Card from Dogstuff
Not only in divorces, but in situations like that after Hurricane Katrina, when people who were forced to flee New Orleans finally tracked down their pets, only to find that they’d been adopted and the new owners didn’t want to give them back.
The Seattle Times reports.
Chained and lonely (photo by b00ng)
Leaving a dog chained for more than 10 hours may soon be a crime in Salt Lake County.
The proposed law targets people who keep their dogs chained 24/7. In 2008, the Humane Society of Utah received 38 complaints about dogs being left on chains. But since there were no regulations on the books, there was no way of requiring owners to behave differently.
“This is another step,” said Gene Baierschmidt, executive director of the HSU, “in making sure animals are treated the way they should be.”
Pomeranians rescued from a puppy mill in California
Governor Jim Doyle has signed the bill into law. Breeders who sell more than 25 dogs a year will have to be licensed and meet standards of care, including food, shelter, and “opportunity for exercise.” Let’s hope that’s a meaningful phrase as the bill is written, and not the kind of opportunity that really isn’t. Let’s also hope that enforcement measures are real enough to bring about actual compliance with the new law.
Kudos to the state Legislature, to Gov. Doyle, and to all the animal rights activists who have been pushing for years to get this done.
In related news, Wisconsin shelters expect that at least short-term, they will see an increase in dogs as less reputable breeders are forced out of business by the new law.
A poster advertises the new hotline
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, in conjunction with the Humane Society of the United States, has opened a 24-hour hotline to receive tips about dogfighting.
Rewards of up to $5,000 will be given for tips leading to arrests or convictions involving dogfighting. Callers can provide tips on a dog fighting ring, an upcoming dog fight or an individual who is involved in dog fighting. Calls about dog fights actually in progress should go to 911, said DA Steve Cooley.
He added that he expects the tips received will be “a starting point for major criminal investigations” into such crimes as drug dealing, weapons possession and illegal gambling.
The hotline’s number is (877) NO2-FITE. “Obviously we’re not great spellers,” joked Cooley, “but you get the message.”
Jennifer Fearing of the HSUS said, “Never before have we seen such a dedicated effort to bring together law enforcement, public organizations and private citizens to establish a countywide tip line that will be the first line of defense against this barbaric crime.”
A poster protesting Denver's anti-pit bull ordinance
Denver has an ordinance banning any dog that is entirely or predominantly pit bull (APBT, AST, and/or SBT). One day, when a dog named Dexter was at his pet sitter’s in Denver, officials who were in the neighborhood for another reason spotted him and confiscated him. A 3-person panel employed by the city subsequently decided that Dexter was indeed a pit bull, and therefore condemned to be euthanized.
Fortunately for Dexter, his owner, Kevin O’Connell, successfully challenged the finding at a hearing. He presented evidence from four veterinarians, a UKC judge, an AKC judge, and a veterinary technician that Dexter is not a pit bull, but a boxer or mastiff mix.
The hearing officer found that Dexter’s side had presented “stronger and more detailed” evidence, and that the city had not met its burden of proof that Dexter is a pit bull.
More dog owners are planning to challenge the city’s findings, and many dog lovers are fighting to overturn the law altogether, charging that it unfairly condemns good family dogs with muscular builds, regardless of their actual breed.
One happy puppy (card from Dogstuff)
After a decade of struggle, dog lovers in Wisconsin are one step closer to stopping puppy mills in their state.
The state Assembly has unanimously passed a law that would require operations that sell more than 25 dogs a year to be licensed. The bill also permits authorities to investigate breeders and suspend their licenses.
The bill now moves to the state Senate for consideration.
