shorn -- punctuated the first day of a trial for the operators of Almost Heaven Kennel. The case, involving summary and misdemeanor charges against Derbe Eckhart and summary charges against an associate, Bryan N. Smith, came to a halt after three hours and two witnesses Tuesday. It will resume at an unspecified date. George Bengal, the Pennsylvania SPCA's director of law enforcement, and veterinarian Rachel Lee testified about conditions they saw when animal welfare officials raided the kennel in Upper Milford Township on Oct. 1. Lee toured the various buildings over the 4-acre compound and saw horses, cats, fowl, guinea pigs as well as hundreds of dogs. Numerous animals were in poor shape, suffering from upper respiratory diseases, eye and skin diseases and extensive fur matting. She said the worst health conditions probably took ''at least a couple of weeks'' to develop. Several pictures showed dogs with at least half their fur missing, a condition that occurred, Lee said, when matting from dirt and feces became so heavy it pulled the fur off and tore the dogs' skin. ''The mat has to be fairly substantial to tear like that,'' Lee told Emmaus District Judge Donna Butler. Some dogs, Lee added, were undernourished ''to the point of emaciation.'' Asked about their veterinary care while in the kennel, Lee said, ''I don't know that they were receiving any veterinary care.'' Eckhart's veterinarian said the day of the raid that she hadn't treated one dog with an ulcerated eye since last June, Lee said. If the kennel had been kept clean and the dogs groomed, none of the problems should have occurred, Lee said. ''This is a very, very easily preventable situation,'' she said. The kennel, Bengal said, was overcrowded, covered in dog feces and permeated by a strong odor. ''The odor, it was overwhelming,'' he said. ''It was almost hard to breathe.'' Describing pictures and a video shown on a projection screen in the courtroom in the Lehigh County Courthouse, Bengal said food and water bowls were either empty or contaminated with waste. He also said Smith, who described himself and Eckhart as the owners during the PSPCA raid, ''sort of apologized for the conditions.'' Defense attorney Kevin J. Fitzgerald said the video showed that someone must have been attempting to clean the kennel at some point, because it showed dog feces piled in a gutter outside the dogs' pens. He also questioned Bengal if PSPCA officials didn't see the kennel being cleaned and the animals being fed because officials barred the staff from performing their duties during the raid. ''I saw no one cleaning,'' Bengal said. PSPCA, the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, initially seized 71 sick animals during the raid and said it found dead guinea pigs and other animals scattered throughout the site. Lee noted animal officers found a refrigerator/freezer with dog carcasses -- in itself, not unusual, she said. But it appeared some dogs were either put in the unit long after they had died or hadn't been fully frozen, a potential public health hazard, Lee said. At the outset, Chief Deputy District Attorney Jay Jenkins entered as evidence Eckhart's September 1988 conviction on 10 counts of animal cruelty in Carbon County. In the current case, Eckhart faces six misdemeanor cruelty charges as well as summary charges for animal cruelty and failure to keep his kennel clean. Smith faces summary cruelty charges. Butler is presiding over the summary trial and a preliminary hearing for Eckhart on the misdemeanor charges. The case was moved from Butler's Emmaus courtroom to accommodate an expected crowd. Even with seating for about 40, the courtroom was unable to seat everyone who showed up. Note From NPPMWatch:  View Almost Heaven Kennel Inspection Reports Breeding Kennel             2009 - Click HERE    2008 - Click HERE     2007 - Click HERE  Boarding Kennel             2008 - Click HERE    2007 - Click HERE     2006 - Click HERE  ### 01-27-09 -- Possible Trial in Animal Cruelty Case By:  Tessa Mentus,  We Are Central PA HOLLIDAYSBURG, BLAIR COUNTY --- A Tyrone man asked to go to trial for animal cruelty charges on Tuesday.  This is just three months after he pleaded guilty.   Robert Shawley said it's because he didn't know what he was doing when he entered the guilty plea.  Humane officers took a malnourished horse from Shawley's house last September.      Shawley's neighbors and other people in Tyrone kept calling police.  They complained the horse was starving and Shawley wasn't taking care of it.  Shawley testified Tuesday in court.  He said he didn't know he was pleading guilty at his preliminary hearing in district court.  He said he only has a fifth grade education.  Shawley claims he can't read or write and only understands some of the English language.   His preliminary hearing was in October.  Shawley claimed he told the judge he wanted to “throw it in court” which meant he wanted to go to trial.  Shawley said Magisterial District Judge Fred Miller told him that was fine, and all he had to do was sign a paper.  Shawley said he didn’t know signing the paper meant he pleaded guilty.      The humane officer handling the case also testified Tuesday.  He said Shawley's version of the preliminary hearing isn’t true.  The officer, who was at the preliminary hearing, said Judge Miller clearly explained the difference between guilty and not guilty to Shawley.  He said Shawley agreed to plead guilty, and he never talked about wanting to go to trial.      Shawley also had an attorney at Tuesday's hearing.  He didn't have a lawyer at his preliminary hearing in October.      The horse was adopted from the Central Pennsylvania Humane Society.  It's gained 200 pounds since its adoption.  ### 01-27-08 -- At least 70 Cats Found After Drug Bust in Schuylkill County By:  Ben Wolfgang, The Republican Herald Pine Grove -- Rescue workers spent Tuesday morning saving 70 malnourished felines from a purported cat sanctuary in Pine Grove Township after owner and operator Virginia Kresge Justiniano was arrested for drug and drug paraphernalia possession early Saturday morning. What police and Ruth Steinart Memorial SPCA workers found on the property shocked them. "This was basically a shoothouse. Heroin, meth, whatever they could get their hands on," borough police officer Mark Resue said at the scene, 33 Walmer Lane, Tuesday morning. "You can't step foot in that house without stepping on a hypodermic needle. They (Justiniano and her live-in boyfriend) hit an all-time low and started selling the cat food for drugs." Resue said Justiniano, 50, was stopped for a traffic violation early Saturday morning in the borough. The stop eventually led police to the Cats With No Names sanctuary, in operation since 1996, according to Ruth Steinart employees. The name of her boyfriend was not immediately available Tuesday morning, though Resue said both remain in county prison in lieu of $25,000 bail. While once an operating animal-care facility, the sprawling, fenced-in cat complex quickly degenerated when Justiniano became involved with drugs, according to police and SPCA workers. "She gave us an estimate of between 70 and 100 cats here," Mary Ellen Smith, president of the Ruth Steinart board of directors, said at the scene Tuesday morning. "She started this as a sanctuary for unwanted cats. I've personally never been involved with something quite like this." So far, Smith said at least five cat carcasses have been found on the site. The cats still alive had been living without food, water, heat or medical care. They also had no litter boxes and the area reeked of cat urine. Several geese, chickens, ferrets and other animals also roamed the area without food or water. While the cats had been without adequate food for months, one of eight storage sheds on the property — most of which had been bought by donations given to Cats With No Names, according to Smith — was filled to capacity with boxes of cat food. It sat, unused, in the sheds for months. "There's plenty of food here. She had a lot of donors," Smith said. "Eventually we had people calling and talking about" the terrible conditions. As the couple's drug habits worsened, Resue said they began selling large quantities of cat food at auctions to raise money for heroin, methamphetamine and other narcotics. The property was also protected by an elaborate fencing system which led cats from one building to another. The fencing may have also been bought with donation money, Resue said. Resue said Justiniano had been renting a room at the nearby Econo Lodge, just off Interstate 81 in the township. Drugs and drug paraphernalia were also found in that room. The couple also rented a storage shed near Lebanon. Police searched it and, there, too, found more evidence for the investigation. "Just more rotten cat food," Resue said. Smith said a temporary shelter has been established on-site for the cats. She said much of the cat food on the property is degraded after spending months and possibly years in storage. "But, I don't think these cats are going to care," Smith said, adding the cats will be thankful to have a full meal for the first time in months. Smith also cautioned against making donations to similar "sanctuaries," advising would-be donors to visit the site before sending money. Many donations, Smith said, had been made by people outside Pennsylvania. The cats will be kept on site for the next several days, as SPCA workers perform medical examinations and allow the felines time to nourish themselves. Meanwhile, Resue said the investigation into Justiniano's drug activity will continue, adding there's suspicion it could also involve a burglary ring, though he would release no more details Tuesday morning. Anyone wishing to assist with the rescue operation can send donations to Ruth Steinert Memorial SPCA, P.O.Box 734, Minersville, PA 17954. Any donations should be marked "cat rescue." Smith also said the cats are in desperate need of cat litter and any such donations would be appreciated. ### 01-27-09 -- Lancaster Humane League Issues Cold Weather Alert By:  Solanco Area Online News LANCASTER -- As the area prepares for more winter weather, the Humane League of Lancaster County is issuing a pet advisory to remind area pet owners to take extra care of their furry friends as the temperatures drop. Bring all outdoor pets into heated, protected areas. Dog houses may provide adequate shelter during milder winter weather, but once the temperature drops to close to zero degrees your dog or cat is a risk of hypothermia and frostbite. Unheated garages do not provide additional protection, as the pet cannot generate enough body heat to keep the space warm. Provide a smaller shelter within the garage to ensure your pet’s safety. If your pet must remain outdoors, take additional precautions. Your dog must be protected by a dry, draft-free doghouse that is large enough to allow the dog to sit and lie down comfortably, but small enough to hold in his/her body heat. The floor should be raised a few inches off the ground and covered with cedar shavings or straw. The house should be turned to face away from the wind, and the doorway should be covered with waterproof burlap or heavy plastic. Pets who spend a lot of time outdoors need more food in the winter because keeping warm required additional calories. Check your pet's water dish to make certain the water is fresh and not frozen. Use plastic food and water bowls rather than metal; when the temperature is low, your pet's tongue can stick and freeze to metal. Heated water dishes are also available at your local pet supply store. Do not leave cats or dogs inside the car, as they may not be able to heat the space adequately and may suffer from hypothermia, which can be fatal During the colder weather stray cats may sleep under the hood of cars to stay warm, but the cat may receive serious or fatal injuries if the car is started while the cat is still on or near the engine. If there are stray cats in your area, bang on the hood of your car prior to starting the engine. Contact your veterinarian immediately if you suspect your pet is suffering from hypothermia or frostbite. The vision of the Humane League of Lancaster County is a humane community where all pets are protected and wanted. As the leading animal welfare organization in Lancaster County, the Humane League has been helping people and pets in the Lancaster area since 1917 and is located at 2195 Lincoln Hwy. East. For more information, visit the Lancaster Humane League. ### 01-27-09 -- DNA Shows Almost Heaven Tricked Dog Buyers By:  Bill White, The Morning Call A woman who worked in a key role at the controversial Almost Heaven dog kennel for several years says she tricked hundreds of customers of owner Derbe ''Skip'' Eckhart by misrepresenting the parentage of the dogs they were buying. Her claims about deceptive sales were confirmed by DNA tests arranged by The Morning Call and administered to three dogs purchased last year at the Upper Milford Township kennel. In all three cases, the dogs' actual breeds did not match what the new owners were told or what was listed on their sale documents. Pattie Fontana, the source of information that helped spark the Oct. 1 Pennsylvania SPCA raid on Almost Heaven, began working -- and even living, on occasion -- in the Almost Heaven complex in 2002. She told me she routinely sold people dogs whose parentage, vaccinations and birth dates weren't accurate. ''There's got to be a thousand out there,'' she said. Eckhart