Articles from the February 2009 edition
of St. Louie Tails:
Boarding Up
By Renee Krejci
Main line animal rescue brings down puppy mills by putting up billboards
When motorists on the Pennsylvania Turnpike saw Main Line Animal Rescue’s first anti–puppy mill billboard, they likely thought the group was promoting Lancaster County—until they got to the second line. “Welcome to scenic Lancaster County, home to hundreds of puppy mills,” the billboard read. Bill Smith and his rescue put up the billboard four years ago in February and haven’t stopped since. Although the original billboard no longer stands, the group currently has four up in Pennsylvania and has also displayed billboards in Missouri and Chicago. The latter got Oprah’s attention and caused her to do a special on puppy mills, which aired April 4 last year and featured investigative work by Lisa Ling and Smith.
“We put that [billboard in Chicago] up out of frustration,” Smith says. “We realized dogs were suffering in other states as well. It’s kind of selfish just to worry about the dogs in Pennsylvania. There are so many puppy mills out there.”
Because of The Oprah Winfrey Show puppy-mill episode, MainLineRescue.com and MLAR.org combined received more than 7 million hits. Smith said his rescue received thousands of emails and phone calls as America discovered the horror of puppy mills. “It was great. I know that it had an impact,” he says.
“I was worried for a time that the issue may die down, like so many do, but I don’t think it is going to this time. Too many people know about it. [You know] the old expression, the cat is out of the bag; we said the dog is out of the hutch.”
When Smith uses the term “puppy mill,” he’s referring to mass commercial dog breeders. Dogs are housed in shockingly poor conditions, often living among their own excrement in cages too small for rabbits. Smith says one of the best billboards the group put up shows a Beagle in a dishwasher and reads, “Under the current kennel regulations, an adult Beagle can spend 12 years in a cage the size of your dishwasher and never be let out.” In the Oprah episode, Ling and Smith visited several puppy mills in Pennsylvania and saw the horrid conditions in which dogs are forced to live and breed. Smith has a relationship with many commercial breeders, who give his rescue the dogs they no longer need. He said that after the episode aired, breeders became more paranoid and suspicious, often shouting things like “We love our dogs!” into his chest because they thought he was recording them (even though such recording is illegal in Pennsylvania). “I know it’s having a huge impact because it’s scaring the hell out of them, and they’re cleaning up their kennels,” Smith says. “And also they’re quicker to give us the sicker dogs just to get them out because they’re afraid they’re going to get in trouble.”
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) recently conducted an investigation, which resulted in allegations that Petland pet stores were getting many of the puppies they sell in their stores from puppy mills. “I sent [Wayne Pacelle, HSUS president] an email and said, ‘You raised the bar for all of us.’ Now I have to be more creative and more inventive and come up with something else to top them,” Smith jokes. “But I don’t think I’m going to be able to do that. It’s great what they’re doing.”
Unfortunately, not everyone can go undercover and unveil puppy mills like the HSUS or Lisa Ling, but there are still many ways the public can help out.
According to Smith, banding together and forming legislation is a big way the average person can get involved. Pennsylvania passed the “puppy mill bill” in October, partly because so many people were demanding it.
“Find out what your legislator is doing. Find out how they vote on animal issues, not just with puppy mills, but also with dogfighting and all kinds of things,” Smith says. “Find out, educate yourself, then write a letter, send an email. They do listen to that.”
And of course, if you or a friend or family member is thinking of adopting a pet, look to your local shelters and rescues and spread the word about puppy mills. “Putting aside better legislation and better enforcement, I think public awareness is more important than anything else,” Smith says.
For more information, visit MainLineRescue.com.
Throw Them a Bone
By Rebekah Wolf
Top five reasons to adopt an animal today
It’s difficult not to fawn over pet-shop puppies and kittens while window-shopping at the mall. Fuzzy faces with doe eyes and wet noses stare out at passersby. But playing “How much is that doggie in the window?” leaves customers penniless and shelter pets homeless.
With increasing overpopulation in shelters and rescue organizations scrambling to save animals’ lives, there has never been a better time to adopt. When faced with a choice between adopting and buying, consider this: Adoption saves lives and money, not to mention possibly hours of training time.
Save Lives
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), five out of 10 shelter dogs and seven out of 10 shelter cats are euthanized each year simply because no one will adopt them. Shelter animals are almost evenly divided between those who are abandoned by their people and those picked up by animal control services. Adoptions reduce euthanizations and make way for others who need homes.
Purebred dogs are in high demand, but they too are likely candidates for euthanasia. An estimated 25 percent of shelter dogs are purebred, according to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). If you are seeking a specific kind of dog, there are rescue groups for every breed.
Improve Health
Spending long days in a noisy, cramped kennel is no way to live, but that is reality for many animals. According to the HSUS, adopting animals can improve quality of life by reducing stress, anxiety, and social isolation for both the animals and you.
Research shows that pets reduce anxious outbursts in Alzheimer’s patients, help college students cope through transition periods, and reduce risk of heart attacks by almost one-third. Going for long walks and playing Frisbee improve cardiovascular health in canine companions, and cohabitating with a cat can lower blood pressure.
Save Money
With food, supplies, medical care, and training, the average cost of care for dogs and cats can total more than $800 annually, according to the ASPCA. Purchasing from a breeder or pet store can tack on $1,000 or more in the first year. Most animals can be adopted from shelters and rescue groups, often already spayed or neutered and vaccinated, for around $100 or less.
