CAPS2.0 Blog

On July 16th, Deborah Howard, founder and president of the Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS) participated in a one-hour teleseminar interview (click to listen) with Susan Daffron of the National Association of Pet Rescue Professionals.

Among the topics discussed were the difficulty of shutting down puppy mills and the role of the USDA in the regulation of puppy mills, as well as their complicity in keeping abusive mills open. Under the current law, there has to be proof of “abhorrent” conditions in these facilities before law enforcement can even get involved. Because enforcement from the USDA is so lax, and because local law enforcement will often shift responsibility to the USDA, it is only through the efforts of watchdog organizations like CAPS  that abuses are even discovered.

As Howard said of the USDA, “The USDA is the most frustrating agency. [. . .] It’s a cultural mindset of failure. They don’t want this problem. They have less funding than any other program — it’s not a highly funded program. We don’t have a contentious relationship with them at all; it’s just that they’re indifferent.”

Howard also discussed the activist origins of CAPS. “[After visiting an Dockor Pet Center (a chain of 300 stores) in late 1989 in which there were puppies with open wounds and cages filled with bloody diarrhea], I found out where the dogs came from and decided to take it on myself — I have a political activist background — to organize a protest against as many Docktor Pet Centers as I could. I got a grassroots list and we had a protest in 30 cities on the weekend before Christmas. They thought it was PETA. It was very effective. I went to ‘20/20,’ who had been thinking about doing a story, and I knew a young man who was an activist and who worked for Docktor Pet because he wanted to help the animals. We set him up with a video camera, and he would go in early in the mornings. Every morning there would be dogs dead from parvo — it was horrible — there were bodies in the freezer. So this was all used on ‘20/20,’ and then we started gathering pet shop complaints.”

On the NAPRP blog, Daffron offered the following post-interview analysis:

One of the last questions I asked was essentially, “how do you keep doing this work without getting completely discouraged?” Her answer consisted of three main points, which I thought might help everyone:

1. She doesn’t let herself feel sorry for herself and knows she’s doing the best that she can. Although she used to cry about things more easily, now she just moves forward knowing that the work is vital and she is helping.

2. When things don’t go the way she wants, she finds a new plan. She doesn’t give up easily. She only lets herself feel discouraged about setbacks for about a day and then moves forward and thinks up ways to attack a problem from a different direction.

3. She has a support network. None of us can do this work alone. You need to involve other people not only to help with the work, but also so you can share ideas.

Homeless animals and puppy mills are huge problems. Neither will be solved by just one person. Know that you aren’t alone. Take advantage of opportunities to get together with other people to share both the successes and the failures. You need to take time to take care of yourself, in order to continue to help the animals. What you do is important, but so are you!

As always, thank you for all you do to help the animals 

On July 8th, Gov. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee signed legislation meant to regulate mass breeding facilities. The state finally added a law in its books that requires breeders to give basic humane care to animals and be subject to inspections. The move shows a step forward in the fight against puppy mills and indicates a change in the public’s opinion about the issue. Despite the efforts, the change won’t eliminate the problem. Lawmakers aren’t attempting to outlaw puppy mills, they are trying to regulate breeding facilities.

The bill was significantly weakened by several amendments and revisions. Originally, the proposition placed a limit of 75 intact dogs per commercial breeder which would only affect puppy mills since most reputable breeders are small scale operations. Also, the bill no longer authorizes confiscation of animals or criminal penalties, using civil fines of $50 to $1000 per violation instead.

One of the most important aspects of the law is that large scale commercial operations with more than 20 unsterilized female dogs maintained for breeding purposes must obtain a license from the Department of Health. It establishes that inspections are a prerequisite for licensure as well as abiding by new humane care standards for dogs and cats. The bill also holds the mass breeders accountable by forcing them to adhere to Tennessee Consumer Protection Act, which would allow people who bought sick dogs to seek legal actions against the puppy mill operators.

The bill was first introduced by state Sen. Doug Jackson after witnessing the conditions in a Tennessee puppy mill operated by Patricia Adkisson. The owner of the infamous Tennessee facility was charged with 24 counts of felony aggravated cruelty and nine counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty. For more information about the bill, visit the Animal Law Coalition website or read the bill summary from the Tennessee government website

The former owner of Pick of the Litter (aka Dogs on Wheels), Kathy Bauck, was convicted of 4 misdemeanor charges (3 of torture and 1 of animal cruelty) in March. Those following the case were expecting the judge to be tough on the notorious puppy mill owner, especially after all the evidence and the undercover videos. However, last month Judge Waldemar Senyk handed down a sentence that seemed unfair to many.