and his lawyer declined to comment on any of this. Fontana said she was following Eckhart's orders, explicit or understood. She told me Eckhart's philosophy was: ''Never give up a sale. When anybody calls up to buy something, we always have it.'' Even if they didn't. And, particularly in the later days of her tenure there, she said, she had an ulterior motive. ''It may be wrong on my part, but I wanted as many dogs as I could to get out of that hellhole,'' she said. ''If you worked and lived in that place, you would do anything you could to get them out to a good home.'' We first met in late August 2007, after she had left Almost Heaven's employ. She told me that night that she couldn't stand the treatment of dogs there anymore, and she wanted to bring the conditions to light and get the remaining animals out of there. But she returned for a few weeks last summer, and shortly after she quit again, she supplied me with copies of Almost Heaven contracts that in several cases, she said, misrepresented the breeds of the dogs and other information about them. Fontana acknowledged that she was responsible for many of these deceptions herself. She said she would keep a fake mother and father dog cleaned up and available -- friendly dogs she had obedience-trained -- to show prospective buyers. ''It was always a lie,'' she said. ''The whole thing was a lie.'' The conditions Fontana described during our interviews were confirmed by the PSPCA raid that she helped spark as the confidential informant mentioned in the agency's affidavit of probable cause. It resulted in the discovery of some 800 animals living in what investigators said was hellish filth. Many of them were sick, frightened, injured, dehydrated and crammed into overcrowded cages, investigators said. The raid resulted in the seizure of dozens of sick animals, SPCA cruelty charges and state dog law citations against Eckhart, whose kennel license was revoked. His criminal case is scheduled for a hearing in Lehigh County Court at 1:30 p.m. today. He appealed the license revocation, but Chris Ryder of the state Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement told me last month that they hope to finally shut him down under the state's new dog welfare law by denying him a 2009 license and weathering his expected appeal of that decision. The official response to his 2009 application is pending, Ryder said last week. As I reported last week, the kennel's Web site now says Almost Heaven has been sold and renamed T.A.S. kennels, owned by ''April W.,'' who Dog Law has confirmed is longtime Eckhart assistant April Dotterer Welter. Dog Law investigators visited the kennel undercover Friday afternoon and then executed a search warrant for records that demonstrate who exactly owns the place and whether it is complying with dog welfare laws. The investigation still was under way Monday, Ryder said. Neither Welter nor T.A.S. has a kennel license. Despite many columns and years of complaints about the kennel's operation, I had no way of confirming Fontana's claims about misrepresented dogs until last September -- shortly before the raid -- when she showed me the contracts and explained which dogs were not what the paperwork said they were. I began contacting those dog owners, and three of them agreed to have their dogs tested, at The Morning Call's expense. The WISDOM Panel MX analyses break down exactly which breeds are part of the dog's genetic makeup. I received the last of those results late last month. The participants were: Dunkin, purchased by Andy Lakatosh and fiancee Jessica Smallman of Bethlehem on Sept. 7. Dunkin was sold as a golden Labradoodle, according to their contract. That's a mix between a Labrador retriever and a poodle, chosen because Andy's family had a Labradoodle with a great personality. But the test showed he is a goldendoodle, part golden retriever and part poodle. Fontana explained that Almost Heaven didn't have any Labradoodles at the time. Hana, sold to Tracey and Bryan O'Rourke of Lebanon, N.J., on Sept. 5. She was sold as a black and white goldendoodle, according to the contract, and turned out to be a standard poodle. Bella, sold to Kim and Matt Adams of Newtown Township, Bucks County, on Aug. 30. The contract says she's a black and white goldendoodle. Her test confirmed she's a miniature poodle. The owners of these dogs weren't happy about the results -- Lakatosh had assured me before the test, ''We are very certain ourselves that Dunkin, our puppy, is a Labradoodle'' -- but they're all much too attached to their pets to consider returning them. The Adamses, who found Almost Heaven on the Internet and called specifically about purchasing a goldendoodle, went ahead with the purchase even though they were appalled by what they saw of the kennel conditions and the operation. Kim Adams noted how vulnerable people are when they're presented with a puppy, and in their case, it persuaded them to ignore the warning signs they were seeing and smelling at the kennel. ''[Bella] was a doll baby,'' Adams said. And now? ''We wanted a goldendoodle, but we got her,'' she said. ''What are you going to do?'' I asked Tracey O'Rourke what their reaction was to the DNA results. ''We laughed,'' she said. ''We were like, 'Oh, we were such idiots to go along with these people.''' Lakatosh responded, ''We're quite upset for being deceived, because we really wanted a Labradoodle. But we love him so much, we could never give him up especially because of how horrible his original living conditions were.'' The dogs weren't cheap, either. The O'Rourkes paid $1,200, plus tax, for Hana. Lakatosh paid $900, and the Adamses paid $800. Kim Adams said, ''We feel like we donated $800 just to get her out of there.'' The DNA tests involve a blood sample drawn by the vet and submitted for the WISDOM Panel mixed breed analysis. The report offers information about the dog's genetic history and the characteristics, history and appearance of dogs of those breeds. Fontana said the breed isn't all that's misrepresented on the contracts. For example, she said, ''All the shot records are a lie.'' Here's how it would work, she said. If she had a 12-week-old puppy -- which might well be older, since she routinely knocked three to six weeks off the ages of older dogs to make them more attractive -- she would count back 12 weeks and invent a birth date. Then she would count six weeks, record a worming and set of shots, then do the same at eight weeks and 12 weeks. There often were no actual records of those veterinary procedures, she said. Fontana recognizes how incriminating all this sounds. And she concedes that once she understood Eckhart's instructions, she operated in many cases on her own. ''Did I know what I was doing? Yeah, we both knew what I was doing. ''But I got to put a lot of dogs in homes.'' ### 01-24-09 -- Almost Heaven by Another Name? Kennel "Changes" Identity By:  Bill White, The Morning Call Derbe ''Skip'' Eckhart, owner of the inaptly named Almost Heaven Kennel in Upper Milford Township, doesn't talk to me anymore. I don't hold it against him. I've been writing about Eckhart for several years, and none of the articles has been particularly complimentary. I probably wouldn't talk to me either. But it's too bad, because I'm dying to hear the details about the latest developments at Almost Heaven. Investigators from the state Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement visited the kennel undercover Friday afternoon and then executed a search warrant for records that demonstrate who exactly owns the place these days and whether it is complying with the state's dog welfare laws. This search was unrelated to Eckhart's oft-delayed court hearing on cruelty charges arising from an Oct. 1 Pennsylvania SPCA raid on his kennel. That's scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Lehigh County Courthouse. Dog Law also revoked his kennel license in the wake of the raid, but he appealed and has continued to operate. His application for a 2009 license still is being reviewed. I knew nothing about Dog Law's latest concerns when I tried interviewing Eckhart on Wednesday. All I knew at that point was that Almost Heaven's Web site, formerly illustrated with a winter view of the picturesque facility, now was headed, ''T.A.S. KENNELS.'' Intriguing. Its home page continues, ''T.A.S. Kennels has purchased Almost Heaven Kennel and is now operating in the same location. We are new ownership and new management. We are offering services for dogs and cats to the public. Boarding in an airy and friendly setting, designed for the comfort of your companion. Grooming by a professionally trained show groomer, providing the TLC you expect and conforming to breed standards. ''We invite you to come and visit us. Tell us what you're seeking in a new companion and we'll show you what we may have and if we don't have it, we will help you find your new companion. We are here to serve you and our community.'' The owner is listed as ''April W.,'' who may well be Skip Eckhart assistant April Dotterer Welter, although I couldn't reach her for comment. When I asked Eckhart about T.A.S. during our too-brief conversation, he confirmed that he no longer owns the place, but wouldn't discuss it further. I should note that he did answer the phone when I called the T.A.S. number, which is the same as the old Almost Heaven number. The Pennsylvania Department of State has no record of a T.A.S. Kennels. There's no record of the transaction with the township or county. The problem at the moment, however, is that Dog Law hasn't received any notice either, according to spokesman Chris Ryder. Since neither April W. nor anything named T.A.S. has a kennel license, the bureau wanted to nail down exactly what's going on so it can decide whether charges are appropriate for operating a kennel without a license, Ryder said. He said the wardens also would be counting dogs and ensuring there were no animals in distress. ''But I don't think there's going to be a full inspection of the kennel today,'' he said. ''Today's goal was to get access to those records.'' Cynic that I am, I couldn't help wondering from the beginning if this mysterious change had anything to do with the fact that the names of Almost Heaven and Skip Eckhart had been tarnished, shall we say -- OK, they're mud -- in the wave of revelations about the filthy conditions uncovered in the raid. I can't tell you how many dissatisfied customers have told me they had no idea of the kennel's reputation when they purchased dogs there. But in the wake of the raid, you'd have to be really clueless not to notice all the stuff floating around about Almost Heaven. Eight of the first 10 entries in a Google search are negative in the extreme. And if you check with the Better Business Bureau, you'd find Almost Heaven has a grade of F. That doesn't stand for Fantastic. How much better to be reborn as airy, friendly T.A.S. Kennels, with a pristine reputation and no sign of that Eckhart guy. Ryder said late Friday afternoon that the records will be returned to Harrisburg, where they will be reviewed Monday by Dog Law lawyers to determine how to proceed. No one was answering the phone at Almost er, T.A.S. But I do have one interesting tidbit for you. A former Almost Heaven employee told me T.A.S. must stand for the names of Welter's three daughters. Of course, if it's really just Almost Heaven by another name, it might as well stand for Tricking All Suckers. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS Investigators from the state Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement on Friday visited what's been known as the Almost Heaven Kennel. They executed a search warrant for records to show who exactly owns the kennel and whether it's complying with the state's dog welfare laws. A Dog Law spokesman said the records will be taken to Harrisburg, where lawyers will review them on Monday to determine how to proceed. Note From NPPMWatch:  View Almost Heaven Kennel Inspection Reports Breeding Kennel             2009 - Click HERE    2008 - Click HERE     2007 - Click HERE  Boarding Kennel             2008 - Click HERE    2007 - Click HERE     2006 - Click HERE  ### 01-24-09 -- Unstable Conditions: 4 Horses Rescued from Strawberry Mansion By:  Christine Olley, Philadelphia Daily News Hell for horses. That's how one officer with the Pennsylvania SPCA described living conditions for four horses taken from two properties on Fletcher Street near 26th in Strawberry Mansion late yesterday afternoon. Crumbling walls, cramped makeshift stables fashioned together from wet, wooden board, and horses' coats blackened with caked mud and manure were just some of the makings of the urban hellhole officials found yesterday. PSPCA officers originally visited Fletcher Street with officials from the city's Department of Licenses and Inspections to reinspect stables on the same block that previously had been cited for violations, according to George Bengal, the director of law enforcement for the PSPCA. "This down here has been an ongoing problem for years," Bengal said of the area where in 2007, the rotting carcasses of three dead horses were found. Yesterday's squalid conditions were similar to those found in other stables on Fletcher near 26th last March, when the city razed stables housing about 40 horses that were illegally built on city-owned land. Regarding yesterday's raid, Bengal said that once they were at the scene, they received information that led them to horses being