According to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy, taxpayers spend about $2 billion each year to impound, shelter, kill, and dispose of unwanted animals. Keeping breeders in business not only costs the customer extra money, but also affects everyone else if unwanted purebreds end up behind bars.
Find a Perfect Match
While what you see is what you get at the pound, pet purchasers often don’t know what’s in store for them. Kittens and puppies are cute but eventually grow to have big personalities. Most shelter dogs are at least 6 months old, and rescue groups often place pets in foster homes, so animals’ temperaments and projected size are pretty clear. With 8 to 12 million cats and dogs entering shelters each year, according to the HSUS, the odds of finding a great pet are favorable.
Often shelter dogs are already housetrained and cratetrained and know obedience commands. Shelter and rescue group employees know which animals get along with other animals and children, and sometimes offer a trial or foster period to see how they adjust to home life. There are plenty of volunteers and employees available to provide adoption counseling to prospective parents and follow-up assistance to ensure the adoption was successful.
Gain a Best Friend
Life on the streets and in crowded shelters makes for grateful pets. Because they’ve had difficult lives and uncertain futures, rescued cats and dogs often form deeper bonds with their adoptive parents. These loyal animals can also teach children about compassion, responsibility, and friendship.
Not only do pets and people provide emotional support for each other, but an adult dog is ready to go anywhere with his or her person. From playing in the park to swimming at the beach, people get out more with their dogs, and those looking for love or friendship always have a furry conversation starter by their side. Adult cats are good companions for people who work long hours. Their independent nature keeps maintenance minimal, and they’re content to cuddle on the couch after a long day at work.
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St. Louis Critter Sitters
Recipe Corner
Beardie Coolers
- 2 fresh beef (or other species) marrow bones, each at least 1 in long
- water
Dog Food Recipe Directions:
In about a 2 qt pan, put the bones, and add enough water to cover the bones. Bring water to a boil; continue to boil for at least 10 min. (More time is ok, for a richer broth.)
Remove bones, and return any beef marrow to the liquid, along with any meat that you can get off the bones.
Cool the broth to room temperature. Pour liquid only into 2-4 ice cube trays.
Chop up the marrow/meat/gristle into little bits, and put them into each section of the tray. Freeze solid.
Serve 2-3 cubes on a very hot day. (Not too many if you made the broth very rich with extra bones or lots of marrow.)
We hope your best friend enjoys this tasty dog food recipe!
Source: www.i-love-dogs.com
Furry Forum from February 2009 edition
of St. Louie Tails:
Q. We have a miniature Schnauzer puppy who is now almost 6 months old. She seems to have developed a pretty severe fright of loud vehicles. It might have originated when a garbage truck recently drove down a street we were walking on. She already disliked garbage cans (I have no idea why), and this episode is the only trigger I can think of for her fear of noisy vehicles.
Now when I attempt to walk her, she can’t get home fast enough and keeps trying to turn around during the stroll, especially if a loud car or bus goes by. This is a real problem, because we live on a busy street and we walk on neighborhood sidewalks.
Can you help? —Melissa Vare, Indianapolis, IN
A. Your dog desperately needs strong leadership when she is frightened by loud noises. This is accomplished by redirecting her, making sure she remains focused on you. This will actually calm your dog. Tell her to heel and keep your pace slow and steady. When she begins to walk ahead of you, slightly jerk your leash straight back, not straight up. Do not pull or try to hold her from going in front of you. Just give the leash a quick jerk and then release. The moment she begins slowing down to equal your pace, give her calm verbal praise as you continue to walk.
Walk her daily as often as you possibly can. This will help to improve her behavior faster. If she tries to turn around while walking, softly jerk and release her leash as you continue moving forward. Do not stop walking or wait for her to catch up. The key point is timing.
The moment she looks at something she fears, that is the moment to correct her.
You may feel sorry for her, but a dog does not understand this emotion. She sees this as weakness, and you must be a strong leader. The more she is exposed to and works through the issue of loud noises, the faster the problem will disappear.
—Alex Brooks, founder and operator of the Alex Brooks Midwest Canine Behavioral & Socialization Center in Des Plaines, IL, has been training dogs since the late ’70s. He also donates his time and expertise to training dogs in shelters.
Q. In the past six months or so, my 5-year-old Chocolate Labrador began a strange habit. Prior to eating her dinner, she appears to need some sort of affection or acknowledgement. She refuses to eat and comes to us very sheepishly looking like she wants us to pet her. We tell her “good girl” and pet her and tell her to go eat.
In the beginning, a few pats would do it. Now it’s sometimes a 10-minute ordeal. She will go to her bowl, come back to us, go to her bowl, come back, etc. Finally, after a few rounds of telling her she is good and giving her some love, she goes to eat. She eats twice a day, and this started with evening feedings only. Now she does it for a.m. and p.m. feedings.
Any clue what’s going on here?
—Dawn Schneider, Chicago, IL
A. What’s going on? Your dog is training you! First, take her to the veterinarian to rule out any medical problems. And remember that the worst thing you can do is to reward her unwanted habit.
When you give your dog affection, you are nurturing her state of mind at that exact moment. So no affection after you put down her bowl of food. If she has not eaten within half an hour, remove her food bowl. She may not eat well for a while, but I have never heard of a dog starving herself. Break this routine at feeding time, and your dog will quickly end her unusual behavior.
—Alex Brooks, founder and operator of the Alex Brooks Midwest Canine Behavioral & Socialization Center in Des Plaines, IL, has been training dogs since the late ’70s. He also donates his time and expertise to training dogs in shelters.
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