According to court documents, Bauck will serve 20 days in jail, pay a $500 fine, contribute 80 hours of community service, and spend one year under probation. Regardless of the legal procedures, she will continue being the brains behind the Minnesota puppy mill, which is now conveniently run by her family. Because she’ll be on work release, Bauck will spend nights in jail but will be able to oversee kennel operations on weekdays.

The USDA licensed dog broker (surprisingly since 1983) has eluded the full extent of the law on previous occasions. CAPS has exposed the cruelty behind her kennels multiple times, but lax laws have allowed her to continue with the unscrupulous business (for more information about CAPS investigations, click here or click the tab on your right). The latest sentence downplayed the severity of her crimes and failed to put a stop to one of the largest puppy mills in the country. With this kind of leniency, it’s evident she won’t change her ways any time soon.

To contact the Honorable Judge Senyk, call or send a letter to:

Honorable Judge Waldemar Senyk
121 West Junius Avenue, Suite 310
Fergus Falls, MN 56537
Fax 218-998-8414
Phone: (218) 998-8420

Be a voice to the countless dogs who have suffered and will continue to suffer in silence.

Boston, MA (1888PressRelease) May 2, 2009- An undercover investigation by the Companion Animal Protection Society (www.caps-web.org) has revealed that Elite Animals of West Hollywood sells dogs from puppy mills in the Midwest and is defrauding customers, lying about the conditions where the dogs are from. The city of West Hollywood, CA passed a resolution against the sale of puppy mill dogs last year. Elite Animals has ignored efforts by the City of West Hollywood to come in for a meeting to discuss the evidence in an open forum with representatives from several national animal welfare organizations.

The evidence from the undercover investigation of the mill that supplies Elite Animals revealed dogs living in deplorable conditions. The dog enclosures were overcrowded and filthy. The dogs were sick, injured and crammed into rusty cages that are full of feces and urine. In the undercover investigation of Elite animals, a clerk lied to CAPS investigators posing as customers that the dogs were “raised in a house.” The same clerk admitted selling a Pomeranian from the same breeder to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Governor Schwarzenegger was a victim of fraud if he believed his dog was from a reputable breeder.

Elite Animals also told undercover investigators they could buy puppies imported from Russia. The clerk claimed his wife owned the shop and that he could import “whatever you want.” It is illegal and dangerous to import dogs under the age of six months. Elite Animals was in violation of the law by not posting the breeder information in clear view outside the animal enclosures in the store. Please click here to view the video of the investigation.

“Elite Animals is using our Governor’s good name to sell puppy mill puppies. Governor Schwarzenegger was a victim, like so many consumers who buy pets in pet stores thinking the pet is from a reputable breeder.

No reputable breeder ships dogs to pet shops or sells on the Internet.

The evidence from the breeder who supplies Elite Animals is some of the worst I’ve seen. There is only one way to describe the evidence: Silence of the Lambs. The dogs are in anguish, living out their wretched lives crammed into cages without any mercy. If our own Governor can be lied to this way, any innocent consumer can be lied to and this has to stop.

During this historic economic crisis, we ask that people relieve our overburdened municipal shelters instead of buying animals in pet shops.

Elite Animals is not unique in this regard. Pet shops are all puppy mill fronts and the pets sold in them are from pet factories. The progressive City of West Hollywood has been extremely supportive of animal welfare issues and will be putting an ordinance banning the sale of puppy mill dogs on the agenda.” - Carole Raphaelle Davis, West Coast Director of The Companion Animal Protection Society, author of “The Diary of Jinky, Dog of a Hollywood Wife” and investigative reporter for American Dog Magazine.

“Living with a puppy mill survivor, I’m well aware that these pet stores support an industry that is nothing short of legalized torture. ‘Baby’ was used like a breeding machine at one of these houses of horror, never allowed out of a small cage for 8 years, and had her vocal cords cut so the puppy mill owner wouldn’t have to hear her cries. She’s just one of countless dogs living in torture at this very moment. Elite Animals, like all puppy mill fronts, is to blame for these atrocities against man’s best friend.” - Dr. Jana Kohl , guardian of Baby, a puppy mill survivor and author of “A Rare Breed of Love.”