housed in poor conditions down the street. Officers went around to Dauphin Street and could see a horse in the vacant lot behind one of the Fletcher Street homes because it was standing on top of a mound of trash, debris and feces. Officials obtained a search warrant to remove the horse, and when they returned, they found the others. The PSPCA took three of the horses from the scene, two of which were seriously underweight, Bengal said. They all needed to have their teeth cleaned, to be dewormed and to have someone care for their hooves, an important part of horse care, said Rachel Lee, a veterinarian with the PSPCA. The fourth horse was not in as bad of shape as the others, she said. It was released to another neighborhood horse owner. "They had no food or water back there that we could see or at least nothing worth eating," Lee said. The owner claimed that about six months ago, he suffered a stroke and thus was unable to care for the animals properly any more, Bengal said. But the owner should have called the PSPCA or another horse owner in the area when he could no longer take care of the animals, Bengal said. The owner is expected to face several charges, including animal cruelty, lack of veterinary care and unsanitary confinement, Bengal said. PSPCA officials did not release his name last night. When officials came to the owner's house with the warrant to take the first horse, they also saw a pitbull trying to wriggle through a broken basement window. "The dog almost hung himself trying to get out," Bengal said. Officer Tara Loller described the conditions in the basement as being similar to a sewer. "There was at least about a foot of water, feces, and the dog was standing on wooden planks trying to stay afloat," Loller said as she held one of the horses while Lee listened for its heartbeat. Loller said the dog looked OK despite the conditions that he was living in but, "there was obviously a lot more going on." Fletcher Street has a long history with horses. The Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club, whose Web site says it continues a riding tradition on Fletcher Street that stretches back more than 100 years, petitioned the city in September to use the land to stable horses. Martha Camarillo, a member of the club, said last night that the owner of the horses in yesterday's case was not affiliated with the club. The owner declined to speak to a reporter when he left the house yesterday. "It's extremely horrible," Loller said, as she tried to calm one of the horses by petting it above its nose. "Horses are beautiful, smart animals and they deserve a lot more than that type of care." ### 01-24-09 -- Court Won't Hear Reading's Appeal Over Rejected Dog Law By:  Don Spatz, The Reading Eagle Reading, PA - The state Supreme Court has left the Reading Animal Control Board without the teeth to clamp down on aggressive dog breeds. The court has refused to hear the city's appeal of an earlier ruling that threw out Reading's 10-year-old aggressive breed ordinance, effectively killing the ordinance. The measure had imposed severe restrictions on dog breeds that bit too many people - an action not taken since 2003. In February, the Commonwealth Court ruled it violated state law banning municipalities from prohibiting or otherwise limiting a specific breed of dog. Kenneth Steeves Sr., a city resident and pit bull owner who, with another pit bull owner, Stacie Stankiewicz, sued the city in 2000, said it's a relief the case is finally over. "As far as I'm concerned, my dog is not a vicious dog. He never bit anybody," Steeves said of his 11-year-old pit bull, Noah. Board members said they'll still keep the bite records and rule on any permits sought for exotic pets. At its semiannual meeting Wednesday, the animal control board also will be asked to change its policy of euthanizing feral cats. Dennis L. Straub, a city resident who recently was appointed an alternate member of the board, said he will request that feral cats be spayed or neutered and returned to the wild. Feral cats are wild outdoor cats, with no specific home or owner. Some left homes and won't go back; many are the offspring of other wild colonies. Some get fed by people who put food out for them, but most fend for themselves. Straub, who lives in northeast Reading, was feeding a feral colony until a neighbor trapped the cats and had them euthanized. He said studies show it is cheaper for communities to spay or neuter feral cats and release them back to the wild - where they would neither reproduce nor fight - than to euthanize them. However, the Animal Rescue League, which took over the city animal control contract in April, won't return feral cats to the wild, said league President Barrie A. Pease, also a newly appointed member of the Animal Control Board. Even if neutered or spayed, the cats still soil neighbors' lawns and make noise at night, and the league still gets complaints and calls to pick them up, he said. Nor will the league try to find someone to adopt those cats, he said, because it takes too long for them to become house cats again. ### 01-24-09 -- Cockfighting Ring Busted By:  Philadelphia Daily News A "big time" cockfighting ring was busted in Feltonville last night, state SPCA officials said. Philadelphia police and PSPCA workers raided a home on Louden Street near 2nd shortly before 10 p.m. and found at least 50 roosters and plenty of cash, said PSPCA investigator George Bengal. Between 13 and 18 people were arrested in the raid, prompted by a neighborhood tip, Bengal said. ### 01-23-09 -- Stoystown Man Facing Charges of Animal Cruelty By:  Bernie Hornick, The Tribune-Democrat STOYSTOWN — A Stoystown man has been charged with cruelty to animals after troopers said they found pets at his home without food or water. Troopers said Thursday they went to the home of James Ansell, 25, in the 100 block of First Street on an unrelated matter. They found a black Labrador, a white cat and several mice that had been abandoned inside the home for an unspecified period, police said. No food or water was accessible to any of the animals, the police report said, and the dog was confined to a small wire cage. The animals were taken to the Somerset County Humane Society. ### 01-23-09 -- PA Man Charged with Performing Sex Act on a Lamb By:  Vindy.com SANDY LAKE, Pa. — A man remains in the Mercer County Jail on charges he performed a sex act on a lamb, which had to be euthanized. James Alan Stiver, age unavailable, of Sandy Lake, is jailed in lieu of $15,000 bond. He is accused of entering a barn without permission on Sandy Lake-Polk Road between 9 and 10 p.m. Jan. 11, where he attacked the animal, said state police in Mercer. The animal was severely injured. Stiver is charged with sexual intercourse with an animal, cruelty to animals and criminal trespass, state police said. ### 01-23-09 -- Dog Owner Gets $7,000 Back By:  York Daily Record The owner of three abducted dogs who had her reward money stolen Tuesday now has the $7,000 back. Jane Snyder of Lancaster County had offered $10,000 for the return of her three Pomeranians, who were taken from her car Jan. 14 while it was parked at an auto auction in Conewago Township. On Tuesday, a man phoned Snyder, saying he had her dogs. He told her to drop off the reward money -- $7,000 -- at the front of a Lancaster County shopping center and that she would get the dogs back. However, the money was taken and the dogs were not returned to her. Then, Thursday night, someone returned the money in an anonymous drop-off somewhere in York County, Snyder told the Lancaster New Era. "I want everyone to know that the person who took the dogs can do the same thing," Snyder said. She has said that she will not press charges against whoever took the dogs. Snyder said she had a phone conversation with the man who took the reward money. "What you did was horrible, but you turned around and you did the right things," Snyder said she told him. In addition to offering the reward money, Snyder said Thursday she has hired a pet communicator from Dover and is considering hiring a private investigator. Also, after the $7,000 was taken, Snyder placed her red 1957 Mercedes-Benz Roadster for auction on eBay. As of Friday night, the car had garnered 18 bids with about a week remaining on the auction. Anyone with information about the stolen dogs may call Snyder at 717-330-3167. ### 01-23-09 -- City in Dogfight with PACCA By:  Lu Ann Cahn, NBC Channel 10 Philadelphia The city of Philadelphia is involved in another dogfight.   500 dogs and cats that have come through the city shelter, PACCA, are in foster homes. But, there's a major problem. The city of Philadelphia claims it's former animal control agency won't hand over medical records for hundreds of animals.    “There's some that are aggressive, we don't even have rabies data, foster care families could conceivable be fostering an animal that hasn't been vaccinated.  We have no way of knowing and that's a very serious matter,” said Nan Feyler of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.   PACCA was essentially fired by the city and the Pennsylvania SPCA (PSPCA) took over Philadelphia's animal control January 1, 2009.   PACCA lost its contract with the city amid allegations of poor management, improper drug procedures, and care of some animals.   Now, if PACCA doesn’t give up its medical database, public health officials said they might have to take the former animal control agency to court.   “So four years of records of animals that came through the shelter you don't have...starting with a clean slate,” said Howard Nelson of the PSPCA.   The agency says without the medical database they may have a tougher time finding some animals.   “The animals could be sent to rescue, adopted or worse they could be euthanized,” Nelson said.   The president of PACCA's board, John Martini, was not available to talk to the NBC10 Investigators on camera but said, " we have consistently offered to give whatever information they need to run the facility. It's our view they want to play games with our data…There is personal information about donors in the data base we want to protect."   The city said it has no interest in personal information.   The NBC10 Investigators spoke to former PACCA employees who told them PACCA did NOT have good record keeping systems.     The PSPCA has used donor money to start remodeling the former PACCA shelter.   But the city said what it needs is for PACCA to give back what they paid for. ### 01-22-09 -- Woman Victimized in $7,000 Dognap Con Job By:  Chad Umble, Lancaster Intelligencer Journal Jane Snyder hoped the $10,000 reward she was offering for the return of her three Pomeranians would attract attention. And it did. But the man who called Tuesday afternoon saying he had stolen the Wrightsville woman's dogs turned out to be a con man, and the exchange he arranged at a local Kmart was an elaborate swindle. "We were trying to do this in the best way we knew how: intelligently, methodically, but also I didn't want to risk him harming my dogs," Snyder said. The dogs that Snyder calls "my kids" were taken from her car on Jan. 14, sometime between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. while she was at Ades Auto off the Strinestown exit of Interstate 83 in Conewago Township, York County. Snyder subsequently offered a $10,000 reward for Levi, 8, a light tan and white Pomeranian and his daughters, Kaylee and Maddie, two 6-year-old females, who are black. The reward was the subject of a front-page story in the New Era on Jan. 16. At 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Snyder got a call from what she later learned was a payphone outside a Rutter's Farm Store in Wrightsville. The man on the other end said simply, "I have your dogs." The purported dog-napper said he took the dogs for his children, but said they were no longer eating or drinking and he wanted to return them. While laying out instructions for an exchange, the man said police couldn't be involved since he had a criminal record, Snyder said. "If I get any inkling that there is any law enforcement there, you will not have your dogs. Ever," Snyder recalled the man saying. Eager to get her dogs back, Snyder agreed to the terms and quickly tried to raise the money. She borrowed some from friends and from her business, Backroads Select Pre-Owned Vehicles on Dillerville Road. By 5 p.m., she was able to put together $7,000 in $100 bills. Around 5:30 p.m., Snyder and a friend arrived at the agreed-upon exchange point, the Kmart at 3975 Columbia Ave, just off Prospect Road. Once there, the man, who called from an "unknown" number, gave them further instructions, which Snyder followed. Snyder put the cash envelope on the top of a white, donation drop-off box in front of the store. The man then told her to drive around the back, where he said the dogs would be in a box. "And then he said bye. I never heard from him again. The dogs were never there," Snyder said. Now, Snyder said she isn't thinking about her lost money, or the mistakes she made in trusting the man, but is focused on pursuing her lost dogs. To help fund a new, $10,000 reward and repay the lost money, Snyder plans to sell a 1957 Mercedes-Benz Roadster Convertible. "(The money) is secondary because I don't want to let this get in the way of me doing my work. I'm on a mission," she said. If you have information about the dogs, call Snyder at 330-3167. The reward-money dropoff and theft was reported to West Hempfield