murraysmom

More on Almost Heaven:

http://www.mcall.com/news/columnists/all-5...,4871613.column

Quote:

"Dog Law supervisor Richard Martrich, the Eckhart friend who conducted many of the kennel's inspections over the years and who also helped give the agency's seal of approval to the hellish Limestone Kennels in Chester County, has been transferred to the state Bureau of Weights and Measures.

Dog Law spokesman Chris Ryder said the department's probe into the Limestone Kennels situation was completed with the Martrich transfer. The other warden who inspected the place with him, Maureen Siddons, has returned to active duty, he said.

Meanwhile, the state inspector general's office is conducting an independent investigation into the Dog Law Bureau and the Almost Heaven situation, in which inspections routinely came back clean despite continuing horror stories from customers and rescue groups.

Ryder said the inspector general's investigators are looking specifically at whether Eckhart was tipped off before his inspections. Nelson said PSPCA is cooperating with that probe.

Finally, many people have asked what they can do to help with the dogs that have been removed from Almost Heaven as a result of the PSPCA raid.

In the broadest sense, maybe the most important thing you can do is to stop buying dogs from pet stores.

Most pet store dogs come from puppy mills, which not only means you're rolling the dice about your new dog's condition, but that you're providing financial support for the animal cruelty that has distinguished Pennsylvania's sordid puppy mill tradition."

Elvismom

"Almost Heaven" is definitely a misnomer. Those poor animals - I hope that rescues etc. can be found to take them. I went to his website and was totally shocked at what he charges for his "rescue" animals - I'm bettng a lot of them are breeding "stock" that he just wants to get rid of.

I hope the animal cruelty convictions stick and that he faces both fines and jail time. I don't know how the PA law reads, but I sincerely hope that he is required to find homes, shelters or rescues for his animals and is allowed to kill them. He sounds like scum.

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

murraysmom

Elvismom-

Quote fron article:

"Eckhart also appealed Dog Law's revocation of his kennel license. That case will be heard in Harrisburg Nov. 13. If he loses the case and doesn't appeal further, he'll be given a set amount of time to dispose of his dogs."

If he loses and has to dispose of his dogs, he is not allowed to personally kill them - THANKS TO THE NEW DOG LAW:

Prior to this he would have been allowed to shoot them, as did the Reading puppymill owners who slaughtered 80 dogs back in late summer because they were being required to get rid of the dogs' fleas. It was easier and cheaper for them to shoot their kennel dogs than to buy Frontline. Under the new law, only a vet can euathanize a puppymill dog.


The above incident went a long way in getting the current legislation passed- people finally saw the horrors that could be inflicted on dogs LEGALLY in this state.


Hopefully most of the Almost Heaven dogs will be taken by rescues:according to the article I posted Oct. 4th about this raid, "Some of the scores of dogs and cats seized from Derbe ''Skip'' Eckhart's Almost Heaven kennel are already up for adoption through the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Philadelphia, and many more are expected to be available after they receive medical treatment and behavioral rehabilitation.''

Elvismom

Thank doG he can't kill them. And I sure hope he loses his appeal and they shut him down. Now if we could only keep him from opening another kennel somewhere else.... But, I'll take the small victories when they come our way.

Now I'll pray for furever homes for each one of those canine victims. I hope they can all live out their lives with loving humans.

Thanks for all the postings you do on what's happening in PA. I hope that other states follow their example.

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

pinehawk

he can't kill them but a vet can. i was spending the weekend in pennsylvania this weekend and the people i were with said the law hasn't passed yet cause it wasn't signed yet.is this true? Billy Milko ok now i just did a little research and saw where some else said it was signed by the Gov. of Pa on Oct.9th,but did it take effect right than?

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Mikey T

Most parts do not go in effect until 60 days after signing however the sections on comercial kennel requirement do not go in effect for a year because most of the regulation is not even written and is dependant on a animal welfare committe that has not even ben formed. There are a few sections with talk effect imeadiately one being that any anmimal siezed or held as part of the regulatory process can only be euthanized by a Vet. At one time the law required state notification and permission for even a vet to euthanized but under the current regulation a vet can euthanize first for the comfort and well being of the animal and notify the state after,


link to pased verision of HB 2525
Michael Tefts

murraysmom

Yes, but euthanization by a vet is alot more expensive than a box of bullets- so if they want to stay legal, another cheap option is contacting rescues or the SPCA. (Or maybe get out of the business all together because of higher costs.)

Under this new law medical procedures are still not required to be performed by a vet- puppymillers can still do lots of things including c-sections( which are often performed without anesthesia in filthy conditions, among other horrors which I won't list here) Next year H.B. 2532, which would put an end to this, comes up for consideration.

Hope you had a nice weekend up here- Paul and I bagged 18 more bags of leaves but the weather was gorgeous-

Thanks for posting the link, Mike.

Mikey T

Um law does not provide for that option explictly only if that meansd of divestment is in the CEASE AND DESIST order,
so dog may be only given to whom the dog law bureau say's it is ok to.


Michael Tefts



...

murraysmom

"Hopefully most of the Almost Heaven dogs will be taken by rescues:according to the article I posted Oct. 4th about this raid, "Some of the scores of dogs and cats seized from Derbe ''Skip'' Eckhart's Almost Heaven kennel are already up for adoption through the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Philadelphia, and many more are expected to be available after they receive medical treatment and behavioral rehabilitation.''

That quote is from my second post in this thread- in truth, local organizations have a history of taking discarded dogs-
and of course, that's not a good option because these organizations are already overwhelmed with unwanted pets.

It's a bad situation all around: there are no good solutions for these dogs. That's why the puppymill business needs to be shut down.

And that's why, as a resident of Lancaster County, which has some of the worst hell-hole puppymills in the United States, I supported the legislation and stand by it.

All I can say to you and others who have opposed it for whatever reasons, is to give it a chance.

Mikey T

A law that does not address why puppymills exist in the first place. Places much more stingrent requirments on locations that breed pupies than sell them Why?

then again the major provision of the bill still need to be worked out and won't take effect for at least three years so it will be a long wait
Michael Tefts