Join the Companion Animal Protection Society and local celebrities for a protest at Elite Animals Pet Store on Saturday May 2, 2009.

WHAT: ANTI-PUPPY MILL RALLY-PRO ADOPTION
WHO: Companion Animal Protection Society
WHERE: Elite Animals, 8729 Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood
WHEN: Saturday, June 27, 2009 from 2:00pm to 4:00pm

RSVP on Facebook!

For more information please contact Carole Raphaelle Davis at 310-990-5758 or hollywoodjinky@gmail.com

There’s a movement emerging to ban dog auctions in the state of Ohio. Members of BanOhioDogAuctions.com plan to turn in a petition that will appear on the November 2010 ballot and, if successful, will change state laws regarding companion animal auctions.

The auctions are large-scale events in which breeders sell and buy dogs in large quantities. The conditions in which the dogs are kept are no better than those in puppy mills.

In recent years, Ohio has attracted puppy mill operators from across the nation because of the lax laws and regulations concerning the practice of dog auctions. Thousands of unscrupulous mass breeders sell hundreds of dogs like livestock and most of the time the dogs are kept in inhumane conditions.

Breeders convicted of animal cruelty, like the infamous Kathy Jo Bauck of Minnesota and Lanzie “Junior” Horton of Virginia, often travel to Ohio to participate in these profitable large scale auctions. Questionable breeders almost immediately register the dogs with the American Kennel Club (AKC) even though the quality of the purebred dogs is often far from the ideal.

Another effort is also under way in Ohio to include the ban on dog auctions as part of a legislation that will regulate commercial dog breeders. Senate Bill 95 and House Bill 124 would set minimum standards of care for breeders, such as keeping up with basic hygiene and adequate veterinary care.

The push to ban dog auctions, a practice that supports puppy mills, is a welcomed step and will hopefully send a message to breeders that Ohio will no longer be a safe haven for irresponsible breeders. For more information, visit http://banohiodogauctions.com/

Last Wednesday, Cesar Millan, the dog behavior specialist from the hit TV show “The Dog Whisperer,” teamed up with the pet advocacy group Last Chance for Animals (LCA) to educate audiences about the horrors behind puppy mills. The press conference took place in Pets Delight, a pet shop located in Covina, California where owner Shannon Anderson stopped selling puppy mill animals after learning about the appalling conditions that thrived in such breeding facilities.

During the event, Millan announced his new show “The Dog Whisperer: Inside Puppy Mills,” which will air on the National Geographic Channel on May 8 at 9 p.m. Eastern. According to the National Geographic website, the episode will include footage from a recent LCA investigation of Los Angeles county kennels. Viewers will also get a chance to see Millan work with 11 traumatized dogs considered worthless by their breeders.

The LCA was founded in 1984 by Chris DeRose and gradually became an advocacy group and organization which investigates all manners regarding animal abuse.

Millan’s new focus and his partnership with LCA will surely spotlight the abuses many animals endure in mass breeding facilities. Hopefully, the show will educate viewers about the wrong doings taking place in puppy mills nationwide and their link to pet shops and unsuspecting buyers.

Imagine traveling in the cargo area of a Boeing747. Your seat is a dusty cushion inside a wooden crate with a few holes for ventilation. All you can do is take a sip of water and maybe munch on some stale snacks (and you thought the pretzels were bad!). You can hear the engines roar as if they were right there sitting next to you and the air is growing staler by the minute. You quickly start to feel claustrophobic and afraid you won’t make it to your final destination.

Last week, Honda came out with a dog-friendly version of the Element SUV . Dog lovers across the US will soon be able to buy the spiffy, new ride fitted with a cushioned, dog bed in the trunk, a built-in water bowl, and a ramp for those short-legged canines in need of a booster.

Sixty-two miniature Pinschers were rescued from a puppy mill in Riverside, California on March 3, 2009. With the assistance of CAPS, Good Dog Animal Rescue exposed the deplorable conditions in a facility owned by Linda Smith.

April 2nd, 2009 by Wilfredo Rodriguez

These days you can buy almost anything online, and why shouldn’t you? It saves time and energy that could be spent in other, more productive endeavors. But where do you draw the line? Buying dogs online is one of the latest trends popping up in the cybernetic world.