Township police; no one in the department was available for comment Wednesday afternoon or this morning. ### 01-22-09 -- 14 Pitbulls Seized in Drug Raid By:  Brandie Kessler, Pottstown Mercury POTTSTOWN — One man is in custody after Pottstown Police went looking for drugs in his residence and uncovered what they believed to be a fight-dog training operation Jan. 16. Richard Gibson, 37, of the 600 block of Beech Street, was taken into custody by police after they discovered a small amount of marijuana in his residence during a search for drugs. In addition,14 pitbulls were found in Gibson's residence, each in a cage or kennel in the basement, as well as equipment police believe Gibson was using to train the animals for dogfighting, according to police. Among the items found in the basement were treadmills, both makeshift units and store-bought units that were modified for use by the dogs, muscle building supplements that bodybuilders or weight lifters often take, and breaking sticks which are often inserted into dog's mouths to break up dog fights. One of the investigating officers said the dogs were barking and easily heard by officers who were on the first floor of the home. When police searched the basement as part of the search warrant for drugs they had obtained, which was valid for Gibson's entire residence, police found the 14 pitbulls, some male and female, in cages in a 8-foot by 10-foot area. All 14 dogs were seized by officials with the Montgomery County SPCA, police said. Police also located what appeared to be a record of dog fight matches, which included the dogs' name, their weight class and for how long they were able to fight their opponent. Some of the fights lasted more than an hour, as noted on the record. Police said Gibson, when questioned, said the dogs were show dogs; however, he was unable to produce any paperwork proving that claim. Police were assisted by the Montgomery County SPCA and the borough's animal control officer. The official with the SPCA told police he believed at least one of the dogs had brain damage, possibly resulting from the dogfights it had been in. Many of the dogs had visible injuries, including scarring that could have been caused by fighting with other dogs. The representative from the Montgomery County SPCA also told police he was familiar with Gibson and had received several prior reports that Gibson was operating some type of dog training program for dogs that were being used in dogfighting, police said. Dogfighting is illegal in all 50 states, according to the Humane Society of the United States. In April 2007, Michael Vick, a professional football player with the Atlanta Falcons, made headlines when he became the center of an investigation into an elaborate dogfighting ring. As part of his sentencing, Vick was ordered to serve time in prison and pay thousands of dollars in fines. Police said Gibson has not been formally charged for the dog fighting operation as the investigation is ongoing. Police said Gibson was arraigned by on-call District Judge Margaret Fleischer-Hunsicker, of Norristown. Gibson's bail was set at $10,000, 10 percent. He is awaiting his preliminary hearing. ### 01-22-09 -- Police Bust Alleged Dogfighting Ring In Strawberry Mansion By:  Fox News - Channel  29 Philadelphia PHILADELPHIA  --  Eight dogs are now evidence in a criminal investigation. Police say they were bred to fight. SWAT and SPCA officers arrived to the 2500 block of North Dover Street in the Strawberry Mansion section of the city after a neighbor called police Wednesday afternoon. Police said an officer saw a dogfight in progress when he looked through the window of the row home. "The officers came. One officer actually went up the alley here and looked through the back window and that's where he saw and heard the dogfighting going on," said Lt. Michael-Jerry Lee of Philadelphia Police. Six adult dogs and two puppies were recovered from the scene that police described as a "bloody mess." Five were found chained in the basement. "A few of them were limping and you saw blood on a few of the dogs," said Lt. Lee. Four men inside the home were taken into custody. They face dogfighting charges. SPCA officers said the dogs' injuries are relatively significant. “The basement seems to be set-up for keeping dogs separated. Appears to be, they have a kennel-type set-up. All the dogs are chained in separate corners. Living room-area appears to be where they were fighting the dogs,” said Derrick Schlitter of Pennsylvania SPCA. Investigators said the four arrested could have broad connections so there may be more arrests to come. "It's very rare that you get an actual fight in progress. So the neighbor did a good thing by calling. It's good that we got out here in time," said Schlitter. ### 01-22-09 -- Alleged Kitten Piercers Charged Local pair faces six counts of cruelty to animals, three counts of criminal conspiracy. By:  Edward Lewis, Times Leader SHICKSHINNY – Two people who allegedly pierced three kittens that they marketed as “gothic kittens” on Web sites are facing animal cruelty charges. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Luzerne County filed six counts of cruelty to animals and three counts of criminal conspiracy against Holly Crawford, 34, of Dobson Road, Ross Township, and William Blansett, age unknown, of Sweet Valley, on Tuesday. The charges were filed with District Judge John Hasay in Shickshinny and mailed to Crawford and Blansett. Humane officers with assistance from the state police at Shickshinny executed a search warrant at Crawford’s home, where they seized the kittens with ear, neck and tail piercings on Dec. 17. At least one of the kittens had a submission ring on its tail to prevent blood flow, resulting in its tail to fall off in time. Cindy Stark, with the county SPCA, said Wednesday that the kittens are doing well, and are being held as evidence. “The kittens are part of an animal cruelty case; they’re evidence and have to be held until the end of this, including the appellate process,” Stark said. Humane officer Carol Morrison said the kittens were being advertised as “gothic kittens” on the Internet auction site eBay, and being sold on a pet classified Web site, which included an attached picture of a pierced kitten. The sites have since been taken down. “We’re certainly thrilled that charges have been filed; our people are on stand-by to testify,” said Daphna Nachminovitch, vice president of cruelty of investigations for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, based in Norfolk, Va. Nachminovitch said a person from another state contacted PETA in December after seeing the pierced kittens on eBay. Two PETA investigators contacted Crawford and Blansett and arranged to see the pierced kittens, Nachminovitch said. “We got in touch with the SPCA as soon as we could and we sent someone to (Crawford’s) home to verify that the kittens were pierced and were on eBay,” Nachminovitch said. “The person that went to the home obtained probable cause for the search warrant.” Crawford and Blansett couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday. The charges that were filed involved the kittens, not a dog that was found in Crawford’s home with pierced ears, Stark said. “It’s stunning, someone who is capable of doing this to kittens, she also pierced her own dog,” Nachminovitch said. “They were trying to make a profit on these kittens.” Crawford operates a pet-grooming business called Pawside Parlor in the basement of her home. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, pet-grooming businesses don’t need a license from the department unless they keep the animal overnight. Preliminary hearings are tentatively scheduled on Feb. 17. ### 01-21-09 -- Area Dog Shot by Out-of-State Police Officer By:  Terri Alderfer, Montgomery Newspapers A 6-year-old Akita-mix dog was allegedly shot three times and killed Jan. 16 around 5 p.m. at the Reserve at Gwynedd development in Upper Gwynedd Township. According to the dog owner's father, Stan Rosenblatt, Bruce, as the dog was known, was shot by an off-duty police officer from Tempe, Ariz., who was visiting his father, a resident of the unit block of Lilac Court inside the development. Rosenblatt said the Upper Gwynedd Police Department responded to the scene and interviewed him and the alleged shooter and completed a report, though when contacted Tuesday, the UGPD said it would not release that report and referred all calls to the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office. Assistant District Attorney Abby Silverman said Tuesday that the police report was received by the district attorney's office and is under review, but details were not available by press time. "The matter is being taken seriously," Silverman said. According to Rosenblatt, Bruce was shot by the man outside the main entrance of his condominium building at The Reserve. The man was allegedly outside the main entrance door with another dog, when he opened the door and Bruce made his way outside. "I shouted at him, 'don't come in until I clear the lobby,'" Rosenblatt said. "Instead of heeding my request, he pulled the door open just enough for Bruce to squeeze through." Rosenblatt said that Bruce, a former fraternity dog at Penn State University, was then shot three times in his side by the man. According to Rosenblatt, the man claimed that he shot Bruce because he thought that Bruce was going to attack him. But Rosenblatt claims that Bruce did not have any history of aggression or behavioral problems and he was not being aggressive toward the shooter. "He never bit anyone, he never attacked another dog," Rosenblatt said. After the incident, Rosenblatt said he "screamed at the shooter," who then allegedly threatened Rosenblatt. Rosenblatt backed off and took Bruce, who he said was still breathing at that time, to the Gwynedd Veterinary Clinic on West Point Pike. By the time he reached the veterinary clinic, Rosenblatt said Bruce's heart had stopped and he had stopped breathing. When contacted Tuesday, the alleged shooter's father said it would be "inappropriate to comment" on an ongoing police investigation. But he did offer his condolences to the Rosenblatt family, including Stan, his wife Joan, and his son, David. "My heart goes out to the Rosenblatts at this point," he said. "It's an unavoidable but very regrettable and tragic incident." An investigation is ongoing. ### 01-19-09 -- 8-Year-Old Killed in Chained Dog Mauling By:  Jen Vernet Pajewski and Bill Vidonic, Beaver County Times HANOVER TWP. — An 8-year-old girl died Monday after being mauled by a dog at a residence in Hanover Township. State police Trooper Rocco DeMaiolo said it appeared the girl’s death was an accident, but he and the Beaver County coroner’s office would have to consult with Beaver County District Attorney Anthony Berosh. DeMaiolo said the girl, Brianna Nicole Shanor, had been staying at 181 Sutherlin Road, at the border with West Virginia, since the beginning of the month. Beaver County tax records list the property owner as William J. Renda. DeMaiolo said the girl and Renda were outside shortly before 7 p.m., and the girl told Renda she was going to the house because she was cold. Renda stayed behind. The girl apparently went near one of several dogs at the property, a more than 100-pound, mixed-breed dog, which was chained outside an old camping trailer that the dog used for shelter. The dog, DeMaiolo said, was on a chain 15 to 20 feet long. DeMaiolo said Renda went to check on the whereabouts of the girl and found her inside the trailer; there were no witnesses to the attack. Beaver County Coroner Teri Tatalovich-Rossi said the girl was bitten multiple times in different places on her body; DeMaiolo said the locations included her neck. The girl was taken to The Medical Center, Beaver, where she was pronounced dead. DeMaiolo said the girl had been staying with Renda and his wife, who are acquaintances of the girl’s mother, who wasn’t named. The girl had just started the second grade at South Side Elementary School, DeMaiolo said. The dog was quarantined by a dog officer from Lawrence County. Tatalovich-Rossi said an autopsy was expected to be performed on the girl today. ### 01-17-09 -- PA Bulletin Publishes Canine Health Board's Kennel Guidelines By:  North Penn Puppy Mill Watch The proposed guidelines drafted by the Canine Health Board, pursuant to Act 119 of 2008, were recently published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. To read the Board's guidelines for ventilation, lighting and flooring for commercial kennels that sell more than 60 dogs per year OR sell one dog to a dealer or a pet shop-kennel, click HERE. These guidelines WILL NOT apply to kennels selling less than 60 dogs per year or those kennels who do not sell commercially. Advocates wishing to submit comments regarding the Board's recommendations may do so no later than 30 days from the date of publication (or February 16, 2009).  