murraysmom

This information is from an article in the Sept. 30, 2007 Lancaster Sunday News by Jon Rutter, "All Eyes On A Dog's Life"

"Jessie L. Smith started her job as Special Deputy Secretary for Dog Law Enforcement in Oct. 2006...over the past year, she said, the state has made strides by monitoring serious offenders more closely and prosecuting them more aggressively. Two weeks ago, the governor reassigned Mary Bender, the Chief of the Dept. of Agriculture's Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, to a new farm land conservtion program- the ASPCA had long called for a Bureau shake -up, charging that the angency soft-pedals enforcement against kennels with habitual sanitary and other violations."

Four new dog wardens have been hired to go to the large, problematic kennels to work as a 'kennel compliance team' and focus on repeat offenders. The 59 existing dog wardens have been furnished with digital cameras, and a prosecutor, Jeffrey Paladina has been hired, whose primary responsibility is to aid wardens in preparing cases. Kennel inspections are being posted on-line so consumers can have access to this information.

"Sporting dog interests such as the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance have complained that the new regulations would paint with too broad a brush.
Smith said the state has reassured sportsmen in several meetings that it is not targeting hobby breeders or hunting related events."

"The agency received a record 1600 comments on the first draft (Dog Law) proposal, according to Smith"

Lancaster County has 296 licensed kennels. There are 77 kennels with more than 250 dogs.

Betsy Iole

Thanks for the update. Sounds promising, especially if the larger kennels are finally subject to compliance enforcement.

__________________
Betsy, Mom to
CH Bugle Bay's Sin City Caper UD RE TD BHCA-VC
CH Bugle Bay's Sin City Cuppa Joe TD
CH Bugle Bay's AllUCanEat Buffet CDX RN TDX NA CGC BHCA-VCX, 1996-2008
"Bugsie" UDX NA NAJ CGC, 1991-2006

Elvismom

Thanks for the posting. I hope the animal control officers take their duties seriously and that the abuses aren't swept under the rug. I still wish we could close them all down, but for now that is a pipe dream.

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Chris
Foodslave, chauffer & doorperson to Elvis, Georgia, Ginger & Maggie, Crissy & Dart

murraysmom

In Lancaster County puppy mills,as things stand now, dogs are confined for their entire miserable lives in tiny cages with chicken wire floors. The cages are stacked on top of one another, so that waste from the top cages falls into the cages below. The rickety structures where dogs are kept swelter in summer and freeze in winter. Dogs NEVER leave their cages- cleaning consists of being hosed down occasionally.Bitches are bred from 6 months until they die. Veterinary care is non-existent, or of the home variety which often results in horrendous suffering.Dogs deemed worthless, and pups that aren't sold, are killed and thrown onto the fields to rot (see my post from a few months ago "Puppies Are Bio-Degradable":
http://www.heatherweb.com/cyberhound/board...?showtopic=4360 ) None of this is exaggeration- things are really this bad down in the Amish country dog operations.

The legislation pending in Pa. right now addresses all the above issues.It is still being debated, undergoing the legislative process.

While it is pending, Gov. Rendell is stepping up enforcement of existing laws, which is what the article I posted above discusses.

I'll continue to keep you all posted on what happens in the months ahead.