Letters should be addressed to the Canine Health Board and mailed to: PA Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, 2301 North Cameron Street, Room 102, Harrisburg  PA  17110. ### 01-17-09 -- Fighting Sales from Puppy Mills Group protests pet shop it claims sells dogs bred inhumanely. By:  Genevieve Marshall, The Morning Call Carol Keith braved 18-degree temperatures Saturday afternoon to hold signs protesting a pet store where a group claims that dogs from puppy mills are sold. Keith picked one of the coldest days of the year for her first protest with Lehigh Valley Puppy Mill Watch, which has staged weekly protests at area pet stores since June. ''Today was the day I was free to help out,'' said Keith, who cares for rescued dogs at her home in New Tripoli and also volunteers with No Kill Lehigh Valley, a group that advocates no-kill shelters. As drivers turned into the shopping mall at Route 100 and Main Street in Fogelsville, Keith and three others waved signs imploring people to honk if they opposed animal cruelty. Wentz Canine is one of two stores that the organization has targeted, said Erin Walker, who coordinated the protest for Lehigh Valley Puppy Mill Watch. Wentz Canine owner Thomas Wentz was in his shop Saturday but declined to comment on the protest. Gov. Ed Rendell signed into law in October a new dog law that requires commercial kennels handling 60 or more dogs a year to double the minimum size of cages. It also bans them from stacking cages, prohibits wire flooring and requires kennels to develop a plan for giving their dogs daily exercise. ### 01-16-09 -- Dogs' Owner Offers $10,000 Reward Three Pomeranians were stolen out of a vehicle in Conewago Township. By:  Ted Czech, Daily Record/Sunday News As Jane Snyder was inside an auto auction in Conewago Township on Wednesday, someone burglarized her SUV and stole three Pomeranian dogs that were inside, police said. Snyder, of Lancaster County, discovered that someone smashed a rear window of her 1999 Isuzu Rodeo and took the dogs, according to Northern York County Regional Police. Snyder was parked at a lot across from Adesa Auto on the Susquehanna Trail in Conewago Township. The sport utility vehicle was parked in the lot between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., police said. The Pomeranians were valued at $500 each. There were two black females and one tan male. The dogs - named Levi, Maddie and Kaylee - were dressed in sweaters. Snyder said Maddie and Kaylee are Levi's daughters. "I have them dressed up for every holiday, and they absolutely love it," Snyder said Thursday. Snyder, who has owned and operated a small used-car dealership in Lancaster County for the past 13 years, said her three dogs acted as her business' official greeters. "They're such people dogs," she said. "They have a personality and then some. They're one of a kind. . . . Many, many, many people, after they buy cars, come back just to see them, bring them treats." Snyder said she was thankful for the outpouring of support she has received since her dogs were taken. In hopes the dogs will be returned to her, Snyder has offered a $10,000 reward, "no strings attached, no questions asked." HAVE A TIP? If anyone has information about the dogs' whereabouts, they can call the dogs' owner, Jane Snyder, at 717-330-3167, or Northern York County Regional Police at 717-292-3647 or 911. ### 01-16-09 -- Pet Owners Encouraged to Keep Pets Warm By:  Lancaster Intelligencer Journal Humane League of Lancaster County issued a cold weather advisory Friday for pet owners who typically keep animals outside. Pet owners should bring animals inside to heated, protected areas because dog houses adequate in normal temperatures don't protect animals from frostbite and hypothermia. Unheated garages do not provide additional protection, as the pet cannot generate enough body heat to keep the space warm. Instead, provide a smaller shelter within the garage to keep pets alive. The American Animal Hospital Association reports animals are vulnerable to frostbite and hypothermia in less than an hour. Young or older animals, and those with health conditions such as diabetes or kidney disease, are especially vulnerable to winter weather. Regardless of their health, no pets should stay outside for unlimited amounts of time in freezing cold weather. The AAHA also suggests that pet owners who must take animals outside shouldn't leave them unattended. A rule of thumb, when you're cold enough to go inside, they probably are too. If pets absolutely must be left outside for a significant length of time, make sure they have a warm, solid shelter elevated above the ground that protects them from the wind, thick bedding, and plenty of nonfrozen water served in plastic containers, not metal. Try leaving out a hot water bottle, wrapped in a towel so it won't burn your pet's skin. Keep in mind it is illegal to keep pets outside without adequate shelter and food. In Friday's bitter temperatures, police were responding to reported cases of animals left outside for long periods of time. ### 01-16-09 -- Man Arrested in Dog Abuse Case By:  Michelle Ganassi, Daily American The mystery of what happened to a badly burned stray dog has been solved. Johnstown Police Department arrested Erik George Licht, 37, Franklin Street, for abandoning the 8-month-old dog, named Barney, after the animal caught fire. He is charged with two counts of cruelty to animals. “We received information from several different sources suspecting he was involved in the incident,” said Johnstown City Police Chief Craig Faust. Police talked to Licht Thursday night. He told officers he smelled something burning on Dec. 24 and noticed his dog's bandana had apparently caught fire from an open flame. In an attempt to put out the fire, Licht threw the contents of a glass onto the flames. But the glass contained a mixture of rum, amaretto and vodka and increased the flames on the dog's head, face, neck and back, according to court documents. Licht said he tried to pat out the flames and ultimately extinguished the blaze with water. Afterward, Licht put a T-shirt on the dog and drove it to the CoGo's Gas Station along Franklin Street in Johnstown, where he abandoned it. The dog was found on New Year's Day. Humane officer Elaine Gower said Licht did not have the money or desire to pay for a veterinarian. “That is where the real crime was committed,” she said. “Everybody is in agreement that the burn was accidental.” Gower said several anonymous callers reported Licht to authorities. But the first caller, a Johnstown man, will be the one who is eligible to claim the $4,000 reward that was offered for information about the case. That reward includes a $2,500 donation from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The public has continued to make donations for Barney's medical bills. Barney is sleeping in a bed in a foster home and may soon be adopted. “He's doing great,” Gower said. “(They're) probably going to adopt him. He's getting along with their other pets. It looks like it is going to work out.” She added that she wanted to thank the Johnstown police “for taking this very seriously and treating it like the crime it was.” Sally Urban, president of the Somerset County Humane Society, said the center has been inundated with reports of animal cruelty since Barney's story was made public. “We are really trying to answer them as quickly as we can,” Urban said. “There are so many. But please keep calling. They can't speak for themselves.” Licht did not have a listed telephone number. He could face jail time for cruelty to animals charges. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Feb. 26. before District Judge Leonard J. Grecek in Johnstown. ### 01-15-09 -- Young Dog Starves to Death; SPCA Cites Owner By:  Elizabeth Evans, The York Dispatch Layla, a 1-year-old golden retriever, weighed less than 18 pounds when she died of starvation in a shed, an SPCA official said. Now, the York County SPCA has filed an animal-cruelty citation against Layla's owner, Janet Lee Conrad, 40, of 110 Community St. in Wellsville, for allegedly failing to provide necessary sustenance to her dog. "The dog weighed 17.6 pounds. That is basically just hair and bones, especially for a golden retriever," said Melissa Smith, executive director of the York County SPCA. "It would take a dog of average weight weeks -- weeks -- to deteriorate that severely. My speculation would be that the dog went without proper sustenance for many weeks on end. In my opinion, it's torturous." An adult golden retriever generally weighs between 55 and 75 pounds, according to the American Kennel Club. Smith said a person called the SPCA late on Dec. 29 to report a dead dog in a Wellsville shed. Nicole Boyer, the SPCA's humane police officer, went to the site early the next morning and found Layla inside the shed, Smith said. Layla had been dead for only a short time, and Boyer confiscated the remains for examination, according to Smith. A necropsy -- basically an animal autopsy -- was performed by the state Department of Agriculture, which determined she died of starvation and dehydration, Smith said. 'Horrified': "The dog was extremely, extremely emaciated," Smith said. "We do several (animal-cruelty) citations a month, and they vary in sseverity. But something like this is such a severe case. We're just horrified and saddened that the dog had to die this way." Conrad agreed Layla's death was horrible. "It's something that just shouldn't have happened," she said. "Me and my kids are really upset about it. It'll never happen again." Conrad said she was battling "really serious" depression and had been staying at the home of a friend for a couple weeks. She said she asked a friend to feed Layla, but he stopped doing so after getting into a car accident. Conrad said he never told her he'd stopped feeding Layla. She said she owned the dog for a couple of months. Empty bowls: Boyer found only empty bowls for food and water in the shed, and some old dog feces, according to Smith. "The fecal matter indicates the dog spent a great deal of time in that shed," Smith said. In Pennsylvania, some cruelty offenses can be graded as misdemeanors or even felonies, but the law states starvation cases may only be filed as summary offenses, according to Smith, who expressed frustration with the restriction. "In my mind, there is no suffering worse than the prolonged suffering of starvation and dehydration," she said. The citation against Conrad was filed Jan. 7 with District Judge Richard Thomas in Dillsburg, Smith said. Thomas' office said a summons was mailed to Conrad Jan. 9 Asking for max: "Due to the severity of this case, we are asking for the maximum penalty allowed by law, which would be a $750 fine and 90 days' imprisonment," Smith said. "We don't often ask for the maximum penalty, but this is such a severe case." Being unable to save a pet from such a fate is difficult, she said. "Starvation cases are absolutely the toughest for us to emotionally handle," Smith said. "The feeling of helplessness is just overwhelming." Smith urged people to call the York County SPCA immediately if they suspect an animal is being neglected or abused. "All too often, calls come too late," she said. "Time is of the essence for these animals." ### 01-14-09 -- PSPCA Agents Converge On 'House Of Filth' Agents from the Pennsylvania SPCA removed dozens of animals from a Kensington home By:  CBS Channel 3 Philadelphia Agents from the Pennsylvania SPCA converged on what they termed a "trash-filled home" in the city's Kensington neighborhood Wednesday. Agents removed approximately 30 animals from a home in the 3400 block of Braddock Street. "The home has no heat and no electricity," said PSPCA Director of Investigations George Bengal. "Our officers had to climb over ceiling-high piles of trash to get to the animals." Agents said the only way to get from one room to another was to walk through a tunnel of trash. The discovery of the home reportedly began when the mother of the woman who lives at the home had her daughter committed to Friends Hospital Wednesday. According to the PSPCA, as of this time, no dead animals have been found and the live animals will be taken to the PSPCA shelter at 350 E. Erie Avenue. The investigation into the disturbing discovery is ongoing. ### 01-13-09 -- PSPCA Reminds Pet Owners: Protect Animals During Cold Weather By:  Gant Daily PHILADELPHIA - Winter’s deep freeze has hit the Commonwealth and the Pennsylvania SPCA reminds you to protect your pets from the cold and bring them inside your home. A dog or cat’s fur coat doesn’t mean that it can survive if left outdoors in the cold. Give your friend a warm place to sleep inside, away from drafts. Recently the PSPCA investigated the case of a dog found frozen to a fence in Philadelphia. The dog’s owner had left the dog outside tied to the fence overnight when the temperature dipped to 14 degrees Fahrenheit. If your pet has short hair, invest in a sweater or coat he or she can wear to keep warm when going on walks. If you must take your pet in the car when the weather is cold, don’t leave them alone. Like a car can become an oven in the summer, in the winter, your vehicle is like a refrigerator with the potential to freeze your friend to death. Not only is the temperature dangerous for our pets, but many products used during this time of year can also be hazardous to your dog’s or cat’s health. While the sweet taste of antifreeze is appealing to animals, when swallowed, the chemical can be deadly. Be sure to clean up all antifreeze spills and keep the container out of your pet’s reach. Use antifreeze coolant made with propylene glycol. This form is not dangerous for animals if ingested in small amounts. Rock salt and snow melting products can irritate your pet’s feet. After walking outside, be sure to wipe off your Fido’s or Fluffy’s feet before he or she licks them and hurts his or her mouth. Be mindful of wild animals, feral cats and stray animals that often climb under the hoods of cars to keep warm during bitter nights. Bang on the car’s hood before starting the engine to wake the animal. If you see an animal left outside or in a cold car for a prolonged period of time, contact the PSPCA’s toll free cruelty reporting hotline, 1-866-601-SPCA. A PSPCA law enforcement agent will investigate the call to protect an animal in danger. ### 01-13-08 -- Half-Price Sale Helps Clean Out Kennel League adopts out 59 dogs in 3 days By:  Susan E. Lindt, Lancaster Intelligencer Journal The half-price sale at Humane League of Lancaster County worked. The Route 30 East shelter adopted out a whopping 59 dogs in three days by putting out a call for help to the community and slashing adoption prices 50 percent. Now just a handful of dogs remain at the kennel. "On a super, super day, the average number of dogs we adopt is about five," shelter CEO Joan Brown said. "Well, we adopted 59 in just three days." The shelter has space for about 75 dogs, and a low census last month made it a good time to try to finish maintenance projects on its kennels. But just as employees were about to start a much-needed painting project, a raid on an area breeder's kennel jammed the shelter with 90 more rescued dogs. "We had been trying for the last several months to paint all our kennels to stay in compliance with state law," Brown said, adding that the state Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement "has been great about working with us and being flexible." "We were approaching our last reasonable deadline that Dog Law could give us (to paint the kennels) when all these dogs came in," she said. She considered closing the shelter or other means of handling the situation, Brown said, but she settled on slashing dog adoption prices for the month of January. From Friday to Sunday, the sale all but emptied the shelter's dog kennels. Until Jan. 31, puppies under 6 months old cost $87.50, adult dogs from 7 months to 6 years old cost $60 and senior dogs 7 years and older cost $25. Prices include all vaccinations and microchipping. Brown said the lower prices helped, but the real difference was getting the word out about the need for permanent homes for dogs and the community responding to that need. "Most people did not come because of the sale but because they were responding to the need," Brown said. "They were responding from their hearts, not from their pocketbooks. A lot of people paid the adoption price and gave us a donation on top of that. For some families, though, the prices did help, and we're glad that was the case." The effort also gave league employees a chance to sand and paint most of the kennels. Brown said the remaining kennels should be easy to complete now that fewer dogs must be shuffled from kennel to kennel. Historically, the shelter has fewer dogs and puppies come in over the winter months. But about 9,000 cats and kittens find their way to the shelter annually, so the league typically has ongoing adoption specials for felines. With the success of the first canine sale and the likelihood more dogs will end up at the league because of new state dog laws, Brown said the league will likely schedule more canine sales. "I definitely think we will consider it in the future," Brown said. "What's happening this year is the new dog laws and new enforcement is terrific, but because of it, our (dog) census is never low. If we continue to have these large volumes of animals come through while we try to rescue dogs in bad breeding situations from bad kennels, we absolutely will consider doing this again." On Dec. 20, the Humane League and Bureau inspectors seized 96 dogs from a West Earl Township kennel after an injunction was issued to stop the breeder from operating. Not all the dogs rescued in the kennel raid were adopted. Some were immediately sent to foster homes, where dogs with emotional and physical problems can be rehabilitated. For more information about Humane League of Lancaster County, call 393-6551, visit HumaneLeague.com or stop by the shelter at 2195 Lincoln Highway East. ### 01-12-09 -- Animal Angels' License Revoked By:  Rachel R. Basinger, Daily Courier In the wake of six failed inspections in 2008, the operating license of Animal Angels Inc. in Bullskin Township has been revoked. But the animal rescue shelter at 419 Three Mile Hill continues to operate while shelter director Susan Johnson appeals the decision, said Chris Ryder, press secretary for the state Department of Agriculture. "She is still within her legal rights to operate the shelter until the appeals process is over," he said. Ryder said Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement officials will hold a hearing in Harrisburg on Feb. 11 to address the appeal. "At that time, if the revocation of her license is upheld, Miss Johnson can then file an appeal in the district court circuit," he said. Johnson was issued an operating license on June 4, 2008. At that time, she was asked to fix drainage problems in some pens, improve ventilation in the house where dogs were kept, and clean up pigeon droppings and dog food outside the kennel, which was attracting rats. Reports filed after inspections from July 14 through Dec. 11 alleged that Johnson: • failed to assign dogs in the house to a room that had an easily sanitized surface. • failed to reduce the number of dogs in the kennel to 90 and the dogs in the house to 40. • failed to clean up the pigeon waste and dog food. • had dogs on the property without current rabies vaccinations. In addition, green mold and black sludge were allegedly found in drainage sites. Messages left for Johnson seeking comment were not returned. NPPMWatch Note: View Inspection Reports:  2008  Click HERE    2007  Click HERE    2006  Click HERE ### 01-11-09 -- Humane Officers to Start Carrying Guns for Defense The weapons are not to be used on animals. By:  Dan Majors, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has another goal this year: preventing risk to its officers. With that in mind, the SPCA is authorizing its humane officers to start carrying guns. "I've had my officers assaulted and at various times threatened," said George Bengal, director of law enforcement for the SPCA. "Bottom line is [the weapons are] just to be used for their protection." Mr. Bengal, who works out of the Philadelphia area, stressed that the 14 officers employed by the SPCA will not use the weapons on animals. The weapons are "strictly for self-defense" when officers are confronted by hostile people while investigating complaints and serving warrants. "I think a lot of people have the impression that a lot of our calls are just like a dog without shelter, that type of thing," Mr. Bengal said. "But the majority of the calls now that we're getting are animal-fighting calls, and we're getting search warrants and making arrests. "Most of the people involved in dog fighting are involved in other criminal activities," he said. "In the last six to seven months, we've recovered numerous drugs and weapons on the people and the property where we're serving search warrants." One officer was assaulted, and two others were shot at while serving a warrant for a 16-year-old youth who tried to escape from them, Mr. Bengal said. "We're running into this more and more," he said. "In fact, the last 15 search warrants [we've served], we've recovered drugs and guns." Reports involving dog-fighting cases have more than doubled since NFL quarterback Michael Vick was arrested in a highly publicized bust in 2007. But those incidents have been concentrated in the Philadelphia area, where most of the SPCA's officers are based. The two officers most recently hired by the agency already had completed training with weapons, Mr. Bengal said. The rest, he said, will be trained in the weeks ahead. The SPCA has only one officer in Western Pennsylvania. She works out of the Bedford, Bedford County, area, Mr. Bengal said. Officers in other branches of animal enforcement, such as numerous humane societies around the state, are permitted to carry guns. But many, including those working with the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society, do not. "That's an individual choice of each humane society," said Mr. Bengal. Humane societies and animal rescue leagues are separate from the SPCA, he said, although some agencies work together. Ron Smith, chief officer with the WPHS, said officers with his agency will not carry weapons. "We've had the option to do that for years if we went through the training, but we've chosen not to. I've been associated with this organization for 36 years, and I never felt a need to carry a weapon," Mr. Smith said. "That's just my principles. If I run into a situation where I need backup, I call the local police. "I have a bite stick, a baton, to protect myself against vicious animals. But I don't feel there's a need for me to carry a weapon," he said. "I don't get into confrontations. We do go into some areas that we are uncomfortable with, but if a situation's getting out of hand, I step away and bring in the [police]." Mr. Bengal said the SPCA also calls in police officers when serving warrants. "But the officers here have to go out on their own," he said. "And we're not always able to have the police available at the immediate time. There's danger no matter where you go, when you do law enforcement work." ### 01-11-09 -- Woman Held in Illegal Sale of Puppies By:  Amy Worden, Philadelphia Inquirer A West Virginia woman was charged with violations of Pennsylvania's dog law yesterday for selling puppies in a Bucks County parking lot. Carrie Lynn Bay, 35, was arraigned before a district justice in Warrington and held after she was unable to pay a fine of $1,800. Bay pleaded guilty to five counts of violating the law for selling dogs in a public place and operating without an out-of-state license, said Craig Claycomb, the animal-control officer for Warminster. Several of the puppies had respiratory infections and were taken to a veterinarian, he said. Claycomb and a state dog warden posed as customers seeking to buy two puppies and met the woman at a mall's parking lot, he said. They identified themselves after they paid $300 for the dogs, he said. Claycomb said he had sought state assistance after getting complaints about two fatally ill dogs sold by Bay before Christmas. "The common element was that the dogs were dying from parvo" virus, he said. Claycomb said Bay had been transporting dogs from West Virginia to sell in the area for at least a year. ### 01-09-09 -- Kennel Owner's Legal Proceedings Moved to Courthouse Large crowd expected for Derbe Eckhart's animal cruelty case. By:  Tim Darragh, The Morning Call The Jan. 27 legal proceedings against Upper Milford Township kennel owner Derbe Eckhart will be moved to the Lehigh County Courthouse, court officials said Thursday. The case will be moved from the Emmaus offices of District Justice Donna Butler to accommodate an expected crowd. The proceedings will take place at 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom 730. Eckhart, owner of Almost Heaven Kennel, will face summary charges of failure to keep his kennel clean and safe, as well as cruelty charges. In addition, some of the cruelty charges are misdemeanors, so Eckhart also will face a preliminary hearing on those as well, said Jay Jenkins of the Lehigh County District Attorney's office. An associate of Eckhart's, Bryan N. Smith, also faces summary cruelty charges. The charges arise from an investigation and raid at the dog kennel Oct. 1. Investigators seized dozens of sick animals at that time, but left hundreds more that were healthy. Cats, birds, monkeys miniature horses and other animals also were on the property at the time. The state Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement decided to let the kennel's license lapse at the end of 2008 and plans to fight Eckhart's application for a 2009 license. Eckhart is allowed to continue operating the kennel while the case is in court. ### 01-06-09 -- New Dog Law Leaves Some Shelters in Lurch By:  WGAL LANCASTER, Pa. -- In the past 30 days, more than 100 dogs have been brought to the Humane League of Lancaster County. Most of the dogs are from area kennels, struggling to comply with the state's new dog law. It's put the shelter in an unusual position: loving the new law, but needing to make extraordinary provisions. The Humane League is asking kennel owners and others to wait until next month to "surrender" their animals. To help the influx of animals find homes, the shelter is offering discounts. It's a kind of puppy sale. Anyone who visits the shelter now, can adopt a dog at half price. If you'd like to adopt one of the dogs or get prices for the "Doggy Discount Days," click HERE to visit the Humane League online. ### 01-06-08 -- Legal Battle Over Esh Dog-Law Violations Ends Charges reduced to summary offenses By:  Susan Lindt, Lancaster Intelligencer Journal The long legal battle over Daniel P. Esh's kennel violations was finally resolved Tuesday. Esh, owner of Scarlet-Maple Farm Kennel, 68 Clearview Road, Ronks, originally faced three misdemeanor charges of housing more than 400 dogs and puppies in unsanitary conditions. The charges stemmed from November 2007 inspections by the state Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement. Esh's attorney, Jeff Conrad, negotiated a deal with Assistant District Attorney Christine L. Wilson to lower the misdemeanor charges to summary offenses in exchange for Esh's guilty plea. Esh pleaded guilty Tuesday before Lancaster County Judge James P. Cullen. The deal means Esh faces only fines for each charge rather than steeper misdemeanor penalties of up to a year in prison and a $2,500 fine for each count. The original charges were graded as more serious misdemeanor counts because Esh had been convicted of similar infractions within the previous year. Wilson said the bureau is unlikely to renew Esh's license to operate a kennel for the new year. Without a kennel license, Esh must dismantle his large-scale breeding operation and reduce his dog stock to no more than 25. "We amended the charges to summaries because his kennel license isn't going to be renewed," Wilson said. "Just based on that, I think this was a fair resolution. The main point is that he may not operate (a kennel) due to his prior charges." Conrad said the status of Esh's 2009 license renewal is pending, and Bureau spokesman Chris Ryder confirmed Tuesday that Esh's renewal application was received, but a determination has not yet been issued to Esh. State inspectors visited Esh's Leacock Township kennel Nov. 2 and Nov. 28, 2007. In the kennel inspection reports, a warden noted that dog food was contaminated with mold, feces and debris, and dogs were housed in enclosures smeared with feces. Esh was also charged for allowing large amounts of feces to accumulate around cages. State law requires dog food be free of contaminants, and that feces be cleared daily from in and around kennels. Conrad said he was happy with the outcome of the charges. "We were very pleased to get a resolution that didn't make Daniel Esh a criminal," Conrad said. "The misdemeanor charges were excessive. He was willing to admit to the summary violations and plead guilty." The resolution certainly wasn't quick. A September trial before Judge Howard F. Knisely was delayed a day because of a host of pretrial motions. Then, about an hour into Esh's trial, Conrad requested and was granted a mistrial based on testimony from Bureau inspector Kristen Donmoyer, who inspected Esh's kennel. Donmoyer said she filed charges against Esh based on what she saw at the kennel, "as well as Mr. Esh's admission of guilt that it had been more than one day" since he had cleaned the kennels. Knisely ruled for the mistrial because Donmoyer's use of the word "guilt" could have influenced the jury's perception of Esh's actions. Then Wilson raised an objection to Conrad's opening statement, in which he said Gov. Ed Rendell directed the bureau to hire a SWAT team of inspectors, including Donmoyer, with only one purpose: "to shut (Esh) down." Wilson objected that Conrad told jurors Esh could lose his kennel license as a result of the trial's outcome. Attorneys are not allowed to mention to jurors the possible penalties that may result if a defendant is convicted. Conrad maintained Tuesday that Rendell's directive for a Bureau crackdown on irresponsible breeders has resulted in excessive, subjective enforcement against good breeders. "It almost seems as though they've gone so far that they've taken (enforcement) to the extreme," Conrad said. "Some (inspectors) will use bravado instead of tact. They'll come in and scream at kennel operators. A lot of (breeders) are Amish and they're like, 'Whoa, what am I supposed to do?' Are we out to get them or are we out to get them in compliance?" Conrad said he welcomes cases like Esh's because breeders shouldn't be criminalized now that the state kennel regulations have been made more stringent. "The government has changed the scrutiny with which they're giving these kennels nowadays," he said. "It's a fact that what was once OK is not OK now. (Esh) wants to comply. The state can make headway by educating (breeders). Punishment does not make headway." Esh's father, John E. Esh, holds a kennel license to keep 251 or more dogs at Twin Maple Farm, also at 68 Clearview Road, Ronks. The elder Esh also was cited after the November 2007 inspections with misdemeanor charges for unsanitary conditions and incomplete records of rabies vaccinations. Like his son, Esh was charged with more serious violations because of prior convictions, and, like his son, John Esh negotiated a deal to have the charges lowered to summary offenses when he pleaded guilty in February 2008. NPPMWATCH EDITORIAL NOTE: View Kennel Inspection Reports:      2008  Click HERE      2007  Click HERE     2006  Click HERE ### 01-06-09 -- Cited Kennel Owner Seeks New License By:  Tim Darragh, The Morning Call The embattled owner of Almost Heaven Kennel in Upper Milford Township has applied for a 2009 kennel license, even though state officials have said they intend to deny the application. A state Agriculture Department spokesman said the owner, Derbe Eckhart, applied for the license late in 2008. The spokesman, Chris Ryder, said Agriculture officials will reject the application when they review it. ''Until we review it, we can't deny it,'' Ryder said. Eckhart, who is facing summary criminal charges for allegedly mistreating his animals, then will have 10 days to appeal. If he does, he will be allowed to continue operating Almost Heaven until the case is finished in court, Ryder said. It can take some time. Agriculture shut down a notorious facility, Ervin Zimmerman's kennel in Ephrata, Lancaster County, on Dec. 20. It had its license revoked Nov. 2, 2007, but was allowed to stay open during appeals. No one returned a telephone call to the kennel on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Eckhart is scheduled to appear before District Judge Donna Butler in Emmaus Jan. 27 to face charges that he violated animal cruelty and kennel safety laws. Those charges stem from a raid Oct. 1, when dog wardens and animal cruelty officers descended upon Almost Heaven and said they found dozens of diseased animals and filthy, deteriorating kennels. They also found 65 animal corpses inside a freezer and hundreds of cats, birds, monkeys, miniature horses and other animals -- about 800 in all. Eckhart has prior convictions for cruelty and violations of kennel laws going back as far as 1988. The Agriculture Department requires kennels to be licensed annually. Almost Heaven had a license to board dogs and another to breed an unlimited number of dogs last year. According to Almost Heaven's most recent inspection Dec. 11, the kennel had 551 dogs on board over the previous 12-month period. That was the eighth inspection by the department at Almost Heaven in 2008. Ryder said Agriculture still has not received the results of an investigation by the state Inspector General's office related to Almost Heaven. The Inspector General is investigating why three Agriculture officials, including one of the top officials of the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, issued the kennel a clean bill of health Aug. 7, even as humane officials were laying the groundwork for the raid. NPPMWATCH EDITORIAL NOTE: Kennel Inspection Reports BREEDING Kennel:   2008  Click HERE     2007  Click HERE     2006  Click HERE Kennel Inspection Reports BOARDING Kennel:   2008  Click HERE     2007  Click HERE     2006  Click HERE ### 01-06-09 -- Dog Badly Burned, Humane Society Investigates By:  Michelle Ganassi, Daily American The Somerset County Humane Society is caring for a stray dog that apparently was burned with some type of liquid during the holiday season. Humane officer Elaine Gower said the dog was found on Somerset Pike in Conemaugh Township on New Year’s Eve. The dog had several burn marks, apparently from a hot liquid or acid. “He’s a very nice young stray dog,” she said. “It looks like somebody threw something burning on him. We can’t really tell what.” The dog is an 8- to 9-month-old shepherd mix and also has facial injuries. When someone brought him to the shelter, his burns had been infected. Veterinarian Nancy Kerr of Laurel Highlands Animal Hospital said 30 to 40 percent of the dog’s body was badly burned when he came into her care. The injuries were localized to the face and right side. “The wounds were there for at least three days (prior to him being found),” she said. Since no one has reported the dog missing, Gower said she suspects the injury was deliberate. “Nobody knows what happened to this boy,” Gower said. “We suspect it was deliberate because nobody is looking for him.” The dog was not wearing a collar and was thin. “That makes me think he was out for a little while or wasn’t being taken care of,” she said. Gower said she looked into whether the dog was burned in a fire or while someone was burning brush. “It sounds like someone did something to get rid of him or somebody doesn’t want him around,” she said. If the dog had not been treated, he would have died, Gower said. But now the prognosis is good. Kerr said the dog has a good appetite and is drinking a lot of water. The dog’s skin is falling off where the burns were. He has a right eye ulcer, but still has vision, she added. He also has an ear injury. Sally Urban, human society board president, said she suspects the dog will not have any long-term suffering, but will need special care as he recovers from his injuries. The dog will be kept in a foster home until someone adopts him. Urban said it should not be hard to find a home for the dog. “When people hear a story like this, we get many offers,” she said. Gower is hoping she gets calls with information about what happened to the dog. A $250 reward is being offered for the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator. “All information will be kept confidential,” she said. A person could face a misdemeanor offense and up to two years in jail if the act was deliberate. If the injury was the result of an accident, a summary offense of cruelty of animals and neglect could be filed. “At this moment, I don’t know which we have,” she said. To report any information about the dog, call the shelter at 443-2121 or Gower’s cell phone at (724) 640-6707. ### 01-04-09 -- PA Family Honors Pet's Memory by Rescuing Dog By:  Vicky Taylor, Lebanon Daily News When Jim and Carisa Maher's beloved Pekinese DaVinci was killed by a neighbor's pit bull in April, the heartbroken couple never dreamed another dog so much like DaVinci would ever come into their lives. Then came Sampson, an orphan rescued from a puppy mill. "When DaVinci died, I said I would never get another dog, ever," Carisa Maher says as she looks back on the traumatic event that claimed the life of her beloved little Pekinese. "Then Jim showed me a picture of Sampson, who was up for adoption at the Angel Hill Animal Sanctuary." Sampson looked exactly like DaVinci, the Mahers said. Carisa Maher burst into tears when she saw the picture her husband had printed out from Angel Hill's Web site. "It was incredible," she said Saturday as she cuddled Sampson, who came home with the Mahers recently. "But what was more incredible was the kindness of Wanda Davenport (who runs Angel Hill)." Davenport knew when she got the call from the Mahers that Sampson belonged with them, she said. When they asked about adoption fees, she told them she had read their sad story in the newspaper at the time DaVinci was attacked, and she wanted to give them Sampson. "I cried again," Carisa Maher said. "It's Christmas, and this was the greatest gift I could have received." The Mahers had taken two other, older and disabled Pekinese into their home after DaVinci's death—Rose and Lily—and Carisa Maher felt that was as close as she would ever come to replacing her beloved pet. "No one else wanted (Rose and Lily), so we took them in," she said. "Lily is blind and partially crippled, and they need a lot of care, so it helped having them in the house, but I thought 'this is it... I'm finished.'" While Rose and Lily became an important part of the Maher household, there was still a void there, the Chambersburg couple said. "Nothing seemed right in our house after DaVinci's death," Carisa Maher said. For one thing, no one—not even the Rose and Lily—could entice the Maher's English Bulldog, Daisy, out of the lethargy she has displayed since DaVinci's death. Daisy and DaVinci were so close that they not only played together, but slept together. Daisy was sleeping next to DaVinci when the Pit Bull, Lady, belonging to Fuertado Wallace, 54, Chambersburg, got into the Maher's second-floor apartment, grabbed DaVinci out of his bed and took him downstairs, where he mauled the little dog. Lady broke the window of Wallace's 12 Lincoln Way West apartment during an April 26 thunderstorm, ran down the street and went into the Maher's fenced-in back yard, up the back steps to the second-story apartment and forced its way into the home through a screen door. Once inside, he snatched DaVinci and drug him back down the stairs into the back yard and began shaking him. The Pekingese died the next day from injuries sustained in the attack. The Mahers said Daisy was so traumatized by the attack on her friend that she went into shock and almost died herself. For days they pureed rice and chicken and syringe fed Daisy, praying that she would live. Although she recovered, all of the joy seemed to have gone from her life, Carisa Maher said. They hope that when Sampson settles in, Daisy will come out of her shell and start interacting with the Pekinese that resembles DaVinci so much. The gift of Sampson is the second gift the Mahers received this year. Jim Maher was reunited with his 18-year-old daughter Tiffiney Pratt, who moved in with the Mahers in October and immediately fell in love with Daisy, Lily and Rose. Although Tiffiney had not known DaVinci, she celebrated with her father and stepmother when she learned that Sampson would join the family. Recently, she sat in the middle of the living room, hand feeding Sampson bits of cooked chicken. Even before Sampson's arrival Friday night, she went to the store and got a stocking for Sampson to add to those already hanging on the mantle for the rest of the family—which now includes four dogs. On Friday night she brought a blanket in the living room and slept on the floor with the dogs. Sampson at first circled the group, then settled at Tiffiney's feet. Once he moved to a spot near Tiffiney's face, but when she moved, he retreated back to her feet. Although both Daisy and the Mahers were traumatized by the home invasion and attack by the pit bull—which the couple believe was trained to fight—they say they have tried to put it behind them. The dog's owner was charged with violating the state's dog laws and fined $350 after pleading guilty to harboring a dangerous dog, not having a license for the dog and not having it vaccinated for rabies. The Mahers put out about $2,600 in vet bills for DaVinci and Daisy. They say they have decided not to file a civil suit against Wallace, but they have bought a taser and will be prepared if it ever happens to them again. They are also determined to help Davenport and the Angel Hill Animal Sanctuary in any way they can, including starting a drive to raise funds and supplies for the sanctuary. Sampson was rescued from a puppy mill and Davenport said she has a number of other dogs in need of adoptive families. "We've taken 24 dogs from puppy mills," she said of the sanctuary's rescue efforts. ### 01-03-09 -- Areas Ignore SPCA Request By:  Erin James, Evening Sun Reporter It's not that officials weren't listening when Lisa Conklin pleaded with them for an increased donation to the Adams County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in 2009. The organization's director has been telling officials at each of the county's 34 municipalities for months that the SPCA is in a tough spot financially and needs more support from local government. The state-mandated deadline for local governments to decide how taxpayer money will be spent in 2009 has passed, and more than half of the townships and boroughs have yet to comply with Conklin's request for a 50-cent per capita donation to the SPCA. They stand to lose the SPCA's animal-control services as a result. But the SPCA is not the only county agency running low on cash, said Jerry Lillich, a member of the Abbottstown Borough Council. "We're aware of the work the SPCA does and their needs, and we will give them consideration when a number of issues have been settled," Lillich said. "But at this point we're just about out of the woods." Abbottstown officials are in the process of digging the borough out of a deficit. Eliminating donations - like the $300 the borough gave the SPCA in 2008 - was one method of balancing the 2009 budget, Lillich said. Complying with the SPCA's request would have cost the borough $318. "We didn't obligate ourselves to anything in the budget that wasn't absolutely essential," he said. But as a result of the council's decision, Abbottstown will likely lose the SPCA's animal-control services this year. As many as 19 other Adams County municipalities could be facing the same consequence. For months Conklin has attended meetings in each municipality to explain the SPCA's dire financial situation. She gave borough and township officials an ultimatum: Contribute 50 cents per capita to the SPCA in 2009 or risk losing animal-control services. At least 14 of the county's 34 municipalities plan to comply and have adopted budgets accordingly. Those that will continue to receive animal-control services are Bendersville, Fairfield, Gettysburg and York Springs boroughs and Berwick, Conewago, Germany, Highland, Huntington, Mount Joy, Mount Pleasant, Reading, Straban and Union townships. But whether the SPCA will continue responding to reports of feral cats and stray dogs in the remaining 20 is yet to be determined. Conklin said she is still waiting for final word from those municipalities, and she considers them "pending." That means one of two things - the municipality has chosen not to comply or officials have not provided Conklin with a final decision. But Conklin said she is staying optimistic, and she has extended the deadline to Feb. 1 to give officials one more month to reconsider. "The pending ones, I'm pretty confident that they're going to come around," she said. One that is unlikely to "come around" in 2009 is Cumberland Township. Citing tough economic times, the township's supervisors "froze" the 2008 budget to avoid a tax increase. Cumberland gave the SPCA $1,600 in 2008 and will do so again this year. But that's $761 short of meeting Conklin's requirement to retain animal-control services. "Of course it is a concern, but the budgetary constraints are also a concern," said board Chairman John Gregor. "To single any part of the budget out when we're talking about a total freeze would be something that we elected not to do." Lillich said Abbottstown officials could reconsider making a donation to the SPCA - and regaining animal-control services as a result - sometime during the year. Municipal budgets can be amended at any time, according to state law. The animal-control service Abbottstown and Cumberland Township stand to lose is the SPCA's response to calls for stray domestic animals and dog bites when the dog warden is not on call. The job of rounding up loose dogs, cats, horses and cattle will likely fall to local police departments, Conklin said. Some officials have been receptive to that message and increased contributions significantly. Gettysburg, for example, has committed $5,000 to the SPCA in 2009 - an increase of $3,950. Conewago Township also committed $5,000, up from $1,200 in 2008. Conklin said she believes other municipalities have been slow to comply with the request because officials did not understand the SPCA's role. "The others are hesitant because they feel that the SPCA is a charity," she said. "I'm educating them on the fact that it is a service." ### 01-03-09 -- Stray Dogs, Cats Might be Out in Cold By:  Teresa Ann Boeckel, Daily Record/Sunday News Residents who find a stray dog or cat in eight or more municipalities in York County may not have anywhere to take the animal this year. Some boroughs and townships haven't signed a contract with the York County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, one of the few shelters in the area. The SPCA will not be able to accept strays from municipalities without contracts -- even if the resident offers the shelter money to take the animal, executive director Melissa Smith said. The nonprofit is no longer allowed to charge a fee per animal, or it would lose its state reimbursement. The shelter now charges municipalities 50 cents per resident, based on the 2000 census, and the fact that it charges per resident has doubled or tripled the price that municipalities have paid in the past. Shrewsbury Township officials discussed the contract but did not sign it. Based on the township's population, it would have cost almost $3,000. "The cost -- it was quite considerable," said Paul Solomon, chairman of the board of supervisors. He added that the shelter isn't close to the township, either. The SPCA is off of Interstate 83, north of York. Residents will be able to call the township for a list of places that they can call, he said. Loganville hasn't had a problem with strays for years, council president Ronald Tombesi said. In 25 years, he's only had one stray dog in his yard. If residents pick up an animal, they would be responsible for those charges, he said. Otherwise, by signing a contract, all of the taxpayers have to pay for the service. "We just don't see the need to do it," Tombesi said. For years the SPCA has taken in strays from municipalities that have not contributed money to the shelter, Smith said. It's not fair to those who have been chipping in for the service. And how is it fair to the Good Samaritan who picks up a stray to make that person pay? she asked. At least one municipality -- North York -- has agreed to contract with the SPCA but just hasn't sent in the paperwork yet. Kevin Hevner, borough manager, said the council has approved the contract. He said the borough gave a donation to the SPCA, even when it used the Susquehanna Stray Animal Shelter, which closed in late 2007. Officials knew that some residents probably took strays to the SPCA, too. Municipalities are not required to contract with a shelter, said Chris Ryder, press secretary for the state Department of Agriculture. People can call the state dog warden to pick up a lost dog, but if a local shelter can't accept the animal, it could be taken to another shelter outside of the county, Ryder said. That's why it's important to get a dog licensed so that the owner can be found, he said. Some municipalities have been pushing hard to find other options, animal control officer Terry Hemler said. "I know of no alternative," he said. Animal Rescue Inc., a no-kill shelter in New Freedom, is always full, he said. He's been in business for 21 years and works through contracts with municipalities. If a municipality doesn't go with the SPCA, Hemler said, he'd have nowhere to take an animal and he wouldn't be able to contract with that municipality. Ann Behrendt, who runs the Heavenly Paws Animal Shelter in North Codorus Township, said she was contacted by a municipal official who was looking for a cheaper contract than a $2,500 one through the SPCA. But she runs a small shelter out of her home that caters mainly to cats, and she's limited to 40 felines at a time. Behrendt also said that $2,500 is not excessive. She said she spent $3,000 on a stray dog that she found in the mountains over the summer. "The vet bills are what kill the shelters," she said. Contracting with SPCA At least eight municipalities have not signed a contract with the York County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to pick up stray animals. Six municipalities have contracts that are forthcoming, said Melissa Smith, executive director of the shelter. North York has approved a contract but has not sent it in yet, the borough manager said. Those that have outstanding contracts are: --- Fawn Grove --- Franklin Township --- Loganville --- Railroad --- Red Lion --- Shrewsbury Township --- Winterstown --- York Haven ### 01-03-09 -- Puppy Rescued From Trash Wanda was suffering from exposure, malnutrition in Columbia By:  Larry Alexander, Lancaster Intelligencer Journal Wanda might have been someone's Christmas present. If so, she was one the recipient didn't want. On New Year's day, the pit bull puppy was found next to a trash bin in the 100 block of Church Street in Columbia. Weak and unable to walk, she was taken Friday afternoon to the Humane League of Lancaster County. Dr. Bryan Langlois, the shelter's veterinarian, examined the puppy, who was suffering from exposure and was malnourished. "She is being treated with heating blankets and intravenous fluids," Becki Gotshall of the Humane League said Friday afternoon. Two hours later, Gotshall reported that Wanda, as the Humane League staff have dubbed the puppy, had "started to eat, which is a very good sign." "She's doing better and is more stable," Gotshall said. "She is warmed up and is resting comfortably now." The dog is still very weak, Gotshall said, but she is "definitely responding to the kindness of our veterinary staff, giving them kisses, licking them and showing affection." "She's wagging her tail a little bit," Gotshall said. "These are all signs, not only of improvement, but also of a good personality." Was Wanda, whose age is between 8 and 10 weeks, an unwanted Christmas gift discarded like used wrapping paper and bows? Gotshall said it is hard to tell, but for the animal shelter to receive unwanted Christmas pets is, sadly, not uncommon. "We have several cases each year of people who come in and surrender a puppy to us because they've gotten it from a family member or friend as a Christmas gift, and they hadn't really wanted it," she said. "Whether or not that was the case with this particular dog, I really can't say." Gotshall said she had no idea how long Wanda had been lying by the trash bin. Exposure could happen overnight, but the malnutrition indicates longer term neglect. As for the person who abandoned the puppy, he or she could face animal abuse charges. Gotshall said anyone with information about where the puppy came from or who may have left her by the trash bin should contact the Humane League at 393-6551 and ask to speak with a Humane Law Enforcement Officer. All information is confidential. Meanwhile, Wanda will be carefully monitored and cared for at the shelter throughout the weekend. She will be fed small meals that are high in calories several times a day "so she can increase her strength," Gotshall said. Once her health and strength are sufficiently improved, Gotshall said the shelter will begin "searching for an adopting family." Gotshall and the shelter staff are pleased that this tale, which could have ended in tragedy, may end in hope. "If the dog had not been found, she quite likely would have passed away," Gotshall said. "Now we hope to place her with a new family and give her a new start." Anyone interested in adopting Wanda may contact the Humane League. ### Return to the Home Page